Caleb: Welcome to Real Estate Insights where I sit down with top real estate pros across Utah and Idaho. I'm Caleb Adams. My guest today is Aubrey Kelly, a Century Twenty one agent out of Cottonwood Heights, Salt Lake County. Aubrey and I connected through family a few years back and have done some deals together, so I've seen up close how he works. And the thing that's always stood out is his drive. He's a hustler. He'll pick up the phone and knock on the door when most Aubrey Kelley: huh. Caleb: agents won't. Aubrey, welcome. Did I miss anything? Aubrey Kelley: Thank you. I appreciate it, Caleb: do you wanna tell us how you got into real estate? what caused you to make the jump to get into the industry? Aubrey Kelley: Yeah, that's great question. So when I think back to when we really first moved to Utah, we just graduated college at BYU Idaho and renting a basement apartment. My head would hit the ceiling every day. So We decided we want to buy a house and we're like, Okay, let's buy a house, let's put our fielders out there. We weren't sure how the process went. I worked at bank for a while. But other than that I didn't really have any experience I just jumped in, We got pre approved for a certain amount, but the landlord we were renting from. He said Hey, you wanna buy my house for three hundred thousand dollars? I was like, No 'Cause in Michigan you see a three hundred thousand dollar house, like a baby mansion is what we called him. This is a five bedroom house in Midvale with a basement apartment at the backyard. I like, there's no way this is worth three hundred and whatever a thousand dollars. So of course we Yeah. Caleb: man, and now today. Aubrey Kelley: Hindsight, right? So when I when that experience happened, I was like, okay, something there's something I don't know. So I actually got my license to just to learn more about it. And I wanted to do some investing. but I love the part of helping people understand the market. Because even that experience, the agents that we were working with, the lenders we working with, I mean, we weren't qualified to buy a lot. And so we kinda got kicked to the curb a lot. we just just didn't like that experience and I have a huge customer service background and that was just like there has to be something better people could be doing to help let's let's get creative, we're home in Sandy here, I mean you never know what people's income can do or situations could change or what they're willing to do. It's you know, really just staying in touch people and that was for us the biggest part was just being able to buy a home but also being able to help other people buy homes and helping people sell their homes without the hassle or without having to call the person that's supposed to be getting a commission on this. So that was my biggest thing. It's just I wanted to set the bar, to be a little bit better. Caleb: Yeah, You wanted to be the agent you wish you had. Aubrey Kelley: Exactly, yeah, yeah, for sure. Caleb: I love that. And what pushed you to go all in on real estate? Aubrey Kelley: So this is kind of a funny story. I actually worked at a retirement community. And so I would convince them to sell their home, buy into our community, and I would refer them out to an agent. And remember those one home was like two point something million dollars? Anyway, they made more money selling that one home than my entire salary that year. And I was like, What? I'm like, What is happening? Caleb: Holy smokes. Aubrey Kelley: So I knew there was something to it. I didn't know how much that went into it, but I was like, I love that part, doing that part more than just watching somebody and and you know, handing them something something I was like, I would take care of this person better and that was really what pushed me to get into it and I was kind of stuck. I'm not really able to do more than what I want to do to help people, but also to earn more and to be able to do more, to be able to help more. Caleb: Yeah, that's a cool story. You had the drive. And I I know you're known for the hustle and the drive. where do you think Aubrey Kelley: Yeah. Yeah. Caleb: the picking up the phone and knocking on doors, where do you think that drive comes from? Aubrey Kelley: Man, can I get spiritual here for a second? Is that is Caleb: Sure, yeah, I'd love to. Aubrey Kelley: So I served a mission for for my church and you know, we really just jumped into when I first got in there I was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints and I did a lot of door knocking and it was I mean, it was just like relentless. It was in Alabama, it's a hundred degrees, a hundred percent humidity it was right after the tornadoes they had there. So we had the little weather boxes telling us everything. I was like stressed out. I'm like, please