Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Johnson
Hi Bryan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was a mortgage lender years ago in Scottsdale AZ and was attending a real estate coaching event in San Diego. It was about 2003 and I was pretty new to the business. The coach was discussing strategies on how to build a referral based business in real estate {lenders and realtors} and was emphasizing how important it was to stay “top of mind” with my clients and referral partners. This made sense to me. The advice was that you had to mail something to your clients at least 6 times a year…snail mail…before social media. I started publishing a 24 page issue with me on the cover and starting sending to my clients. Back then i was getting emails to me “I got your magazine…I love it! By the way my friend/family is thinking about buying a home, can you help?”
From there my realtor clients started asking me….”can you do this for me”
That’s when Homeowner Magazine started.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I started creating semi custom issues for my realtor referral partners with the anticipation that they would send me business. They didn’t. I was working for free.
Then one of my realtors said “I can’t send you business because I’m working with another Loan Officer….but I’ll pay for it”.
Really? How much would you pay?
i started charging for this service and there was a huge demand.
Eventually i got burnt out on doing loans and hated my job. I spent a month in the hospital with MERSA, almost died. 30 days laid up, contemplating a lot of things in my life, I remember my young daughters first hand written picture of me was dad on this cell phone. Back then, as a Loan Officer, i was always available to my clients….never off….24/7. I hated it. I decided to quit lending and see if this magazine thing would work.
My first big paid photoshoot was for our Scottsdale issue 40 under 40, I had 39 agents show up and 36 of them purchased a cover package. Success! I wonder if this would work in other markets? I tried an event in Fort Collins CO, where my kids lived at the time. Between our northern Colorado group at noon and our Denver shoot {during a snow storm} that night i had another 40 agents signed up. If I can get people to “show up” and PAY in small market and during snow storm….this might actually work.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Homeowner Magazine?
We create custom magazine for real estate and business professionals to stay “top of mind”. Unique marketing that gets noticed.
We now publish magazines nationwide.
With all the busyness of social media business owner and real estate professionals get lost in scrolling. People still open their mail. When get a big envelop with their address handwritten, they open it. When they see someone they know on the front cover they open it. They read the profile 100% of the time. People tend to keep 48 page magazines with someone they know on the cover….for months. People throw away post cards and newsletters. Magazines sit on their coffee tables for a long time.
Any big plans?
The pandemic changed everything. Agents {people in general} stay home more. I used to do large events and group photoshoots, over the last few years people have become flaky. It’s easier to stay at home, drink from home, zoom calls, do stupid tik tok video’s from their kitchen. I got frustrated and stopped trying to organize group shoots. I moved to private photoshoots in which my clients pick the date, time and location, then my photographer goes to them.
I used to work with clients once or twice a year now I have a plan where they sign up for a year subscription and we do 6 issues a year for them. Less clients, more personal attention, higher margins.
Now my clients are selling advertising in their issues that pay for my entire fee. They are getting unique custom marketing for free.
My plans are more markets. I am growing our My Community, yearly plan, exponentially. I am working almost 100% by referral. My clients love what we do and they refer me to there friends.
Pricing:
- $800 single issue
- $3500 annual plan {My Community}
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.homeownermag.com
- Instagram: homeownermagazine
- Facebook: homeownermagazine
