Discovering Opportunities Within Your Failures With Cindy Presgraves

A full-time, first-year agent experiences an 80% failure rate. Discovering opportunities amidst that is a crucial skill. Jason Williford welcomes Cindy Presgraves, a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist and a Top Producing Realtor. She’s earned the Top 5% Award for Realtors for 2021. Adopting an abundance mindset is key to succeeding. No matter what situation you’re in, don’t think about negative thoughts. Never worry because it will all work out. If things don’t go as planned, something better will come your way. Do you want to know how Cindy applied a positive mindset in real life and achieved wealth for her two sons? Tune in!

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Discovering Opportunities Within Your Failures With Cindy Presgraves

How A 1st Generation American, Single Mother Is Impacting The Real Estate World While Providing A Childhood That She Never Had For Two Boys

I have a wonderful guest on. She’s a great friend of mine. Her name is Cindy Presgraves. She’s based out of Metro Atlanta. She’s a certified luxury home marketing specialist. She’s also earned the top 5% award for 2021. Cindy is also one of the contestants and co-stars on the reality TV show, Beyond the Close, which also features myself and Kevin Harrington from the original Shark Tank, which was the Cofounder of the Home Shopping Network and As Seen On TV. We also have special guests like Jay Abraham and Michael Bernoff on the show.

She is a contestant but has also already published her own book. She’s an author, a podcaster, social media influencer, and also a top-producing realtor that has been through a divorce. She’s a single mother of two. She enjoys helping out other single parents, entrepreneurs, and real estate agents who are single, have families to be a power business owner, and be a wonderful parent while doing so. Without further ado, welcome, Miss Cindy. How are you doing?

Thank you, Jason. It’s great to have me on your show. I’m doing pretty good.

Would you mind telling us a little bit more about yourself?

I am a single parent. I’ve been in real estate for years. I started real estate here in the State of Georgia and I got my license in North Dakota. It took me eight times to pass my test. All of a sudden, I got a curveball thrown. I’m moving to Georgia with no friends, family, and support whatsoever while the kids’ dad was sent overseas and has stayed over there since then. Now I’m growing my business.

How do I get into real estate? That’s what my book is about. It’s about how you get into real estate and how do you start. I was lost. I thought there was one brokerage. I had no idea there were different brokerages. I didn’t have any guidance. I didn’t have anybody to tell me how do I even start, what to do and how to get clients. I do have a background in sales. That was enough, but it wasn’t that much. Real estate is a totally different ballgame. You have to be creative. If you think there’s not an answer, there’s an answer. There’s always a way.

One thing that stood out is it took you eight times to pass your final exam. My next thought is, “What if you would have given up on the 7th attempt or the 5th attempt?” What has that taught you? I’ve seen almost genius-level people that can pass the test or go through the whole course in one week, pass the exam, but they’re not successful in real estate. Not everyone, but sometimes they could be sued over-analytical. If it takes a couple of times before passing the test, that agent ends up becoming an even usually more successful type characteristic. What are your thoughts on that?

It is most likely the determination and the perseverance to keep on going. It was that one point. I kept on losing that one point. It was on the stateside and national side. I waited a whole year before I took the test after the course, which was a big mistake. I’m like, “I’m not going to do real estate,” because I was afraid.

Discovering Opportunities: Having a good website is important because that builds your presence.

Every single thing that I’ve gone from the process that I started from my real estate career, that means 2017 I’m taking the test and the course. If it wasn’t for my brother and my ex-husband, I wouldn’t have done it. They pushed me. They believed in me. I didn’t believe in myself. I didn’t have any confidence that I would make it in real estate because it’s scary to get into 100% commission.

Where am I going to get the people? Where am I going to get the houses? This market is crazy. You got to be creative. How do you get creative? How can you be successful? It is through communicating and having a good relationship with those people. It doesn’t matter who it is. You can’t see another real estate agent as your competition, if not as your colleague. You both are going to either meet on the field someday or you guys are going to help each other to make that transaction happen.

What was it like when you were brand new in real estate? You finally got your license, resilience, and perseverance. You are brand-new in real estate. It’s 100% commission. There’s an over 80% failure rate that a first-year agent going in full-time won’t make it to year two. What was it like? What did you learn brand-new in real estate?

For the first year and a half in my real estate career, I was a little bit laid back because I did have a husband back then and he paid all the bills. That was like, “I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to work that hard.” It was a bit frustrating during my first few months because I wanted more knowledge. I didn’t know w

here to go. This is my whole like, “How do I get into the real estate thing?” I didn’t know about coaches. I thought you couldn’t get a coach until you’re into a certain level. That is not true. That’s my ignorance as a new agent.

