Matthew Gray interviews Harrisonburg/Shenandoah Valley REALTOR® Brad Cohen about moving from solo agent to building Connexa, a boutique brokerage. Brad shares his early start in Real Estate as a college student, selling 27 homes his first year by networking, taking undesirable leads, and learning business-building skills not taught in licensing.
Brad explains the necessity and vision behind starting Connexa. He highlights the grind of the first year, leaving significant income, hiring his first full-time employee, adding agents, and buying an office in 2024. He discusses unexpected management demands, mentorship, turnover, and balancing Marriage with business ownership. Stay tuned at the end for his brief thoughts on the value of a college Education based on his life experience!
00:38 Meet Brad Cohen
01:38 Brad’s Origin Story
03:16 First-Year Breakthrough
06:41 Brokerages and Models
12:01 Why Build a Team
17:45 Crunching the Numbers
20:45 Scrappy Startup Year One
24:49 Expected vs Unexpected
27:15 Learning to Lead People
30:55 Marriage Amid the Grind
32:25 Work Life Counterbalance
35:18 Team Turnover and Rebuild
36:56 Boutique Vision and Equity
40:39 Survive to Thrive Stage
41:47 Advice for New Owners
45:21 Is College Necessary?
48:17 Hiring for Grit and Network
49:15 Where to Connect and Wrap
Resources
Brad Cohen
https://connexare.com/agents/brad-cohen
Matthew Gray
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-gray-cfp%C2%AE-5a2144134/
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