By Carl Walwyn
I was driving downtown in Basseterre on the tiny island of St. Kitts when I was stopped by a man dressed in white.
“Walwyn?” he asked. “Carl Walwyn?” I immediately recognized this man as someone from my youth. I had not been back to the island for about 15 years but “Cooper” as I knew him was already an icon.
I had heard that he had already reached the equivalent of the Re/Max 100 per cent club for that year. This was in 1990 when that money could actually buy stuff. Further, it was in U.S. dollars and he did this on an island of only about 40,000 people and 65 square miles. It amazed me that this was also a year after a hurricane had made a devastating pass through the island.
I was stunned, but I knew that I could learn a lot from this person. How were his accomplishments possible?
What happened next was extraordinary. “Hey, do you want to buy some land? You should buy some land,” said Cooper. “I have some land in Conaree. Let’s go see it.”
Before I realized what was happening, Cooper was already sitting in the back seat of my rental car. My girlfriend looked at me apprehensively.
I figured, what the hell. “Drive this way,” he said and soon we were travelling out to this little beach-side piece of land that he was selling. “Stop here.”
We looked out the window. It was a large piece of palm tree-covered beach. Cooper took his briefcase (it never left his arms) and walked over to a coconut tree. He then started counting long measured strides. Suddenly, he made an abrupt 90-degree turn and again counted off strides – 5, 6, 7. By now we were out of the car and it occurred to me that he was actually outlining the real estate lot.
“Okay, this one is selling for…” He named the price. He also had the actual deed to the land in his briefcase!
The deal would be as simple as this. Bring the purchase price in cash or certified cheque. We would walk over to a lawyer’s office where the title to the land would be exchanged for the money. Later there would be some minor details involving the land registry office, but this really was real estate at its most simple. No wonder he was making so much money. He had distilled the process to the bare essentials. Further, his expenses, if any, were minimal.
I was still in shock. Here were the 10 things I learned.
1. You are the brand. Cooper did not drive. I am not sure if he owned a cell phone, but he could always be found. Just go to the middle of the town at the taxi stand by The Traffic and ask for Cooper. If he wasn’t there, someone would be able to tell you where he was and when he would be back. Everyone knew him.
2. Differentiate the brand. Every time I saw Cooper, he was dressed in white. This meant that even if I couldn’t remember his name, all I had to ask for was “the dude who is always dressed in white” and someone would say, “Oh yes, Cooper.”
3. Keep it simple. I mean REALLY simple. No phone, no car, no billboard, no website, no delegating, no team . . just him.
4. The buck (in fact everything) stops here. Cooper was a man of his word and he was all that there was between you and the property.
5. Be assumptive.
6. Always be closing (ABC of selling).
7. You are your best walking advertisement.
8. Make sure everyone knows your name.
9. A photographic memory and superior intelligence help. So too does the ability to speak five or more languages (including Latin) fluently.
10. I am not that kind of personality, but I can adopt several useful traits.
Sure, there might be those who were detractors, those who might interpret his bohemian uniqueness for something else. Bottom line? He was one of the most interesting agents that I have ever met.
I really wonder if I could do it – in 2014 – with just a briefcase.
Carl Walwyn is a sales rep with Legacy Realty in Mississauga, Ont. Email [email protected].
