With so much panic and uncertainty in the world today, I figured there was no better person to interview for this week’s 10 Questions series than my good friend, Raj Qsar. Raj is the owner of The Boutique Real Estate Group based in Orange County, CA. Not only is Raj one of the leading minds in real estate innovation, but he’s not too proud to share everything he knows with the industry he loves to challenge us all to find new ways of doing things. His marketing is a step above the rest (just check out one of his videos) and when it comes to just about anything - I know Raj not only has everyone’s best interests at heart but delivers with a laugh and a smile. Get to know more about Raj here.
With a new “smart” something coming out almost every day, what products amaze and astound you?
I am pretty sure you know my answer to this... TikTok. It is not just a dancing app where you are being silly. It truly is addictive. And the skills an individual can learn from mastering the app will carry on for years to come. What you can simply do on TikTok used to take a team of five people to pull off 5 years ago. It also gives you some insight into what is trending and relevant in today's world.
With a million things happening at any one moment, how do you manage your time?
I am a huge believer in having a schedule and time-blocking chunks of the day. My routine is pretty much the same everyday (for work and my personal life). The details of what I am doing may change, just like a real estate transaction, but the core is the same.
What is something you’re really proud of? Why?
Probably the fact that back in 2008 I decided to take a leap and shoot a video. And not just a video but an actual movie on a listing. This was back before any of us knew how to shoot video on anything. I wanted to be different. I wanted to stand out. I wanted to give our clients the best chance of success on selling their home (which they tried to do several times before they met me). We had no idea of what we were doing or how to cut or edit the video but it was one of the most critical "ah ha" moments in my real estate career.
What’s the best and worst thing about getting older?
Worst - The fact that you are getting older and realizing that you can not control time.
Best - You truly realize who your tribe is over time. The people that stick with you, love you no matter what and want to do time with you. You also realize that life is full of moments with people (not things). And every moment is what you make of it and is irreplaceable.
How do you relax?
Ever since I was a kid I have loved the ocean. I am not sure why because my parents really do not love the water. I mean my Mom does not know how to swim? But at an early age, they got us all into swim lessons and started taking us to the beach. In Orange County, I love to relax (in the afternoon) on any beach and watch the sunset.
What kind of projects would you like to do more of?
I think there is a huge need in our industry for true camaraderie, especially in leadership. CEO's helping CEO's navigate the waters we sail every day. Our industry is so complex and slammed with "what if's" that it can sometimes be difficult to have a standard way of doing things. So to answer the question, I would love to be able to reach out to more CEO's and give my time and see where I can assist and have a CEO sounding board where you can throw stuff and see if it sticks.
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
As you know I went to medical school. So pretty much from college on that's what I wanted to do, but life does take some interesting turns. I found out by going to medical school it truly was not my calling. It's a long story on how I eventually landed in real estate but, for now, it is where I belong.
Why do you believe having mentors is so important?
Sometimes I think the world puts people in front of you for a reason. There are some really good people out there and these are the folks you need to cling to. When starting a business there are people who have run your race and finished the course and are willing to share their experience with you. Whether they take on the role of "mentor" or simply "friend" it is these opportunities that make you and your business better. No one business person has all the answers, it is humanly impossible.
What gets you fired up/energized?
It has become a trend that most people in our industry will do the least amount of work possible, put in the least amount of time and try to have the biggest rewards. Our team has become know in Orange County as the cleanup kids (and we are not kids anymore). But basically, when a listing does not sell due to over promises and under delivery, we get the call. This is not a business where your brothers, daughters, next-door neighbors dog sitter who just got licensed should be navigating the sale of someone's most valuable asset should come into place to save x%. So coming into a listing that has not sold, charging the same amount and delighting our clients is what gets me the most fired up. We recently took a listing that had been listed 5x by 5 of the top brokers in Orange County and we sold it for full price. We truly care and every single listing matters.