From Match.com Leads to $11M Listings: Taya DiCarlo's Real Estate Story
Taya DiCarlo: I have to say that that's really what I look forward to is working with people who value me and I finally have hit a point in my career that I value myself. I've hit a point in my life where I finally know my worth, and that was not an easy place to get to. I sold 27 houses on Match.com.
Glennda Baker: You did not!
Taya DiCarlo: I sold 27 houses on Match.com, no lie.
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Glennda Baker: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome, welcome, welcome to this episode of Glennda's Guru. One of the great things about this show for me is that I get to interview people that inspire me and that I admire. And this lady right here is one of the ones who, I have to tell you, probably from my initial start of video, Taya DiCarlo inspired me like you cannot believe. Taya, welcome to Glennda's Guru. I am so excited to have the opportunity to hang out with you and chat for a few minutes.
Taya DiCarlo: Thanks, Glennda. We go way back. This was a very easy thing to say yes to.
Glennda Baker: Oh, do you know what? We do go way back. I was trying to remember, like, how... I want to think that your little children were like tiny.
Taya DiCarlo: Oh, they were babies. I mean, now my oldest is in sixth grade, he's about to be 12, and my youngest is in third grade and he's nine and a half.
Glennda Baker: Oh, wow. Yeah, because I was thinking like they were tiny when I first met you. So, for my... for my viewers who don't know you-which I can't even imagine who that is-you're with Compass, you're in the South Bay of Los Angeles, I mean, you sell Manhattan Beach, you sell the dream lifestyle. And you've been selling real estate, I feel like, for a long, long, long time. How long have you been in real estate?
Taya DiCarlo: This month will be the... it'll be 20 years ago that I got my license, which is... how is that possible if I'm still 25, you guys? I mean, you started when you were 12, obviously.
Taya DiCarlo: Basically. Um, but I really didn't start working in real estate full-time until two years into having my license. My dad made me get my license after college graduation. 20 years, I mean, that just doesn't even seem real to me. And you... I mean, it's just crazy. I mean, it... it really is. The time goes by so fast in real estate for those of us who manage to survive, right? I mean, people are only in it for a couple years and then they're out. And I started as an assistant in '08, like what a time to get into real estate. And... and so now, like... like what is your favorite thing to sell? What is your favorite thing to do in the business? Like, you... you make a ton of content, you do a ton of content. Taya's Two Cents really was like an... such an inspiration for me. Um, you do great video content, great social media content. Where does most of your business come from? That, or is it past clients and referrals? Or like what is your favorite thing about real estate and what you do?
Taya DiCarlo: My favorite thing about real estate and what I do has now morphed into... it started as, "I'll take any deal, right?" Like, anyone who's fresh into real estate, you start from the bottom, right? And you're selling the entry-level homes that no one wants to sell. You're selling condos that have been listed five times with a different broker that you're just like... you're hungry for anything. And I've gone so far as to selling homes that are valued at over $11 million. So I've... I've really in my career, I've sold a little bit of everything. But my favorite thing to do is really work with a demographic of client that appreciates me. So if that ends up being a $10 million home-and I have to tell you, that $11 million home, two of my favorite clients, you know, people who really built their wealth from the ground up and were not your stereotypical elite wealthy people, just very salt of the earth, good people-and I have to say that that's really what I look forward to, is working with people who value me. And I finally have hit a point in my career that I value myself. I've hit a point in my life where I finally know my worth, and that was not an easy place to get to. So my favorite part of real estate is helping people and working with people that actually listen to me.
Glennda Baker: Yeah. Because for my people, for my... excuse me, for my people who didn't hear that, I want to make sure that they don't miss that. She just said she values working with people that value her worth, because now she values her own worth. That is so... because you do, you work for anything and you work for anybody and you do whatever it takes because you're just trying to get the money. And... and you just... I mean, it... and at some point, you hopefully, hopefully, hopefully reach a point in your career where you get to pick and choose to work with the people who value you because you value yourself so much. That part, not being afraid to walk away from clients that are disrespecting you or from a deal that's just taking too long. Like, I used to think that walking away from a deal was really like giving up, that it was bad, and it was bad for my reputation, for my career, whatever. And now, I know what my plan is, I know I put in writing what my promises are to my client. And if they want to listen to me, great. You can only lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink, right? So if it's not drinking, you're like, "Well, I've done what I could do." So I think that for me, that has been my favorite part of my career, has been this part, has been working hard, understanding that it was not easy to get here, and also recognizing that what got me here was the... the content on Instagram, right? You asked me like, "Where does my business come from?" Prior to 2020, I had never had an agent referral.