It’s like, “I can’t know about the contracts because I was in a team. That’s what their transaction coordinator did.” You need to learn about contracts in and out because you are going to be writing the contracts. You better be sure that you learn about every single detail because you never know what’s going to happen. You need to know your contract from the palm of your hand. That’s another thing. The first few months, I was cold calling. I don’t know if you guys remember this thing called the Yellow Pages or Whitepages. I was calling residences. Do you know that thing that comes in a paper? That’s what I was doing. I was cold calling probably five hours a day. I keep on following up.

That’s one thing that most brand new agents won’t do. You did it and you’re still here standing.

I did not only that. I also did handwritten letters. I still remember this. I would tell my team leader, “This is Cindy. Give me a call back.” I would give them my phone number. I wouldn’t say anything about it if I was in real estate. I’m like, “I have a few questions about your house. Give me a call back.” They would call me back. If I couldn’t get a hold of them, and it was a Do Not Call, I would go ahead and write handwritten letters. I still do that. That’s something more powerful than anything.

I have more confidence in my real estate career. I’m a little bit more experienced. I do social media videos. That has helped me become a social media influencer. This is not much, but I’ve been hitting it hard with YouTube shorts and YouTube videos. I have more than 89 subscribers. Hopefully, by the end of 2022, I will have over 1,000 TikTok, Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, everything. Being authentic is what’s going to take you to being outstanding completely. Even on my Google Business page, that has developed me and helped me grow so much, even Pinterest and Snapchat.

Snapchat is not only for one thing. It’s for many other things. It gets you out there. Your Snapchat map is important. You leaving reviews and comments on different places, especially local businesses, that’s also going to help you like, “This is a contributor. She’s been here.” Take pictures and all that. Some people say, “You’re always on social media.” Why am I in social media all the time? It’s because I want you to see me everywhere. I want you to get sick and tired of seeing me.

Omnipresence.

It’s funny because people will follow what you say. You’re becoming the trusted person in your neighborhood, in your area. For example, I had my air ducts cleaned. My neighbor next door had their air ducts cleaned also. What is that telling you? People are going to listen to you. You’re becoming the influencer. Even in my neighborhood, I don’t know everybody in my neighborhood, but everybody knows me. They say, “You’re that girl. I know your kids.” They know everything about me because that is building them. They’re seeing me all the time.

Let’s talk about homestead exemption. Let’s talk about the values of your home. Let’s go ahead and talk about different things. You want to educate your people, your clients, and your neighbors. It doesn’t matter who it is. Even though if they go with another agent, educate them because that’s going to be like, “She does have knowledge.” If you don’t know, research, read, keep up with the trends. It doesn’t matter what it is.

Discovering Opportunities: Get into real estate because you want to help people from the bottom of your heart, not just because of the money.

You’re being the preeminent agent, which is chapter four in the book. That’s what the show is about. It’s about building a real estate machine that works harder for you versus you having to work harder for it. You are setting yourself up as the preeminent agent, and you are the preeminent agent. How do you become the trusted expert? It’s by what you’re doing, educating the consumer. How have you been able to go so quickly? You’ve been in the business for years, but you wrapped 2021 up with over $12 million worth of business as an independent agent. How were you able to go from zero to over $12 million in annual sales, being an independent agent, just you out there selling, which is magnificent?

I started hitting it hard. Social media has helped me a lot, believe it or not. It would be like, “You’re wasting your time on social media.” Not at all. I’m posting on my neighborhood Facebook page, giving them the marketing updates. Having a good website is important because that builds presence. Reviews are important, too. Following up with people, sending out letters to expires and fisbos. You got to follow up with their database all the time and referrals.

What was your mental breakthrough? They say that success is 80% of your psychology, which I disagree with that part. Part of that that is close to 100%, it all starts out in between your ear. Your own psychology had to change within yourself to go from that person that you were before you got your license. From saying, “I don’t have to sell real estate,” to saying, “I have to sell real estate because I have two boys and myself to support.” You’re buying a brand-new home. Congratulations on that. What had to shift for you psychologically to get to where you’re at?

That is a very interesting factor. When I started in real estate, you are where you attract. Your mental, your energy, your positivity, and your negativity are what’s going to make you. If you think that you were in a negative position, forget about that. You’re going to attract negativity. Once your mind shift completely changes and you see everything in a positive way as a learning experience and to make you a better person, it helps so much.

