20 Questions

What if some of the most common advice in real estate is simply wrong?

For years, real estate agents have been told to geographic farm, work their sphere of influence, hold open houses, advertise in newspapers, focus on short sales, chase REO business, and spend countless hours on activities that are supposed to generate business.

But do they?

In 20 Questions, veteran broker, author, and trainer Matt Jones takes a hard look at many of the industry's most accepted beliefs and asks a simple question:

Does it actually work?

Originally published as a series of nationally syndicated real estate articles, these twenty chapters tackle some of the most common questions agents ask about lead generation, marketing, prospecting, recruiting, listings, buyers, social media, direct mail, internet leads, and more.

Rather than relying on industry tradition, Jones approaches each topic through the lens of economics, measurable results, and common sense. The result is a direct, sometimes controversial, and often humorous examination of real estate practices that many agents accept without question.

Inside you'll discover:

• Why some popular lead generation techniques may cost more than they produce

• The real difference between internet leads and traditional leads

• Why many agents misunderstand geographic farming

• The truth about open houses, direct mail, and classified advertising

• How recruiting, training, and agent retention really work

• Why measuring cost per lead matters more than following industry trends

• How to evaluate any marketing idea before spending your time or money

You may not agree with every answer. That is exactly the point.

Whether you are a new agent, an experienced broker, or simply someone who enjoys challenging conventional wisdom, 20 Questions will force you to think differently about the business of real estate.

Because the most dangerous advice in business is often the advice everyone accepts without questioning.