Taya DiCarlo: Prior to 2020, I had never had an agent pick up the phone and call me and say, "Hey, I have a client, will you help them?" Once I started being consistent with my content, and doing Taya's Two Cents-which literally didn't start until March of 2020-and I started getting consistent with it, and then I... I mean, and and we'll get into that, I mean, how I was so consistent with my content, and then life happens, and you know, sometimes you have to take a little detour and you're not producing as much content as, you know, you're capable of. But I had built such a strong foundation that now, I would argue, over a third of my business comes from other agents. And some of those agents are here in Southern California, some of them are on the other side of Los Angeles, because for those of you who've never been to LA, it can take you an hour just to go 10 miles. So I'm like, the traffic is insane.
Glennda Baker: And this is the thing about agent-to-agent referrals, is number one, when I send you a referral, I know it's going to close. And I'd much rather refer the business out to somebody that I know that's going to close it. And... and LA, oh dear God, an hour, 10 miles in an hour is like... is like nobody had a wreck, like there were no road rages, there was no weather. Like, I feel like whenever I'm in LA, it just like the traffic is insanity.
Taya DiCarlo: It really is. You have to time everything. I always say, "Can we do our showings between 10 and two?" Yeah, because it's miss rush hour, you know. And... and look, I sometimes still sell on the west side of LA, whether that be Brentwood, Santa Monica, outside of the little South Bay bubble, um because I prefer to work with a demographic of client who's like, "We want to work with you, Taya, and we don't care that you're in the South Bay, you're in Manhattan Beach." And sometimes I'll co-list with another agent, you know, so that way we can tag-team it. And there are agents on the west side and other parts of LA that want to co-list with me, um you know, like Cindy Ambuehl, who was my mentor and I was her first assistant, she reached out to me and we co-listed that $11 million listing in Redondo Beach, because she was like, "I'm not driving to Redondo Beach every day." She's like... she's in Santa Monica Canyon, you know, she's covering Brentwood and Beverly Hills and Bel Air, and you know, and so it makes more sense. You'd rather have half of something than a whole lot of nothing, that's right.
Glennda Baker: I love that mentality. You bring up Cindy, and she is such an amazing agent. She's another powerful boss woman, and to have the opportunity to learn under somebody like that is so cool, I can't even imagine.
Taya DiCarlo: Oh, she and I are still so close, and I have so much respect for her. She really demonstrated for me early on what grit and tenacity are, and how to move forward when, you know, you are gaining that momentum in your career and just continuing to show up even when you don't feel like it. I mean, she taught me a ton, and still to this day, you know, we... we still learn a lot from each other, and I... I love collaborating with her still.
Glennda Baker: Well, and I think that that's something that you bring up, is that the reason that you're successful is you are curious. You are a constant learner. You never ever feel like, "Oh, I'm too good to learn, or I don't need to be coached, or I don't need to... I don't need to see what this is all about." Like, you are very curious about where the business is going and what's next in the industry. And I see a lot of... I had the opportunity to see you at a conference in Miami, so you flew all the way across the country to literally surround yourself with the cream of the crop, the absolute best agents in the country who were at a conference in Miami. And I think that that speaks volumes of the quality of agent that you are and the quality of business that you do.
Taya DiCarlo: Thank you. I mean, I think that all of us should stay humble, yeah. You know what? You should stay humble in... in your work, in... in your personal life, in your relationships. When you stay humble and you stay present, you really... and you know what is the old phrase? It's like you've got, you know, two ears to listen and one mouth. Like, if you can sit there and listen more than you speak-whether that's at an appointment with a new client, or in a relationship, or with your friends, or with your family-you're going to walk away with a whole lot more than you would if you just bragged or talked about what you know.