2021 was a year for me to heal and find myself after a breakup. Before that, it was a divorce. I had been lingering on one thing after the other, but I proposed to myself that I wanted to be a millionaire. I started writing down my goals. I created my vision board. You might find it silly, but it is not silly at all. I have two pictures of the houses that I wanted. I’m like, “I want that.” It manifests, but you got to put the work in. You got to believe in that. If you’re going to sit down and expect that to come in, nothing’s going to come.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, the world does not manifest what you want without taking action to get what you demand out of your life.

I’ve learned and grown so much since my divorce. I always said that I wanted to put my kids in private school. My ex-husband would scuff about it like, “That’s expensive.” It’s funny because before I had moved to Georgia, I had walked into that school, the one that my kids are in. I’m paying for that on my own dime. I was so freaking proud of myself.

It’s like you went from a little bit of a scarcity mindset to abundance. Now you live in abundance and believe that you can versus think that you can.

That is correct. No matter what position or situation I am in, I don’t think about negative thoughts. I’m like, “It’s always going to work out. Don’t worry. Something’s going to happen that is going to help me along the way. If it doesn’t work out, then it’s not meant to be, but something better’s going to come along the way.” That is a mindset and mentality you should always have.

In 2021, I had an accident. I was about to go into training to get commissioned to be an Air Force officer. I fractured three bones. I was like, “This is not the time.” Every time I would apply to be an Air Force officer, it wasn’t the right path. It wasn’t meant to be. With the house that I’m buying, we’re talking about this beautiful dream home. I’m upgrading. It is my first personal home that I’m buying by myself. You might be like, “How do you own your house?”

Even the price point is amazing. My mother was a single mother. She became a single mother after two divorces. I remember her buying her first home. She worked her tail off for it working two jobs. It was amazing what she has done and what you’re doing. Is it okay to mention even what price point you’re buying your home then?

It’s over almost $600,000. This is on my own. This is me paying for it out of my own pocket.

That’s success. You’ve earned that.

Not only that, I ordered my Model X hot pink Tesla, too. These are things that you can do, too. It doesn’t matter what situation you are in. You’d be like, “She’s lucky.” No, I work my butt off.

The Ultimate Real Estate Machine: How Team Leaders Can Build a Prestigious Brand and Have Explosive Growth with More Freedom and Less Risk

It’s not just about the material things. You want a different life. It’s about creating for you. It’s about what you want to provide for your kids that maybe you didn’t have as a kid growing up. Maybe you did, maybe you didn’t.

It’s an accomplishment. I was in a group and they’re like, “Cindy, your face lightens up every time you talk about real estate.” It’s not relationship but real estate. I’m passionate about what I’m doing. I want to help people. That comes from the bottom of my heart. If you get into real estate because of the money, it’s not going to go anywhere. You might be the crappiest agent, but are you happy or are you just in it for the money? Keep in mind, educate your people and those potential clients. If they buy with someone else, follow up with them regardless. They might come back to you because you follow up. You’re in their face.

You’re originally from Puerto Rico. In Miami Beach, there are a lot of Latin people here. I’ve made a lot of great Latin friends, Latinas, Latinos. I appreciate their work ethic, values, and morals. I’m maybe generalizing but in a good way. Do you think some of that affects how you do business, things that you learned growing up as a kid?

Originally, I was born in Texas. I was raised in Puerto Rico and Peru. I’m half Peruvian, half Puerto Rican. It has to do with how I was raised. I was raised in a family where my dad always worked. That’s how I became a workaholic. My kids even tell me, “Mommy, you work all the time.” This is what I was explaining to my son.

“Mommy has to work because mommy only has one income.” In order for me to provide for you guys, I don’t have that help of mommy and daddy.” That’s explaining, but that’s how I grew up. Even though I had a mom and dad, my dad was always gone. We were always working in his business, Saturday, Sunday, Monday after work and all that, it was working.

What business was it, if you don’t mind asking?

I’m still involved with their business too, but he had a plumbing and electric supply company. It’s funny because it has to do with real estate, but it’s in the back.

It’s in the housing industry.

It’s interesting because I’m like, “I remember. I understand this.”

My first job was when I was fourteen years old, framing houses in construction during the summertime. I learned what I did not want to do for the rest of my life. You also appreciate those people that do that on a day-to-day living. That’s tough work. Plumbing and electrical is as well. What would you say is your favorite part of the book, The Ultimate Real Estate Machine? Do you have a favorite section or chapter?

