Active Rain December 4, 2011

An Hour with Ilan Bracha

You seldom get to rub elbows with a $200 million producer, but when Keller Williams Scarsdale Team Leader and friend Jen Maher invited me to see the great Ilan Bracha yesterday, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. 

If you have never heard of Ilan, he’s quite a story. An emigre from Israel, when he was working for a moving company at age 21 he was encouraged to get his license from a broker whose stuff he was packing. In his first year, he says he made $25,000. Last year he closed over 150 properties at a volume of over $200,000,000.00. He started the Keller Williams office in Manhattan. 

The neat thing about being so up close and personal with such a high producer is how you are reminded that they are human beings just like you and me. If Ilan had a Texas twang instead of an Israeli accent, you’d call him a good old boy. He is a single minded, upbeat soul with a unique focus and a commitment to high production. I found him to be very down to Earth and warm. 

The hour long discussion was bascially an introductory talk from Ilan himself, with questions moderated by Jen Maher. Being the “ball hog” that I am, I asked several questions myself, which I’ll share with you here:

  • What is your client management system? His answer was E-Edge, a KW system. 
  • When did you first believe you could make it in this industry? As soon as he was encouraged to get his license. 
What I took away from this was that the secret sauce of being a high volume producer is not rocket science. Have a plan; work it daily; ask for referrals habitually; Stay in touch with past clients; seek and use coaching; always be prospecting; and while he didn’t say this out loud, it was obvious to me that Ilan has no time for distractions. All background noise is shut out. Those who dismiss high volume producers as “mills” with sub par service won’t easily be able to use Ilan as evidence- his repeat business is extraordinary. 
 
It was a very inspiring hour, and I have to applaud my friend Jennifer for making it happen. 
 
Ilan Bracha and Jennifer Maher