Here are The Top 4 things we learned from John Berkowitz…Founder and CEO of OJO Labs

As entrepreneurs, we can all relate to this…

Taking on massive stress as we go through the ups and downs of running a business; and even with the best intentions, ending up traumatized, running on fumes and losing our passion for what we do. 

If there are any entrepreneur and industry leader we admire and believe is worth listening to and learning from, especially in relation to this struggle- it’s John Berkowitz. 

From his beginnings starting Yodle at age 21 to his new business adventure and chapter with OJO Labs, his journey has been one of leaning in to everything that comes with the entrepreneurial journey and providing value throughout the path. 

In a recent conversation with us, John draws upon years of experience to share what agents need to do today to stay relevant and meet the demands of the consumer today. 

Here are The Top 4 things we learned from John Berkowitz… 

“The future of business is earned trust”

The center of our businesses in today’s market and consumer environment is earned trust. The truth is, consumers don’t have a lot of trust for brands and products, and it’s on us to earn that trust and build earning trust in all of our business operations. Never stop following up and offering to help the consumer, being a resource they trust is key. 

“Building and running companies is hard on the human body and most people bury that”

Our world treats entrepreneurs like rockstars, and entrepreneurship like it’s an easy, breezy venture. But a business, whether big or small, is hard to build and keep going. Because of the market, years in business and other challenges, becoming drained is a common occurrence. It’s so important for us to have a north star purpose that guides us and gets us through the shifts, lows,  and dips.

“There’s a danger of founders marching towards exit instead of marching to solve a problem.”

When we build a business with the intention of exiting to sell it down the line, we can fall into the trap of just rushing towards getting to that goal, instead of really hunkering down to solve a problem, drive value and build something that can truly go the distance. 

“The bigger the decision, the longer it takes the consumer takes to think they are ready to buy”

There’s a gap between the time a prospective home buyer spends researching online and making the decision to buy a home. The research they do independently can only go so far, and the longer they are in this phase, the harder it is to make a move. Agents can trigger the action needed to drive the decision forward. This is where we can step in. The expertise, consultation, and guidance of a knowledgeable agent cannot be overstated. It’s down to us to marry individual research with decisive, expertise-backed action. 

“Be present and add value so that when the time to transact comes we’re there to serve their needs.”