It’s not only the section. I would say it’s the whole book. I don’t have a favorite part, but what I do like about the book is the whole comparison of the businesses like Domino’s and McDonald’s. I do love that. I can’t remember the movie with Tom Hanks.

Ray Kroc, The Founder?

Yes. He loved that movie. I remember I watched it with you and it was like, “This has so much sense.” The ultimate real estate agent, you can use it not only for real estate, but it diversifies in any type of business. That’s the thing. It’s all about customer service. How are you being the preeminent person or business person in your industry? How are you being different? That’s what’s important. It’s being above and beyond but also being different.

I love it, not having to be status quo, which goes back to Steve Jobs. One of my favorite sayings was a speech that Steve Jobs gave. “The crazy ones, being different, not feeling that you got to be in the status quo and be a part of the herd like everyone else.” There are over 1.6 million real estate agents nationally in America. If you are like every other agent, you’re a commodity. You have to break through that. Going to the TV show, Beyond the Close, you’re within the challenge, the 90-day sprint to the finish. Chapter two of the book is unleashing the inner creative genius within you. I’m paraphrasing. It’s all about having mental breakthroughs versus having mental breakdowns.

What are some breakthroughs that you’ve been having during the challenge while being on the TV show? You’re learning a lot fast, but you’re taking your game to the next level. You’ll look back hopefully because that’s been my vision. All these contestants will look back and be like, “I can’t believe how much I learned that collapsed time for me in a short timeframe. It gave me breakthroughs in my business that’ll last forever.” Is there any particular breakthrough that you’ve had?

What I like about the book and the whole Beyond the Close is that the breakthrough is strategic, the referral strategies. It’s not only that. You have to get involved in your community. I was like, “I’m new to the area, but I’m promoting my own town.” This is my town, Hall County. I live in Gainesville, but I love Gainesville, too.

Becoming Successful in Real Estate: How I Sold My First $15,000,000 as a Single Parent

Flowery Branch, Murrayville, but it’s integrating, getting to know those people that are in the community, those business owners. You’re promoting them. Support local. That’s what I’m doing. That is one of the breakthroughs because, through that, they’re going to also provide you referrals and know the quality of agent you are.

You have an appointment for a $5 million listing which is flat-out amazing because we’re not talking about Silicon Valley or Miami Beach, which is a beautiful lake listing, but what’s the average price point in Metro Atlanta? What about $350,000 or so approximately?

$350,000 in Atlanta?

If we took all of Metro Atlanta, it’s probably right around $350,000. I’m not going into different niche markets. It’s into Buford or Gainesville. That price is going to go up. A $5 million listing is flat-out amazing. After unpacking that, that came from strategic business alliances and you being a giver versus a taker because the world gives to the givers and takes from the takers. That’s how the world works. Amazing job there. Has there been a mental breakthrough during the challenge for you?

It would be that in connecting with people. I keep on doing what I’m doing but elevating it to the max, being in everybody’s face. Let’s put it that way, but helping people too because it’s also about giving and receiving and not expecting all the time that you’re going to receive something. Sometimes you don’t, but the thing is that you already put that little nugget there. That’s what it is, leaving a nugget.

The show is not about competing. The show is about preeminence. One of the rules is breaking the strategy of preeminence, disqualify someone. It doesn’t matter if they’ve sold $100 million or $5 zillion worth of real estate in 90 days. If they’re not demonstrating preeminence, if it’s not all about the client, if they have commission breadth, if it’s just shoving as many homes under contract in a short period of time, that is not what the show is about.

The show is about preeminence. It’s about inspiration and impact, which is similar to what the book is about. You’re also co-authoring a book. It’s your second book because you already authored one book on your own. You’re co-authoring a book that features Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank as well. It’s about being the preeminent agent in the market and what you do that separates you from the traditional real estate agent that gives your clients more value, whether it be home sellers, home buyers, investors, whatever it may be. Have you started thinking about what you’re going to be writing about to help sellers and buyers? Those are the audience that’ll be reading the book.

As me selling my home and buying a new property, I’m learning a lot about the emotions. I’ve been here for years. It’s blocking people on how to sell your house and buying a home. It’s not about, “I’m going to put a sign in there.” No, people. It’s more than that. When you hire a good realtor, I’ve been talking to myself because I’m a good realtor, but I promise I’m not.

You’re an excellent one. You sell yourself short. You’re not even in the good bucket. You’re in the preeminent bucket, which is in the top 1%. Your mindset is in the top 1%. Even though your volume is getting there, your mindset is within the top 1%, which will take you to the top.

