Jen Barkan joins the podcast this week for a very special episode with Julie Jarnagin and Kevin Oakley. In Story Time, Julie highlights the importance of detailed messaging, referencing a builder survey on buyer preferences, while Kevin stresses having strong systems first, and Jen shares insights from National OSC Day and a creative prospecting strategy. In The News covers Q4 Benchmarks, a Homes By Dickerson award-winning case study, shifts in commission post-NAR settlement, and debates over Super Bowl ad spending. And finally, in Things We Love - Things We Hate, Julie shares her journey in making King cake, Kevin shares exciting news about an upcoming trip to Guatemala, and Jen finds both value and stress in her new Oura smart ring. 

Story Time (00:37): 

• Julie has been deep-diving into messaging with builders, and emphasizes that in today's market, we need to be really paying attention to those small details. 
• They discussed a builder who surveyed a VIP list, and saw that 70% of those surveyed wanted a house that was 3,000 sq. ft. or lower, and didn't care about pendant lights. They detail the importance of sharing that messaging, and how profound that process was for their company.
• Kevin "double clicks" on making sure your systems and processes are down first, which allows you to then focus on your messaging. 
• Jen shares our recent celebrations surrounding National OSC Day that took place on February 9th, and a recent prospecting strategy she utilized with an OSC, and how they worked around a tricky on-site scheduling barrier.
• Did you know there are over seven events listed currently on DYC's website? Kevin shares details about an upcoming speaking appearance, and a special breakfast event happening at the 2025 International Builders' Show. 

In The News (21:02): 

Q4 Benchmarks and 2024 Wrap-Up 

• Online Sales remains a constant in a changing market. 
• From Q3 to Q4, appointments from aged leads increased from 19% to 24%.

Homes By Dickerson Case Study 

• Julie shares the builders' dedication to their local Parade of Homes, and how the challenge was creating visuals for homes that weren't built yet. 
• Inspired by boutique hotels, each home had a different curated theme. 
• The builder is up for a NAHB Silver Award. 

Here's what else a $7M, 30-second Super Bowl budget can purchase in 2025

• They discuss whether a Super Bowl commercial is a good use of spend, and how their perspective has changed after reading the article. 
• Do you remember the commercial that was just a QR code?
• Kevin is surprised by companies who produce amazing commercials, but never air them again.

 Commissions Have Risen Slightly For Affordable Homes, Fallen Slightly For Expensive Homes, Since NAR Settlement Took Effect

• Jen shares a peek into the conversations happening on the online sales side, and what they are hearing from agents during calls, as well as buyers asking how having a realtor affects their spending power.

Things We Love - Things We Hate (44:10):

• It's King cake season in Louisiana, and Julie decided to make her own! It took 24 hours, and although it tasted good, she said it wasn't worth all the trouble. 
• Kevin finally got new glasses, and really enjoys being able to see well. But what he hates, is that he got two different kinds of glasses and they didn't pass the kid test. He and his wife are also helping to take 25 high school students to Guatemala, and an app he heard about this weekend called How We Feel, a journal for your wellbeing. 
• Jen got the Oura Smart Ring and loves all of the stats it shows, but her "readiness score" is causing her some stress and to overthink. That said, Julie has been appreciating Jen's advice from the ring! 
 

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