Agent Profile: Overcoming Obstacles and Building a Thriving Real Estate Business with Kortney Williams

Northern California real estate agent Kortney Williams makes running a thriving business as a single mom look easy — but it wasn’t always that way. For our first ever Agent Profile, we sat down (via Zoom!) with a longtime SellWell agent and friend of the team, Kortney Williams, to chat about how coaching can help us overcome the seemingly impossible obstacles life throws at us — inside and outside the office.

Katy from SellWell:

Thank you so much for agreeing to chat with us Kortney! I’d love to start by asking you how you came across Aaron, and why you decided to move forward with coaching?

Kortney:

I was introduced to Aaron about 5 years ago via a Loan Officer I was partnering with often. At the time, I was a new mom — and a single mom — and my business was struggling. I had lost eight transactions in a row back-to-back. I felt so incredibly lost and was looking for a coach that would give straightforward, direct guidance on how to get my business on track. That was Aaron.

Katy: 

Wow, what a difficult time that must have been. What was working with Aaron and SellWell like at the beginning and how long did it take to see the light at the end of the tunnel?

Kortney:

First line of business was committing to following Aaron’s process exactly. I knew I’d need to put the work in, but I had no other choice but to make my business work. My daughter needed me to. Aaron told me that if I followed his guidance to a T, I’d have new business within four weeks. I thought he was crazy.

That happened in April, and by the end of May, I had 12 transactions in contract. In a year, I had doubled my business. I literally couldn’t believe it.

Katy:

That’s so incredible. What do you think it was specifically about this style of coaching that made such a big and immediate impact?

Kortney:

I think the most important thing is how he helped me simplify my business. When you’re in real estate for a while, you start overthinking what you should be doing every day to your own detriment. It was incredibly important for me to go back to the basics. The other major shift was in my confidence. Aaron helped (and helps) me hone in on what I’m good at. That gives me confidence, which in turn gives clients confidence in me too.

Katy:

You’ve worked with Aaron directly, and used the online SellWell training portal. How has the online component specifically helped you continue to grow your business?

Kortney:

What’s great about the online program is that it walks you through every single step of what you should be doing. That’s a surefire way to light a fire under you when you come across something you’ve let slip. Just like working with Aaron one-on-one, it takes you back to the basics so you can make sure your business is structured how it should be from the ground up.

It’s also great for revisiting certain topics when they pop up in your day-to-day. I’ll even listen to specific sections to pump myself up for an upcoming meeting or conversation. The Open House section, for example, I basically have on repeat before I head to an Open.

The downloadable paperwork is also great — and I use it constantly.

Katy:

We love to hear that! Last question — and we’ll let you get back to work. For some agents just starting out, it can be hard to justify the cost of coaching. What would you tell an agent considering enrolling in SellWell. 

Kortney:

Well, I started in real estate when I was just 19 years old and was in the business for close to nine years before I started with SellWell. I definitely had a few mentors along the way, but no one that was really committed to teaching me the basics and helping me grow. It’s almost impossible to find that.

Investing in coaching is investing in yourself and the mistakes that you WON’T have to pay for down the line. It will pay for itself quicker than you can imagine if you put the work in. What I love about Aaron specifically is that he’s genuine. He’s not a bullshitter and he actually wants to help you.

If I could turn back time, I 100% would have started my career with SellWell.

Katy: Thank you, Kortney! We’re so happy to have you as part of our community.