Hello again, Roman here. Just a reminder that I've been working with real estate in Georgia for over 5 years and have my own agency, The Residence.
And, to be honest, I myself once didn't understand why realtors were needed at all. It seemed like they were people who just showed apartments and made money from something the client could have done themselves.
But when I first encountered buying property in Georgia in practice, it became clear that everything is a bit more complicated than it looks from the outside. It was from that moment that my approach to work began to form, which I will tell you about next.
— "I didn't believe in realtors"
To be honest, for a long time I didn't understand what real estate agents were for at all.
Seriously. It seemed like these were people who just showed apartments and earned money doing something you could do yourself. Like, you open a website, look at options, go see them, choose – that’s it. And I was sure I perfectly understood how it all worked.
Then I ended up in Georgia and decided to buy real estate. And that's when the most interesting part began. You seem to be doing everything right: looking at properties, calling and arranging viewings.
But in fact:
- Some of the options don't exist at all.
- There's no proper information on that.
- Somewhere, you're being blatantly "sold" something that isn't to your benefit.
And you're sitting there, thinking:
Okay... how do I even figure this out?
Even so, I already had experience in sales and marketing, I worked with numbers and analytics. I understood how processes worked, how funnels functioned, how products were sold. And still—it didn't help 100%%.
Because the real estate market turned out to be much less transparent than it seems from the outside.
And then at some point, a simple thought clicked for me: if I'm not finding this easy,
So, for a person without this experience, it will be very difficult. Essentially, that's how it all began.
First, it was just curiosity. Then, the first deals. Then, understanding how everything works from the inside. And it became quite obvious fairly quickly: this field isn't about "showing the apartment" at all. It's about:
- to get to the bottom of something
- not to hit a weak target
- and make a normal decision, not an "emotional" one
And probably the most important thing that I realized for myself then:
If a client doesn't understand after a purchase that they made the right choice, it means you did a poor job. This is what we've been working with ever since.
What's wrong with the market?
I wouldn't say the market is bad. It's just... very diverse. In principle, just like in any other country, with its own "nuances" and "atmosphere." And at some point, you start noticing the same stories.
A person comes and says:
I want to buy an apartment by the sea that is inexpensive and brings in 12-15% in dollars. And without risks, of course.
And it sounds perfectly normal. Because if you watch commercials for a couple of days beforehand, you get the impression that this is the standard scenario, and it's all achieved easily, with a snap of your fingers. Poof, and a 15%% is in your pocket. Everything is beautiful there: "$60,000$ → $900$ per month," "passive income," "ready-made business." And you sit there and think – well, okay, apparently that's how it is.
And then you start to dive a little deeper into it. And it turns out that:
We have real properties that: were bought for roughly the same money, are actually rented out, and bring in 450-550$ per month. And that, by the way, is a good result. Not ideal, not astronomical, but a normal, working option, without fantasies or exaggerations.
And at this moment, people usually have a small internal conflict. Because somewhere the figure of 800-900$has already "settled," and reality is different.
And here one doesn't even want to say that someone is deceiving someone. Rather, they're just showing the most beautiful scenario possible.
No downtime.
No expenses.
Without seasonality.
And then the person builds the picture themselves. And decides which numbers to trust more. And then after some time they return with the question, "Why isn't it the way I expected?"
And here is where the most difficult part of our work begins. Not to sell. But on the contrary – to explain why something is not worth buying. Even if it looks "very advantageous."
It's interesting, of course, but very often we have to dissuade clients from buying certain properties they've taken a liking to at the beginning.
Because in the short term, you can convince yourself/a client of anything. But in the long term, the market will still sort everything out.
How do I/we work?
In short, we don't start with objects.
Although usually everyone waits for exactly this. Like: "show us what you have", "send a catalog", etc.
But the problem is that without context, any objects look normal. Really, you open 10 options – and each one seems "okay," "I want an apartment here," "wow, what a beautiful view." And it's at that moment that confusion most often begins.
That's why we don't start with apartments.
And from questions. Sometimes not the most convenient ones. Like:
— "Why buy it at all?"
"What's more important – income or comfort?"
— "Are you planning to give it up or not?"
— "For how long are you signing up?"
and so on
And quite often, even at this stage, it becomes clear that half of the options are simply not suitable. Although they looked normal "by eye." Then the most interesting part begins.
We are starting to filter, not search.
Let's look at the location and remove what's unnecessary.
