How to grow a business, whether in travel or real estate
- Lindsay Kruse
- Apr 10
- 3 min read
Recently, I had the pleasure to speak with Josh Kim, the founder of the Josh Kim Team, a successful real estate team in San Diego County, California to get recommendations on how to build a successful business. We found commonalities between the industries of real estate and travel, and discussed the importance of building relationships in our local community to be seen as an authority figure in our line of work.
Here are some insights gained from the conversation:
Have a standard operating procedure, where you get to know your client and their circumstances.
For Josh, this means bringing his knowledge and expertise to the table to demonstrate that he is an authority that a potential seller or buyer can count on. One way that he does this is by meeting with them one-on-one to understand their needs, being honest with them, and managing their expectations so they know what is possible in the current market conditions, whether they are selling or buying a house.
For Lindsay, the standard operating procedure she utilizes is the unique Travel Personality Assessment that she offers for every potential client. She meets with them and their travel group personally and asks a series of fun and interesting questions to gain a full understanding of their travel experience, interests, needs, desires, and dreams. They leave with a knowledge of what FairBreeze Custom Travel can do for them as well as a personal report generated for them specifically they can reference for years to come when planning travel.
Connecting with community.
For Josh, this means building relationships with those around him, joining clubs, a country club, and a gym where he gets to know people through casual conversations and organically build relationships.
For Lindsay, this means joining networking groups and non-profits such as her local Chamber of Commerce, where she gets involved with community outreach events and gets to know other leaders from differing industries.
Show those around you that you are an expert.
Josh does this through through his many years of industry experience, learning from his own mistakes and those of his team. Although he is always learning, there is no tutor like experience. Because he has been in the real estate business for so long, Josh is very aware of what can go wrong while buying and selling homes and can anticipate issues that may arise. He prepares his team and his clients for every possible outcome, which makes the process easier, more comfortable, and more transparent for all involved.
Lindsay has established a reputation by providing incredible trips for her clients, and has found success through referrals and word-of-mouth. She is also working with a local travel agency that has been in the travel business for over 30 years and benefits from their knowledge and expertise. By learning from the experiences of those with more years under their belt, Lindsay has deepened her in-depth knowledge of worldwide travel, which translates to more unique and personalized trips for her clients.
Anticipate what is coming next by knowing what is going on in your industry, having a good network, and fostering a mindset of continued learning.
For Josh, as a real estate agent and leader of a prominent real estate firm, he keeps in constant contact with partners in his industry, like loan agents and lenders, to keep a pulse on market conditions on a day-to-day basis. He keeps a database of partners that his team trusts and recommends for homeowners as well, such as electricians, contractors, and plumbers. It is important to him that the Josh Kim Team is a relevant and valuable resource for members of the community, even if they are not actively buying or selling a home at the time.
For Lindsay, as a luxury travel advisor, she cultivates her network by keeping in continual communication with representatives from hotels and cruise lines, as well as local tour agencies on the ground around the world. A major resource for this is her membership in the Virtuoso consortium, the highest and more elite network of travel providers and advisors in the world. She attends trade events, webinars, conferences, and more, with the goal of creating the deep connections and partnerships in the world of travel, so she can offer more options and value for her clients.
The comparisons between building a successful business in real estate and travel are striking, as they both require a strong foundation of understanding client needs, community engagement, industry expertise, and continuous learning. It was a joy to have this discussion and reinforce the importance of networking, being a source of authority, and staying ahead of industry trends to provide exceptional service and value to each of our clients.
Take a look at our conversation here:
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