let it be ninety nine degrees today. It'd be great. it was crazy. But no matter what, I knew I was gonna be out my doors. Like we we gotta do it. So we gotta, help those people that we wanna help and that's the the bigger part of my discipline was it didn't matter, we were gonna be on our doors knocking doors. so I I kind of attribute a lot of my work ethic and my hustle and my grind to just doing that daily. even though people didn't you know always love us, I still did it. that and you know I even remember back in my earlier days, I was in Michigan shoveling snow and I would knock on people's doors for twenty five bucks, I'd shovel your entire driveway. I'm pretty sure, that attribute you know that and just wanting to just do more. I've always wanted to do more. Caleb: It seems like it's been a drive you've had for your whole life. I'd love to talk a little bit more about the business you and I have worked together, but I know that you work a pretty large area. all of Salt Lake County, down Utah County, even I think as far as Saint George, how did that footprint happen? Aubrey Kelley: it comes I mean it comes down to just the level of service I want to provide. I try to stick to a certain area when it comes to selling homes. But when it comes to buyers, buyers don't always know what they want up front. So when I'm joining that, journey with them, I wanna make sure that I'm with you the whole way. just coming down Caleb: Yeah. Aubrey Kelley: to that if people need it, I'm willing to do it. Caleb: Yeah, but with listing specifically, try to keep it closer, to Salt Lake County. Aubrey Kelley: Yeah, there's only so much you can do when it comes to listing a home in St. George or where I can't go there, you know, on a in Caleb: Yeah, that's fair. Aubrey Kelley: an hour's notice. I can't just pop up there and show a home or really service at the highest level. So I try to stick to this area. Just within an hour I I'll list a home. Caleb: And what kind of clients do you work with? Aubrey Kelley: I've been heavily like listing homes, which has been good. but of course somebody's selling a home, they'll need to buy a home. But I work with buyers as well. I was meeting with buyer before this. but she's also a seller, so it's kind of you know if you're selling something you're probably gonna buy something too. Caleb: Yeah, There's the both ends of it. do feel like in Salt Lake County it's a buyer's or sellers market right now? Aubrey Kelley: technically we're a seller's market still. sellers are still getting it's under equity of their out of their home. Over across the Wasatch front, people that have owned their home for more than seven years have at least two hundred thousand dollars in equity. However, it is a strong buyer centric market, meaning that buyers have a lot more leverage 'cause there's a lot more inventory. there's more homes in the market now, we've seen it over the last nine years. people are giving out concessions like candy. We can, bite on rates, can do all the things. So that's the upside is that even though sellers do have leverage, they have the inventory, buyers still have a lot of leverage right now. Caleb: So opportunity all around. Sounds like still Aubrey Kelley: yeah. Caleb: okay to sell, it's become a little bit better to buy. A couple of years ago, Aubrey Kelley: Yeah yeah. Caleb: it was crazy. Yeah. Aubrey Kelley: It was nuts Caleb: Do you feel like it changes a lot area to area, in Utah? I mean, you work across a couple counties, or do they all feel about the same? Aubrey Kelley: No. That's I mean, it's not massively different. And I would say the one thing that's different about location and it usually comes down to pricing and strategy. I mean you can have anybody put up a sign and a logbox, but having a conversation and actually understanding the area and the type of buyers looking in certain areas can make a difference. I sold home in Morgan of all places, And then I sold a home there in Sandy, Caleb: Yeah, we know Morgan. Aubrey Kelley: Utah where I live. It was the same thing. So somebody was renting a home and it was having a different conversation as far as things they were looking for, things they were wanting to buy, things they were wanting to talk about. It's being someone who can have that conversation and being someone who can, know this area and it's hard to get to know exactly every single thing about each neighborhood and each area. But as you spend time with people I get a chance to talk to all the neighbors and find out, you know, what's important to them, what they what they like about the area, what they would change about it if they could and I feel like that gives me a little bit more leverage as far as having that personal touch and having those conversations with people that are looking to buy. Caleb: Yeah, you bring up some good points. rural area, it's gonna be very different than the city and out of state buyers. Aubrey Kelley: So Caleb: I'm curious how that's given you a pulse on the market. What's something you've learned from door knocking that's surprised you? Aubrey Kelley: People are way more open than people think. People get this this fear in their Caleb: What a great surprise. Aubrey Kelley: Yeah, it's like people are afraid if I knock on this person's door, If somebody knocked my door, I wouldn't answer it. And I'm like, Well I wouldn't talk to you then. You know? Go to the next one and we find someone Caleb: Yeah. Aubrey Kelley: who's willing to talk to me, someone who's wanting to sell. It's not my job to talk to everybody and make everybody love me, but it's my job to be in front of people who do want to do something. if you're looking at selling a home and you're not on social media. You're not on and I'm talking about people that are maybe in the fifty five plus community, or people who are not as social or or as, experienced with, selling a home in the first place. You know, they don't have anybody calling them every day or they're not checking an email. it's just getting in front of them, is the first step and then helping them either, if they're wanting to sell, if there's a need, kind of filling that need. Caleb: Yeah, I mean that's a great surprise that people are more open to it. I feel like most of the time door to door gets a bad rap. do you do you feel like you pick up a lot of leads from those conversations? How do those conversations Aubrey Kelley: Yeah. Caleb: usually go? Aubrey Kelley: usually they go one of three ways, I would say. one, I just get, nope, we're not doing anything. And I'll crack a joke. I like to think I'm funny. or I'll say something Caleb: Yeah. Aubrey Kelley: kinda light. Just to kinda say I'm not here to sell your home. I'm not gonna bring a lockbox and a sign. I like to sit down with you and share with you what I'm doing and if it makes sense for you guys to break him. But I can kinda gauge, I okay, this person's not motivated to sell. I'm not looking work with somebody who's not motivated, Two someone that is, hoping that something will change or they're just looking kind of passively. I more or less call them every once in while, send them all the flyers and all the things and invite them to events. And then of course the people that are serious, they're wanting to make a move right now. Or in three, six months. So I'd try to schedule an appointment with them and the appointments sound scary when I Hey, let's set an appointment so I don't say that. Hey, you know, let's just have a conversation, let's talk. 'Cause that's what it really is. We're just having conversation. We're just trying to see what's most important to you. Find out what your needs are, what your wants are, expectations and go from there. Caleb: well I would think it has to help both sides of the business, right? Getting new clients. But also, like if I had my house listed with you, it's kind of fun to know you're knocking doors and you might bump into someone who wants to buy the house. just helps on both ends. Well, I want to move over to talking a little bit about a client specifically and how you help clients win. What experience do you hope every client has or will walk away with? Aubrey Kelley: Great question. I hope they feel how I would want to be treated. And I'll tell to some of my clients. I hope they feel first of all, they're listened to and they're not just a transaction. If was just a transaction, I'd have millions of, clients and I wouldn't really pay attention to them or sit down on their couch or take them out. I just had an appointment with a client just had lunch with them. And I was just like, Look, I can come over here and I can sign paperwork But I hope it's a connection. Like I said, the conversations I have with you. I hope it's connection I can have and really help you get to either the next level, the next home, whatever it is. and I hope they walk away feeling like they have a real relationship with me and not just transactional. it's a relationship-based business. Caleb: I love that. yeah, somebody else could come in and sign the paperwork and stuff, but to have a real relationship with someone, it takes some investment on your part to build that relationship. Aubrey Kelley: Yeah. Caleb: everyone wants to feel important. And so by you going to lunch with them or sitting on the couch, they feel important working with you. are there any common mistakes that you feel like you see either buyers or sellers making right now? Aubrey Kelley: I actually call quite a few people that are doing for sell by owner, Or buyers, that are just waiting for something to happen. I feel like that's for me the biggest red