Glennda Baker: I feel like really the best agents and the best professionals, the best entrepreneurs do a whole lot more listening and asking questions without the fear of being judged. Oh, absolutely. And you know, one thing, and... and I hope this is okay if I bring it up, because I will tell you, when we were at that conference in Miami, I said something to you and I just speak from my heart... you know, I know that you had a life change recently; uh you went through a divorce. And you know, I knew you when you were married and and you know, had your little family and everything, and I saw that... that coming and I saw that... that stage of your life. And for me, like I don't... I don't know if you're number one or number two or number 10, and two, and I don't even care, I would send the referral to you because I'm... I believe, like, I have something in common with you, you inspire me. The way you came out on the other side, the way you lived through that trauma, was such an inspiration to me. I want to do everything I can to support you and support your business, and not only support you professionally, but I want to support you personally. And so for me, that's why it's so important, those agent-to-agent relationships, because we are each other's cheerleader. And I was at a conference recently and I heard this, um, CMO of a large brokerage, and she talked about that women don't champion women like men champion and connect men. That a lot of times, men will be, "Oh, hey, let me connect you with so-and-so because he could probably help you with that." And women don't do that same sort of sponsorship. And that is one thing that I really want to build: this network of women that literally are sponsors for each other. Like, I want to tell everybody that you're amazing, if you've got a referral for Manhattan Beach, you've got a referral for the South Bay, you've got a referral for that area, or you know somebody who wants to buy, sell, or invest in real estate, to send it to you. And I think that it's so critical that we do that for each other.
Taya DiCarlo: Oh, my god, absolutely. I mean, I... I was in a sorority in college, and I've always been a girl's girl, and I will say this: whenever I hear about women not helping other women, my jaw's on the floor, because that's just not how I operate. Like, I'm... I'm the friend that's talking about you when you're not there in a positive way, because I so deeply believe in karma, too, you know? And and you like to surround yourself with people that you respect, that you admire, that you want to emulate, that you can learn something from. And I mean, look, that... that's half the battle. I feel like for me, that's just how I've always been in high school, in college, in my career. You and I have always, from the moment we met-you know, even back I think it was like 2018 or something-you felt that something was off with me and you called me out of the blue one day, or you texted me and you're like, "Are you okay? How's everything going?" And you just smelled the bullshit from across the country. You were like, "You know, you can talk to me, right?" And... and I think that if more women could be like that, I think we'd all feel more seen and supported. There's no way that I could have gotten through my adversity without my sisterhood of my friends, whether it's my assistant or my friends, or my family, or just colleagues and... and friends like you. You... you have to be there for other people, because otherwise when you inevitably go through shit, you're going to have a lot harder of a time.
Glennda Baker: It's so true. It's so true. Well, you and I, we were the... the women on stage, um, and... and there were just a few of us, I mean, just not even... not even a handful. And so I... I felt this... this responsibility to like... to... to build us up. Because, you know, a lot of times-and you know that's one thing about our industry that kind of probably makes my head spin around, snot fly out of my nose-is I feel like that it's... it's... it's these men that are the mouthpiece, but it's us that are doing... I mean, we're actually in the weeds. We're actually in the car showing somebody a house, or listing somebody's house, or we're the ones actually like in doing the business, right? And you got these people, these guys telling people what to do, and... and they're not doing the business.
Taya DiCarlo: Well, if you ever want to get something done, ask a single mom, am I right? Like, really. Someone said that to me recently, and I was like, "You know what?" What's so funny is that sometimes I feel like I gaslight myself. Like gaslight is such a buzzword, right? Like where you... you question your reality, or like you force... if you're gaslighting someone else, you're making them question their reality. I swear to god, I... and my assistant will actually... she's not even like my... she started as a nanny and now she's like, when the kids are at school, she's my assistant, when the kids come home, she's like taking them to soccer practice, whatever. And she'll hear me sometimes talk to myself in a negative way and she's like, "What are you doing?" I go, "What do you mean, what am I doing?" And she goes, "You've gotten so much done today. Why do you feel like you haven't been productive?" Yeah, I'm like, "You know what? You're right. I... sometimes I have to remind myself that I have gotten shit done." And the stuff that I do for a listing, I... you know, you brought up how like a lot of guys will be delegating to other people, or they'll just be telling their clients, "Sorry, that can't happen today." Meanwhile, I'm like, I've got a Swiffer and a bottle of Windex in my trunk at all times. And get to a listing and stuff's not clean, I'm like, "Well, looks like I'm busting out the Windex." Looks like I... I actually have a... like a... a leaf blower, like a handheld leaf blower that I keep in my car that I bought late night on TikTok Shop one time. That thing is powerful as hell. Okay, I have... and I... I've actually had it at like a Galentine's party, we were doing like a Celine Dion like hair blowing in the wind. I like went to my car and grabbed it. So it can be used for girls' nights out and for cleaning up a listing and getting shit done, either way. If you need something done, ask a woman. A woman can do a million things. We don't like to do it all at once, but we can get it done.
