Third-generation real estate pro Dallison Veach, CRS, reveals the marketing approach that led to her success
“There are no tricks or easy methods to selling real estate. The simple rule is this: adapt to the market at hand and work with it, not against it. Look for opportunities and then seize them.”
These are market insights that Dallison Veach, CRS, has gained after growing up in a family focused on real estate. Veach is a third-generation real estate professional. She grew up in the business—her grandfather was a developer in Central Florida for several decades, and her mother was an agent for more than 35 years. Veach joined the business as a full-time professional in 2005 in Northern Virginia and became a broker in 2012.
About the same time that Veach started working in real estate, her mother retired, but she did not give her daughter any leads. Her mother’s philosophy was if you can’t get your own clients, you won’t be successful. However, her mother and grandfather did offer advice, and their “tough love” approach worked.
Face Time
At the start of Veach’s career, her broker taught her an important lesson: “Don’t be a secret agent. Make sure people know you’re in the business.” She never asked people directly if they knew anyone who wanted to buy or sell. Instead, she recognized the importance of being visible and building name recognition.
Veach currently lives in Fairfax Station, Virginia, with her husband and three children. Early in her career, she placed a magnet on the side of her van advertising that she was an agent—her license plate advertised this as well. She also wore clothing emblazoned with her name and business. Veach was already involved in her kids’ activities, especially sports. She was coaching a T-ball team and began sponsoring the teams. Her name appeared on programs and T-Shirts as well as on clothing that was displayed at the local sporting goods store.
“My own kids were my little marketing machines. They were walking billboards,” Veach says. “My broker initially thought it wouldn’t pay off, but this is how people know me—through my family’s activities.”
When the need arises for a real estate professional, people naturally think of Veach. Since she attended so many events, people could associate a face with the name. And because she was actively involved in her community, people trusted her work ethic.
Veach emphasizes the importance of being seen. When teaching a pre-licensing course, she advises the participants to “find your tribe.”
“If you are active in church, start advertising in your church. The same is true with sports. Wherever you are, whatever activities you are involved in, that’s where you should target your efforts,” says Veach.
The Long Game
Veach also points out that others see busy people as successful. Her first year was sort of lean. There were heavy-hitter agents in her office and they didn’t want to spend time with rental clients because they were perceived as not having a significant payoff. So Veach volunteered to work with them. She made only a small amount from each transaction, but when they were ready to buy later, they called Veach.
“Working with rental clients exposed me to neighborhoods I might not have known otherwise. I learned how to interact with a wide variety of clients, and how to research and get to know each area,” Veach says. “Northern Virginia is large and spread out. I knew my small section of Fairfax County, but I was less familiar with other areas. By showing rentals there, I became familiar with the things each community had to offer.”
Over the years, Veach has tried a multitude of other approaches to generate leads. She tried online ads, but she says the clients you get organically provide the greatest return on your investment as they are more loyal.
“The focus today is on new tech, including buying leads. You have to spend a lot up front to get those leads. And I keep going back to my mom’s premise: if you are being fed leads, what happens when they dry up?” says Veach.
Keys to Success
For Veach, the fundamental keys to success are a focus on people and the community.
“Know your community, know the people you interact with every day—let them know what you do,” she says. “You know your business, and it will build from there and they will tell their friends. About 95 percent of my business is referral-based.”
Veach stays very involved in her local real estate association by volunteering there. It gives her wider exposure among her peers and enhances her knowledge base. She also returns to the advice she gives when she teaches: find your niche.
“Find the people who know you, who trust you and who know how you work. Never forget your base. Never make the transaction about ‘me’—it’s always about the client. Treat people so they know you have their best interests at heart,” she says.
Will the real estate business lure the next generation in the Veach household?
“My third child, who is 11, is a natural-born salesperson. When she sells Girl Scout cookies, she’s amazing at it. I think she would be very successful selling real estate,” says Veach.
Dallison Veach, CRS, can be reached at VeachRealty@gmail.com. For more information, visit http://www.dallison.com.