flag is the opportunity's there right now. Like let's find out what we can do right now. So the biggest conversation I would say and I'll kinda break it down to two. So sellers, they are thinking we're still in twenty twenty where we're not. Like that was what, six years ago? I'm like Caleb: Few years ago now. Aubrey Kelley: Yeah, like I I'd love your home to sell for a million dollars and this is a hard conversation I have to get comfortable, having with people is let's price the home where it will sell, not just where you think it would I'd like to sell your home for a billion dollars, it'd be great. I'd retire tomorrow. But we wanna make sure that we're, being realistic about where we're the pricing home. And then for buyers, honestly, if you could find a home that's gonna be a 10 out of 10 every time, someone else is gonna like it a little bit more than you. So if you put an offer in, be strong, My job is to negotiate for you, but let's find some common ground that you know that is gonna be fair for them, but also fair for you. Caleb: I have to unpack that a little bit too because even people who go build a custom home, perception is everything. They're like, I'm building the eleven out of ten home. And then they move in and they're like, it's really like a seven out of ten, you know, I didn't realize this was gonna be here and this. Aubrey Kelley: Yeah. Caleb: so it's true that like you're ten out of ten today, you might be putting a little too much weight On that. it's okay if if the house is only an eight out of ten in your mind right now. Aubrey Kelley: Yeah. Caleb: Because some people might move in and then it becomes a ten out of ten. Aubrey Kelley: I always tell people whenever we're looking at homes or anything like that to your point. we're likely gonna find something that's gonna be like eight out of ten. and then if you're okay with eight out of ten and you can make it a ten out of ten, let's just do that. chances are you're not gonna have every single thing you want. Chances are you're not gonna find exactly what you're looking for, but if we can get close and we can negotiate, we can, do all the things you can fix it up later, but if you feel good with the payment, you feel good with the area, let's explore, let's look into it. Caleb: Yeah, so what it sounds like is it's okay if you find a house you you like, but you still have some concerns or doubts, it's okay to make an offer and get under contract, even with those doubts. Aubrey Kelley: Yeah. Exactly. Caleb: that's awesome. and I totally agree with you on the whole waiting front. I see a lot of buyers on the financing side who are waiting on things that they can't control. so it's really hard to make decisions or a strategy because it's like, well, I'm waiting on interest rates or waiting on the stock market. And it's like, Okay, well, we might be waiting for a while. Aubrey Kelley: Yeah. Yeah, I I feel like some people understand that I'm thinking about it and if I were in their shoes, how would I think about that? I mean, you and I are doing this every day. And they're not and I get it. you're not looking at rates, you don't understand the trends. They're like if we wait for rates to come down, prices are gonna go up. And they're thinking, well I'll just jump in right as soon as they come down You and a million other people are waiting for that to happen. it's unlikely. Again, we have to think about it, they're not doing it every day, so they don't think about those things. They wanna feel like that they're getting a good deal Caleb: yeah, I totally agree. You get familiar with the industry and you realize that they're not as plugged in as you are to the information. So you have to have a little bit of grace there with how you explain stuff. well last question before we wrap up here. Do you have any recent client? stories or wins or a deal that you're able to save, that you could share with us? Aubrey Kelley: Yeah, so this is actually one of my clients we met and they didn't trust me at first. They thought I was just, trying to come in and trying to weasel them out their equity and I like, No, look I'm actually here to help. Of course I have to make sure this is what I do to feed my family, so I'm gonna get paid. But we talked about, strategy as far as listing the home and I did, pictures, I pay for all these things up front, photography, cleaning, my sign, all those things. And we got it under contract in I think about four days and they were like my gosh, this is so impressive And it's like, yeah, it's great. I felt like I was in cloud nine, I did a great job so here's the here's the hard part. So it came out of contract, so the buyers backed down. And the buyers needed to sell a home. And so I was like, that's not great. They wanted to buy another home anyway, so they they