"I know every video I put out, I'm going to get at least one closing from it."

One video. One closing. $13K+ commission.

That's Will Sawyer's simple YouTube formula that changed everything when he was ready to walk away from real estate.

No fancy equipment. No complicated strategy.

Just consistent, valuable content targeted to the right audience.

Before YouTube, Will was miserable making cold calls.

Now he's built what he calls "a business that I enjoy the suck of.”

So what’s his YouTube playbook that attracts high-quality clients without the traditional grind?

Let's break it down...

— Andrew

Playbook

In 2018, Will Sawyer was a broke real estate agent, calling expired listings and making cold calls that left him miserable. He was seriously thinking about quitting real estate altogether.

Today, his business has exploded:

• 48% of business directly from YouTube he launched less than 2 years ago

• 102 transactions per year

• Over $1M/YR+ in GCI

• A growing team

• Biggest sale ever: $4 million lakefront property

The twist? He built it all while being somewhat introverted, with zero video experience, and in a relatively small market of just 80,000 people.

THE BREAKTHROUGH

After spending two years on a real estate team where he was unhappy and felt undervalued, Will decided to bet on himself for 12 months as a solo agent before potentially leaving real estate altogether.

The turning point came at a dinner with Matt Lunden, who told Will he had generated $15M in sales from YouTube.

Will immediately saw an opportunity: "If this guy can do it, why can't I do it?"

A lightbulb went off.

THE CONTENT FORMULA: 1 VIDEO = 1 CLOSING

"I know every video I put out, I'm going to get at least one closing from it."

With an average commission of $13K, each video isn't just content—it's a direct revenue generator.

Will's strategy focuses on four key content types:

1. Development News: New construction, downtown projects, and infrastructure updates that attract both locals and relocators.

2. Migration Content: "Why people are moving to Greenville" videos and comparison content with California/Florida that positions Will as the relocation expert.

3. Cautionary Content: Honest videos about potential downsides that build extraordinary trust. "When you tell somebody something negative, they trust you more when you're giving them the positives."

4. Suburbs Content: Broad or more specific Greenville suburbs videos, like Lake Keowee properties and neighborhood tours in specific areas that attract higher-budget clients.

His most engaging topics include:

• Downtown Greenville developments

• Lake Keowee luxury properties

• "Reasons you might not want to move to Greenville"

• Honest builder reviews based on client experiences

• Cost of living information for people moving

His content philosophy: "Lead with information, not sales," Will explains.

"The phone rings because what you say matters to people and is actually valuable."

THE CLIENT AVATAR: EMPTY NESTERS BY DESIGN

Will made a deliberate decision to target a specific audience:

• Empty nesters and retirees (over 50)

• People who already own homes

• Experienced real estate consumers

• Higher price point buyers (mid-$400Ks)

"I didn't want to target first-time home buyers with parents looking over inspection reports," Will explains. "I wanted to work with experienced buyers who trust the process."

Will also made the strategic choice to focus on Lake Keowee (45 minutes from Greenville) as a second market, creating content for an underserved luxury area with limited competition on YouTube.

THE GEOGRAPHIC NICHE:

Instead of trying to be everywhere, Will focused on:

THE PRODUCTION FRAMEWORK

Will's video production process is meticulously structured:

1. Research Phase

   • Study other successful real estate YouTubers

   • Monitors Google keyword trends

   • Reviews local publications (GVL Today, Greenville Journal)

   • Identifies news and developments worth covering

2. Script Development (his highest ROI activity)

   • Writes detailed scripts for every video

   • Focuses on value and information density

   • Eliminates fluff ruthlessly

   • Maintains consistent format and structure

3. Video Production

   • Works with professional videographer

   • Weekly filming schedule

   • B-roll of relevant locations

   • Professional editing

4. Distribution

   • 8-14 minute main videos weekly

   • 3-4 shorts per week

   • Strategic calls to action (email at beginning, phone at end)

   • Website and community Facebook group integration

THE TEAM EVOLUTION

Will's YouTube channel growth happened rapidly:

• June 2023: Channel launch

• First 6 months: Building foundation and consistency

• By 2024: 48% of business coming from YouTube

The key was absolute consistency: "I post a video every week and put three or four shorts out there every week. It's become my 20% that produces 80% of results."

Will built a strategic team to support his volume:

1. First Hire: Coach (when he left his team)

2. Second Hire: Transaction Coordinator

3. Third Hire: Virtual Assistant/Executive Assistant

4. Fourth Hire: Pipeline Manager/ISA (manages leads outside 90-day window)

5. Additional Support: Showing agents, wife joining the business

His team philosophy centers on high-value activities: "Me showing a house isn't a high-dollar-per-hour activity. Managing my pipeline, meeting with buyers and sellers, and creating content are my highest ROI activities."

THE LEAD GENERATION SYSTEM

Will's lead generation from YouTube follows a clear path:

1. Initial Contact: Most leads email first (primary CTA at the beginning of videos)

2. Website Visits: Strong website CTAs throughout videos

3. Lead Processing: Detailed tracking of all inquiries

4. 90-Day Focus: Team prioritizes leads likely to transact within 90 days

"In January alone, we had over 50 inbound leads from YouTube," Will shares.

"That's more than we've ever had in a single month."

THE LESSONS LEARNED

Will's journey offers several key insights:

1. Find Your Suck: "I didn't enjoy the suck of my old business. Now I've built a business where I enjoy the suck."

2. Consistency Beats Perfection: "I am very type B about most things. There are only a few things I pay attention to, and my business is one of them."

3. Know Your Metrics: "I'm going to get at least one closing from every video I put out. There aren't many activities in real estate where one input leads to one closing."

4. Build Trust First: "My clients say I seem like a genuine person. I'm not trying to be genuine – I lead with information and want people to make the best decision for themselves."

5. Double Down on What Works: "YouTube was working, so I pumped more money into it, doubled down on it, and then it exploded."

Using AI to Scale:

1. Research Enhancement:

   • ChatGPT for development project research

   • News article summarization

   • Data processing for efficient script creation

2. Call Management:

   • Recording calls with Apple's call recording feature

   • Transcribing conversations

   • Using AI to summarize and extract action items

   • Creating consistent follow-up tasks

THE FUTURE VISION

Will sees several clear next steps for his business:

1. Team Development:

   • Getting Blair established as an agent

   • Adding another buyer's agent

   • Taking on fewer buyers personally

   • Focusing more on listings

2. Content Expansion:

   • Potential to bring media in-house

   • Easier shooting and production workflow

   • More flexibility for podcasts, videos, and short-form

   • Enhanced collaboration with the marketing team

3. Sphere Business Enhancement:

   • Dedicate more time to sphere contacts

   • Balance YouTube lead generation with referral business

   • Maintain current YouTube strategy while expanding other channels

"Before my business can grow anymore, I'm probably going to have to take less buyers because buyers take a lot of time. So until we can get Blair in place, maybe another agent in place to handle 50% of these buyers that come in, I know that my growth is limited."

What's your reason? Watch our complete conversation with Will now.