Glennda Baker: My mother used to always say, "If you want to talk about getting something done, talk to a man, but if you want to actually get it done, talk to a woman." It's true. It was.. it was the... it was the truest statement, you know? Because... and she would say, she'd just roll it off, "Oh, pumpkin, you know, if you want to talk about getting something done, you're going to talk to some man, but if you want to get it done, you're definitely talking to a woman." And I was... and I always thought that was so weird. I was like, that's... what does that mean? That's so weird. And then I was an adult woman and I realized what it meant. Sometimes stereotypes are based on truth, you know what I mean?
Glennda Baker: Isn't that the honest-to-god truth? So, tell me, like, okay, do you... I'm going to ask you the hot button: do you have like a... a position on clear cooperation and private listings?
Taya DiCarlo: My god, I am in the same camp as you: that I am like, everybody should have choice. Like, if you want to sell your house privately to your neighbor and you don't want to use a Realtor, this is America, go for it! Go for it! Can you imagine the... the uproar that there would be if pe... if... if we actually said, "You have to use a Realtor"? People would be like, "Get the hell out of here." The whole point of this is that you can use whoever the hell you want or don't use whoever the hell you want. And you... you posted something recently about how we don't know if a buyer has fallen out of escrow four times before they've written an offer on your listing, and they don't want to be like judged based on that history. And can you... can you imagine like what would happen? There was one guy in my comments that told me he had a buyer that... uh, terminated 11 times. The guy terminated 11 times, and not all of the times were based on the house, they're not. People are like, "Well, I mean, it's the same thing in the dating market, right?" It's like, "Well, why'd you guys break up?" "Oh, we just... you know, we grew apart." We grew apart, what's wrong with that inventory?
Glennda Baker: You know what I'm saying? This is the thing, is like... is like Tinder should have a days on market. I mean, think about it, it should... it should have a days on market, and it should have a credit score. Like those two things should be attached to it, that literally... DOM and proof of financing, I mean, hello! And by the way, if you're one of those people that's like, "Oh, that's too much, people..." No, I want... something should be kept private, and you should be able to choose whether or not you disclose your credit score and how long you've been dating, really, but not with the biggest asset you've ever owned.
Glennda Baker: Oh, so this is what is so interesting to me. Now, I want to ask you a question: can you imagine if we as real estate agents required Zillow to... to show us every listing that they've purchased off-market? Like, can you imagine if we required full disclosure from Zillow? Like, okay, if you want to play in the arena and you're all about disclosure, like you drop your pants too, buddy. I mean, I... go post. That's the thing, is every time that we come up with a common-sense response to be like, "Oh, so that's how you like it? Okay, cool, well then let's do that," they're like, "Oh, yeah, no, no, no, we're not doing the instant offers anymore." Yeah, no, we're not. Yeah, because how did that work out for you? Yeah, $555 million lost later. I mean, it's just always... I just think... and somebody said to me, "What Kool-Aid are you drinking?" And... and I... and I went back to him, I'm like, "I've been drinking the same Kool-Aid from the start. This is my house. If I want to sell it below market, above market, to the neighbor, to the schoolteacher..." What? I want to put it on the market and I want to price it low and get as many offers as I can, I want to put it on the market and I want to price it high and not get any offers-it's my house. I'm the one making the payments on it, like I ought to be able to do what I want to do. And... and I just feel like that really all of this could be easily rectified with just a disclosure: a disclosure signed by the seller that, "I understand... I understand. I choose to keep my house off-market. I choose to put my house on the market." And then everyone... then they've been educated. Oh, well, the seller's not educated and they're being bamboozled and they're being whatever. And this is the thing, is like... and I know that people are going to say, "Oh, well, now that she's owned by Compass..." It doesn't have anything to do with Compass. I work for Coldwell Banker, most people don't even know who I work for. But I... what most people don't understand is: I work for the consumer, period. That is who I work for. My... my license is with Coldwell Banker, Coldwell Banker is owned by Compass, I... was a founding member on the Zillow Agent Advisory Committee. But ultimately, my loyalty lies with my client. And that's where everybody is missing the point: this isn't about your agenda or their agenda, this is about the agenda of the consumer. What is best for the consumer?