The section that I’m writing is on how to walk yourself through emotions. You’re going to put things away. Don’t get attached. I’m struggling with that because I love that master walk-in closet. I have a thing for hot pink. If you walk into my closet, they have hot pink velvet hangers throughout the closet. It’s every single little thing that I put like that pantry, that mudroom, but I have to see it as I’m evolving and I’m going to a different level.

You’re getting into the psychology of how home sellers and home buyers think. If I’m hearing you right, it sounds like your goal is to try to break them out of their own psychology to educate them at the highest level, so sellers can get the most money when they sell their home and buyers can also find a great deal on the perfect home for them.

At the same time, because I’m that preeminent agent, I don’t want to sell your house only. I’m going to talk to you and say, “What are your alternatives? Let’s go ahead and see if we can build you a real estate wealth portfolio. Do you want to sell your house or do you want to build a real estate wealth portfolio?” Meaning, let’s go ahead and start building your retirement. There’s an article that went ahead and added real estate to your retirement.”

“What about building passive income or long-term income? How much do you like on your house? How much do you owe on your health? Can we go ahead and do a cash-out refinance? I’m not a lender, but can we go ahead and do a cash-out refinance, buy that house that you want, and have that health pay for that new house?”

“Let’s go ahead and do that.” That’s what a lot of the other agents don’t talk about. That’s what stands me out from being that typical agent that puts a sign and says, “We’re going to have to do this.” No, I’m quality, not quantity. That’s what you get with me. This is what I’m walking through the whole situation because I’m going through growth. I’m at a different level.

Discovering Opportunities: As a single mother, you don’t have a sugar daddy to help you out. You have to build your wealth for your kids.

I love your passion.

I want you to do the same thing, too. As a single parent, I don’t have a sugar daddy that is going to help me out. I have to build my own wealth for my kids and for me.

All of your passion gets me pumped up. You’ve been through a lead agent referral mastery. What would you say is your favorite thing, other than strategy or preeminence? I can tell how much that has become embedded within you over the past couple of months. You are already a great agent going into the challenge, but it seems more and more I see preeminence internalized within you. Other than that strategy, which is strategy number one of having a predictable referral system in your business, is there another referral strategy that is your favorite out of the 217?

You’re seeing me everywhere. I’m educating you. I started sending postcards. If you talk to me, I’m going to ask you for your birthday and address. Even if you don’t buy with me, that is okay. I want you to get your monthly home evaluation. That’s where you’re going to see on a monthly basis. I’ll email it to you. I will go ahead and send it to you on a postcard. You’ll be like, “What?” Don’t worry about it. All you have to do is, with your phone, take a picture with it and then it pops up, which is nice. That’s something that I’m also doing. I’m trying to stand out and being there like, “I haven’t forgotten about you.” Some people, when meeting me in person, feel like they know me forever because of the videos.

You are a super busy lady. I do appreciate you spending your time with us. Before we wrap up, I have one last question for you. What would you say your business looks like in the near future? If you look back on what you’ve accomplished over the past years, what do you see it looking like in the near future?

I see myself selling $100 million in sales volume and probably growing my team by next year.

That’s simple and easy.

It’s nothing too complicated. By the way, don’t forget about me having my real estate retirement wealth portfolio. Let’s say probably $10 million in real estate.

I appreciate you being on. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

No, that would be all. I enjoyed being in your show. I’m super excited about the TV show and co-authoring with Kevin Harrington, too.

Thank you so much, Cindy.

Thank you, too.

Important Links

• Cindy Presgraves
• Book – Becoming Successful in Real Estate: How I Sold My First $15,000,000 as a Single Parent
• YouTube – Cindy’s Realty Group
• TikTok – Cindy Presgraves
• Facebook – Cindy Bermudez Presgraves, Realtor
• Instagram – @Cindys_Realty_Group
• Pinterest – Cindy Presgraves
• The Ultimate Real Estate Machine

About Cindy Presgraves

Cindy Bermudez Presgraves is based in Metro Atlanta, she’s a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, and a top Producing Realtor, she’s earned the Top 5% Award for of Realtors for 2021.

Presgraves is a contestant/ cast member on “Beyond the Close Reality TV Show w/ Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank, she’s also an Author, a Podcaster and Social Media Influencer.

Cindy is a single mother of 2 & enjoys helping other single parents juggle their lives between being a powerful business owner and a wonderful parent. She has a strong passion for helping other single parents achieve their business and personal life dreams.