Orange County REALTOR® Nicole Wiltshire has worn many hats– and her most daring career pivot yet involves pairing with cloud-based brokerage eXp Realty.
With an earned reputation for success across various professions –, in writing, marketing, interior design, and, now, real estate – Nicole says that her career’s diversity has made her more equipped than ever before to ramp up her real estate business.
“I feel like there are lots of things that are helping me to be a great real estate agent. The first thing is definitely having a background in interior design,” she explains. “I have a Bachelor’s Degree in interior design and about eight years of experience combined with commercial design, ultra high-end residential design, and then also working in a design center from 2006 to 2007.
“In fact, I’ve helped– I counted once– about 500 homeowners design kitchens and baths in my time working at the design center. When it comes to that, one thing I really love about both design and real estate in general is residential architecture, kitchens, and baths. I enjoy helping my clients find the right home for them, whether we’re looking at something turnkey or something with good bones and ready to renovate.”
I think brokerages like eXp are the future of real estate because our world is so connected: having local resources in your own city or town isn’t enough nowadays.
This decision to embrace the real estate life was prompted in part by the confidence Nicole’s last ten years of being a marketing coach and consultant has instilled in her. “As a coach I empowered my clients to lead them themselves: not necessarily telling them what to do, but rather asking the questions that help them get to the right answer for them.”
When it comes to transferable skills, Nicole says it’s not just marketing, coaching, or writing that she’s been doing for the last ten years– it’s the full digital marketing experience. Everything from doing Facebook ads to creating funnels, crafting lead magnets that pique the interest of clients who are searching for solutions, social media marketing… Nicole is confident that her blend of digital marketing experience will immediately lend itself to the eXp format.
On top of providing her with a valuable skill set that helps her better connect with both existing and potential clients, Nicole’s background in marketing assists her in selling quality homes at breakneck speeds. “For example, I think that we’re in a situation where the market is starting to cool, especially here in Orange County. The median price of a house just in my neighborhood is over $1,000,000. There was a time over the last year and a half where you could just put a home like that on the market and it was going to sell, but that time period is coming to an end: sellers are going to have to start stepping up their efforts to make their home the most attractive that it can be.
“And,” she continues, “Not only that– sure, in a hot market, you can put your house on the market and maybe sell it over a weekend without any marketing, but the question will remain: did you get the most money for it? Were you leaving money on the table because you just put a “For Sale” sign in the yard? I think that marketing homes in 2022 and beyond requires embracing digital marketing; sellers need to find a real estate agent who understands how to use all of the social media, paid ads, and other assets so that they can send the word out about your home as far and as wide as possible.”
When it comes to partnering with cloud-based brokerage eXp, Nicole says that, while she was initially considering joining hands with one of the boutique brokerages within the Orange County area, she knew right off the bat that only eXp was innovative enough to keep pace with the rapid changes currently happening within the real estate industry. “At first, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m not sure about that’– because it’s a virtual-only brokerage that doesn’t have an office . However, I think brokerages like eXp are the future of real estate because our world is so connected: having local resources in your own city or town isn’t enough nowadays. In terms of the way we do real estate in the United States, it makes more sense to be connected to the state itself vs just the local area you’re in.”
Another benefit of eXp that prompted her to join, Nicole explains, was their stock options: namely receiving back your cap if a certain amount is sold. “There’s definitely a huge opportunity for building a team below you and benefitting from that agent attraction and residual income,” she adds.
eXp’s wealth of live classes, on-demand lessons, mentorship opportunities, and networking connections makes Nicole excited for the future of her real estate career. “I’ve already been self-employed for ten years because I already knew what kind of hustle it takes to build an audience and position yourself as an expert,” she says. “I’m ready.”
To learn more about the possibilities available with eXp, or for opportunities within Orange County, reach out to Nicole at 949-836-3035 or nicole.wiltshire@exprealty.com