Taya DiCarlo: 100%. It sounds like we're all drinking a common-sense Kool-Aid.
Glennda Baker: Yeah, that's what I'm drinking. Common-sense Kool-Aid, that's what the cool kids are drinking. And in my opinion, we wouldn't have even been to this point of all these lawsuits if, um, if Zillow just would have played with common sense. And really, I think there was way too much money on the line, and when they found out that Realtors and sellers alike were using their common sense... I mean, look, pocket listings have been a thing since the start of the real estate industry. Like, it's... it's not new news, it's just not. And you and I both know that. I mean, still, I mean, you've got... I... I mean, I don't know, what's the priciest listing in your market? Let's say it's $50 million. There's only X number of people that are going to buy that $50 million two-bedroom, two-bath beach hut. Like, you and I both know that, right? And... and there's a lot of people who don't want to put their expensive home on the open market because of AI, and because of all of, uh, you know, people being able to see exactly into your home, right? With, uh, like theft and that sort of thing. There's a security, uh, you know, reason around this as well, that people, after their home is on the MLS, they want to pull all the photos off because they want to maintain their privacy.
Glennda Baker: Well, and I mean, you... and you and I both know that if you don't do a... a Zillow walkthrough tour, your listing gets relegated. If you don't do a floor plan, your listing gets relegated. And even... and you and I both know that even when we go in and we delete all of the photos off of the MLS of 123 Banana Street, you and I both know who... who still has the photos, right?
Taya DiCarlo: 100%, exactly. And it's... and this is the... I mean, I mean, it was genius. I mean, I just think back to myself like, "Okay, the more photos that you put in, the higher your listing will come up." Oh, that's awesome! I'm going to put in more photos than 25. Okay. "And if you do a video, you're... you're going to be at the top of the list." Oh, I'm going to do the video. "Oh, if you do a floor plan, we're going to be at the top of the list." Woohoo! And the seller is over there telling you, "Oh, I want to make sure that I'm on the website, that I'm at the top of the list." And then now all that shit is everywhere.
Glennda Baker: Yep. Yep. You can't... but I do think that the joke is going to be on Zillow now. It's going to be on them now. And I think that a lot of people are going to be realizing that, okay, if... if I have to look... I mean, here's the thing, and again, I could be wrong, but if anything, I sit back and I look and I'm like, "Okay, well, if anything, I think that people are going to be more likely to reach out to me as a Realtor to ask me where else can I find inventory?" Because for the longest time, the consumer, the buyer, is like, "Well, if everything's on Zillow, what do I need you for?" Right? And then there's the whole lawsuit with, do we even need a buyer agent? Well, how weird, once... once we came head-to-head with that and now that's over, now all of a sudden, at least in my case, I have buyers that are willingly wanting to sign an agreement with me because they're like, "I don't trust the seller, that... that listing agent is trying to make them the most money, I want you to get me a deal." And... and to be honest, I don't like double-ending deals. I mean, my client allows me to, and my listing's been sitting on the market for a long time and we've had to take a couple price cuts, sure. But if I have five offers on a property, the one that's like, "Hey, I want you to write it up for me," guess what? They're the cheap ass who doesn't want to step up in price anyway. Even if I say, "Look, this is the price it needs to be," they're like, "Well, can you discount your commission?" I'm like, "Yeah, and if I do, guess who's getting the money?"
Taya DiCarlo: The seller.
Glennda Baker: Exactly, not you. They always think that they get it. Like, my obligation is to give that money back to my client. It's always so weird. So, Taya, so let me ask you a question: where do you see the industry going? What's next for you? What are you excited about?