Look at the developer – let's remove another part.
Looking at documents, the economy—the list is getting shorter again.
And at some point, out of 20-30 options, a few remain. Sometimes 3. Sometimes 5. And then it's not "to look through," but actually to choose.
Plus, there's another point that not everyone likes.
We don't operate on the principle of "closing the deal at any cost."
Sometimes we say, "Look, it's better not to take this option." And yes, sometimes the person leaves after that. That's normal.
But more often it happens differently: after some time they return, but with a different understanding. Because for us, in the long run, the deal itself is not as important as what happens with it next.
And probably, this is the main filter in our work: if an object doesn't make sense logically, it doesn't make it. Even if it's easy to sell.
Why we sometimes don't work with clients
This, by the way, is one of the strangest things for many. When a person comes in, ready to buy, and we... start to slow down the process.
Sometimes, a person says: "I want 15-20% per year in dollars, with no risks."
And you understand that there are two options now:
- or sell something "to fit this idea"
- or explain that the market doesn't work like that
And here's where it gets complicated. We always discard the first option because selling "fantastic" expectations is not our style. We always try to show the reality of the market, which unfortunately isn't always accepted as the truth. Then we have to refuse. And yes, this might sound strange, especially if the person is already set on buying.
If expectations diverge significantly from reality, a normal outcome won't be achieved.
Another situation is when it's more important to a person to "catch a super profitable deal" than to understand how it works. These stories also often end the same way. First, they look for "something better than the market." Then they buy. Then, after some time, they come with the question: "What should I do with this?"
And here's an important point. We don't take on everything. Because then we have to work with it. And explain it. And help solve the consequences.
Therefore, sometimes it's easier not to make a deal at all,
How to do it wrong.
And that's probably one of the reasons why some clients come back later. When they understand how the market really works.
🤝 About the team
There are currently 13 people on our team. And this isn't about "we've grown" or "we're scaling."
Rather, it's about the fact that at some point it became clear that one person simply physically cannot handle everything properly. Because there isn't just one task here. It's not just "showing an apartment."
This is:
Someone is selecting and filtering objects.
Someone is checking documents
Someone is communicating with the developers.
Someone is managing the client throughout all stages of the deal.
And if one person tries to do all of this, at some point, details start to fall through the cracks. And in real estate, details are generally very important.
Plus, there's another point. The market is dynamic. Things appear and disappear, and conditions change.
And when you're alone, you only see part of the picture. When you have a team, the picture becomes broader.
We, for example, constantly discuss objects internally. Like:
Look, the price is strange here.
The pace of construction has slowed down here.
"and here, on the contrary, a normal option has appeared"
And because of this decision, they are not "gut feelings" but more considered. For the client, it ultimately looks simple: they don't have to figure everything out themselves.
Because there are already several people behind it who are doing it every day.
And this is probably the main thing the team provides. Not "quantity," but the level of detail.
Systematic approach in action
If we remove all the unnecessary parts, we have a rather simple logic.
We don't sell everything.Because they come back to us with that same object later.
We are counting numbers. Even if a person is buying "for themselves." Because in a year or two the situation may change, and it's important to understand what you have in your hands.
We are not rushing into the deal. Sometimes it's the opposite - we slow down. And yes, it's not always pleasant, but it usually saves money.
We are not looking for "the most profitable option on the market." Because most of the time, it's just a beautifully packaged story. We select an object to solve our client's specific problems.
We are looking to The object was: understandable, liquid, and adequately assessed for risks. No magic involved.
And probably the most important thing.
We are not trying to be "convenient" in everything. Because convenience in the moment sometimes proves costly later. That's why if something is wrong, we talk about it. Even if it doesn't speed up the deal. Facts and figures are very important. And in the long run, that's what works best.
In conclusion
If you've read this far, it's likely that the purchase itself isn't just important to you. It's about what comes after.
Because in reality, it all comes down to a simple thing. Real estate isn't about "buy and forget." It's about a decision you'll live with.
And it's no longer that important:
- How many options were there
- How many objects did you view
- or how "beautiful" everything looked at the start
What's important is what you have left in the end.
Therefore, if this approach resonates with you – unhurried, well-calculated, and with an understanding of what's happening at each stage – we can walk this path together.
No obligation, no "hard sell."
Let's break down your situation and see what options are actually available on the market for your task. If you're ready to take the next step, use the button below.