canceled our contract to go to another home that They liked at first. And I said, Hey, this is a good thing. And they were like, What? How is this a good thing? And these guys were contingent. They needed to sell their home to buy your home. And I said, This opens it up for people that are actually gonna buy your home. Because we have the last three people in this community. they bought their home for cash. Like you get a cash offer on this. And so I don't promise them anything, but I say, hey, this just opens up the opportunity for more people to come in. And just having that mindset for me, I think this is a mindset game. you know, the numbers look great and everything else. You can have all those things. But if your mindset's off, it really throws everyone else off. And so just ha giving them that peace of mind and they were enthusiastic the very next day we went under contract with a cash buyer. And we're closing in like less than time than we had on the contract for these last guys. And so it's kind of a funny like could've been losing my mind. I could have been like, I don't know I don't know what we're gonna do now. But I was able to keep my cool and it and it speaks to my belief as far as what I'm doing. I was able to help take these guys through the process of going under contract, coming out of contract for just a second, and going back under contract. And well I wish it was that perfect for everybody, but even still they saw that and I I think it built a level of trust with me and them that wouldn't have happened had we didn't go through that experience. If we didn't experience going out of contract and seeing that, hey, Aubrey truly believes that he can sell this home, we're gonna trust him, we're gonna go with it. And actually proving that point and doing the things that I said I was gonna do. So that was like this is like last weekend, by the way. Caleb: Yeah, wow, that's a recent story. How Aubrey Kelley: Yeah. Caleb: do you keep your cool during all of that? Is that just from experience or is there something that you do that helps you stay in control? Aubrey Kelley: Yeah, well I think really mentors, coaches I've had, companies the company I'm with who with with I'll throw a little plug in for them for for Century Twenty One Everest, It's the your mindset is a skill set, it really comes down to your mindset, like how you think about these things and how you interact with people comes down to your mindset, your skill set, your disciplines. If I'm doing the things I know I'm supposed to be doing, like prospecting, like having those conversations, not being afraid to talk either a price reduction or someone going under a contract and saying, you know, hey, I'm here with you guys. But it comes down to those doing those basic things every day. Like, even just eating healthy and, going to the gym or doing things things that are protecting my mind and my day and just really sticking to my schedule, making sure that I'm making the calls, doing the things I said I'm gonna do in the first place. When I'm honest with myself, I can be honest with everyone else as well. Caleb: Yeah, man, that's amazing. well it's been insightful chatting with you and to learn from you and man, how cool that you're building the business and you got the right mindset. So really appreciate Aubrey Kelley: Okay. Caleb: you being on here. What's the best way for people to reach you and work with you? Aubrey Kelley: give me a call. you can look me up. I'm the the super tall, dark handsome guy at Century Twenty One Everest, so eight one Caleb: Ha ha. Aubrey Kelley: five one four four three four zero. Give me a call or a text. If I don't answer within the first two hours, I'll sell you home for free. I put that on the internet. that's it's risky. Caleb: There we go. All right, he's gonna answer within a two hours. Aubrey Kelley: Yeah. Caleb: Awesome. Is there any social media that people can follow you on as well Aubrey Kelley: Yeah, I mean my social media is open to the public, so it's my first last name, Aubrey Kellys. So my first A U B R E Y K E L L E Y S. that's my Instagram. love to have a conversation and see if I can help most of my business comes from referrals or from people that know and like and trust me. Caleb: Awesome. Well, give Aubrey a call. He'll answer within two hours. And give him Aubrey Kelley: Yeah. Caleb: a follow. Aubrey Kelley: Hey, thanks, Caleb Appreciate it. Caleb: That's a wrap on this episode of Real Estate Insights. A huge thank you to my guest for sharing their time and playbook. If you're a top agent in Utah or Idaho and you'd like to be featured on the show, I'd love to have you. Reach out anytime. I'm Caleb Adams, mortgage broker here in Utah and Idaho, who loves connecting great agents with great people who need them. We'll see you next time.