Raj Qsar, Principal/Owner of The Boutique Real Estate Group, part of Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate‘s Beta Brokerage Project. Read on as Raj answers ten questions with Clean Slate, and talks about digital and social engagement, buying a piece of dirt and Walt Disney.
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Which of our BHGRE® P.A.I.G.E. (Passion, Authenticity, Innovation, Growth, Excellence) core values do you identify with most, and why?
Passion: This is truly at the root of who we are and what we stand for. There is a quote that our team references at meetings, on social and even in some of our marketing material, and it is by Walt Disney. “Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” We take such time and effort into the smallest of details when it comes to marketing, social, systems and execution that the final outcome is a culmination of multiple passionate minds at work and the results bring success to our agents and our clients.
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What are your favorite qualities in a customer?
One of our favorite qualities in a customer is their ability to instantly trust us. Many of our clients meet us in real life after watching, sharing and engaging with us online and when they meet us they say, “you are all exactly who you seem you would be.” We know trust is built one block at a time and when you are building relationships, it is so important to realize that our clients are entrusting their largest worldly asset to our hands and our minds. But trust is so much more than an online to offline relationship, it is making and keeping promises to our clients and our agents as well. This enables a culture built on earned trust and respect for one another.
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What is the one characteristic that’s helped you the most in your career?
The one characteristic that has helped me in my career is the ability to keep asking questions. We keep asking questions because we are just curious people. And when you are curious about something you tend to search until you find the answer. Albert Einstein said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has it own reason for existing.”
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What was the last book you read?
The last book I read was Peoplework by Chris Smith and Austin Allison with a forward written by Gary Vaynerchuk. We have become so digital in all we do. Everyone is head down and focused. And they are focused on their phone. So we forget sometimes that there is a person in that phone. A real, live, living, breathing individual. So it becomes increasingly important to almost have to remind yourself how to run a people-first business in a digital-first world, and that people communicate with people.
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If you were not in real estate, what would you be doing?
If I were not in real estate I would most likely move to Napa, buy a piece of dirt, and build a winery.
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What was the last song you heard that you couldn’t stop humming?
“Exit” by U2 from the album Joshua Tree.
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Who is your real-life hero?
My real life hero is Jesus Christ because he changed my heart.
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What is your favorite motto?
One of my favorite mottos is by Steven Covery from his book The 8th Habitand has to do with leadership. He says, “The 8th Habit Leader has the mindset and the skill set to constantly look for the potential in people. This kind of leadership communicates to people their own worth so clearly that they come to see it in themselves.”
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If you could sell a home in any market in the world, where would it be?
It would be really fun to tell the story of an estate home in Italy on a Tuscan vineyard that has been passed down from generation to generation. The dirt, the grapes, the building and the people would be a wonderful opportunity to share with the world.
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What advice would you give your younger self starting out in real estate?
The advice I would give to a new agent entering into the world of real estate would be to join an amazing team. And I do not just mean a busy team. But an amazingly highly respected team where you can learn, experience and absorb everything and anything that is real estate. That includes not only all the “beautiful and shiny” things that real estate offers, but also all the challenges that real estate brings each and everyday. From contracts, lender guidelines and appraisals to staging, photography, pre- and post-processing of photos, editing video, print campaigns and the entire social media and web content strategy.
This team would have to have systems in place that are actually used every single day…from lead generation to lead conversion to lead nurturing. From digital transaction management to eSigning and being 100% location independent by using your iPhone/iPad to manage the entire transaction. And finally, this team would need a culture that is pure, genuine and intentional by giving back to their hyper-local community.
Is this too much to ask for? I do not think so. I have met so many truly amazing people in this industry and I am re-affirmed each day that these people do exist.
