O
ver the past decade, I've spoken with numerous top-performing real estate agents. One common thread among them is that they discovered their ikigai early in their careers and never looked back. Ikigai is a Japanese concept that suggests true success comes from finding a profession that aligns with what you love, are good at, the world needs, and can be paid for.
Jose Prats, a Los Angeles-based agent, exemplifies this principle. He leveraged his passion for Spanish Revival architecture and flair for creating viral content to establish a lucrative niche in one of the world's most competitive real estate markets. We spoke with Prats about how he found his ikigai, his advice for new agents, and his strategy for building his Instagram account into a primary lead source.
Prats' success is impressive: $44 million in sales volume, 21.5 sides, and a RealTrends Verified ranking of 1,184. His primary lead generation strategy is social media and referrals, with an Instagram following of 114,000. He credits Copper CRM as his highest ROI real estate software.
To achieve success, Prats emphasizes the importance of letting your passions guide your career choices. Money alone won't fuel a long-term real estate career; you need something more profound. Prats discovered this lesson early in his career when he moved to Los Angeles with limited funds and big dreams. He worked multiple jobs while taking prelicensing courses, eventually landing an assistant role for a prominent team leader.
This experience sparked Prats' love for Spanish Revival architecture, which became the foundation of his ikigai. As an outsider to the city, Prats saw its unique architectural features with fresh eyes, connecting with what many locals took for granted. When discovering your own passion pillar, try viewing your farm area with a similar perspective – what makes it special, and why do people love it?
Prats' natural talent for inspiring others through video is another crucial aspect of his ikigai. He shares seven simple rules for Instagram success:
1. Never buy followers; it's a surefire way to kill your account.
2. Stay informed on the latest trends and adjust your strategy accordingly.
3. Find niches within niches – drill down to unique content that resonates with your audience.
4. Focus 80% on real estate, 20% on yourself (unless you're a famous comedian).
5. Be authentic; people come to social media for entertainment, not insincerity.
6. Focus on building your business, not followers and likes – track engagement metrics like direct messages instead of vanity metrics.
7. Funnel comments into DMs, and DMs into Zoom meetings to turn followers into leads.
By following these rules, Prats grew his Instagram account to 114,000 followers and became a primary lead source for his business.