Taya DiCarlo: Where do I see the industry going? I... I don't see our profession going anywhere. I know there's a lot of experts out there that are like, "AI is going to eliminate the role of the real estate agent," and I am just not in that camp. Um, if anything, I have seen an influx of my clients, past clients, friends, referrals from friends, referrals from agents needing a professional hand-holding them and guiding them more now than ever. I feel like there's... it's kind of like if you need to buy a new toothpaste or buy a new deodorant, there's so much to choose from, you're like, "I'm sensory overload." And I feel like with AI, that has happened in so many different industries where it's like, "Yeah, you can do it yourself, you don't need a professional." And then guess what happens? You know, analysis paralysis, and you don't even know where to start, and you're like... you've got your own job. And don't get me wrong, jobs are getting eliminated. Like, I have a friend of mine-I'm from the Bay Area, I'm from the San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon... I'm like Silicon Valley-Facebook just laid off over 8,000 people.
Glennda Baker: Oh, my stars and stripes!
Taya DiCarlo: Yeah. And that just happened. So there are a lot of people who are losing their jobs because of AI. But trade jobs-electricians, plumbers, housekeepers-AI can't do that shit, right? And they don't want to. They don't want to. And when it comes to selling a home, look, we've seen virtual staging come and go. We really have. I mean, sure, it's there. But guess what? When you do virtual staging and someone walks in the house, they immediately are like, "This doesn't feel like it did when I saw it online, and it feels really... it's the same house." It's not. It's really not, right? So, I do see... where is our industry going? I see my role personally-I can't speak for every market around the country, right?-but for me, in the luxury sector in the South Bay of Los Angeles, where you have oceanfront property selling for $20 million, you know, I... I sold a three-bedroom condo on the Strand in Manhattan Beach last year that was less than 2,000 square feet for $6 million. Like, so that right there, that client works in tech. I represented him as a seller. He absolutely thought he could have done it himself, and... and at the end of the day, he needed me. He needed boots on the ground. He needed someone to... to tell the story. He needed someone to be there physically to be with the buyer's agent, to be with the buyer, to make sure that things go well. So where do I see our industry going? For me, in Southern California, I see myself working for a very long time. Um, and where do I see myself, like personally or professionally?
Glennda Baker: Yeah, both.
Taya DiCarlo: I am... I thought about before we started this call, I was like, "I wonder what we're going to talk about," like I just... because I feel so safe with you. I feel like I could, you know, talk to you about anything. And I'm finally at a point in my life as a woman where I feel a sense of like calmness, confidence, but like quiet confidence. I feel comfortable in my own skin. I love that I am single and loving myself and loving my children and feeling secure, not just emotionally and physically, but financially. And I feel a true sense of joy right now, and it's taken me a long time to get there and to not even be emotional about it, to just be like, "Yeah, I have scaled that mountain and there will be more, there will be more." I've summited. I've scaled it. And I have to do... like, healing is not linear. So it wasn't like I scaled the mountain like this; I literally went like up, down, all around, sometimes took a detour, then went up, then went down and back around again, and finally summited. And I'm on to the next journey. And I know that wherever I am in my personal life, if I find a partner... I shouldn't say "if," language really matters: when I find a partner, I know that it's going to be this amazing, healthy relationship, because I finally know my worth. I finally know my worth. I know my worth as a mom. I know my worth as a friend. I know my worth in a romantic relationship, in a professional relationship. All of that finally, um, at 44 years old. And there will be more lessons. Like, I... I've learned that the word "healing"-heal is a verb. You're constantly healing, you are not healed, okay? You're not healed, you're constantly healing. Um, and so going back to what you said about being humble, right? I am humble in that mindset, that I can't worry too much about the future. I'm not defined by my past, right? I was so worried that the adversity that I went through was going to become part of my forever identity. And... and for anyone listening, you can insert whatever adversity, you know: cancer, bankruptcy, divorce, death, whatever... whatever adversity you've gone through, and you're like, "Well, that's my identity now." It's like, no, that was just one chapter of a very long story. That's it, that's all it is. So I see myself really, um, elevating and being present and joyful and, you know, optimistic about...
Glennda Baker: I love that. I love that for you. You look happier, healthier than I've ever seen you. Um, I remember when I caught... I made that phone call to you and I was like, something didn't hit right. I don't know, I'm a little bit worried about you. I just want you to know, if you ever want to talk about anything, anything you say to me, I'll take to my grave. There is no judgment. This is a judgment-free zone. And I offered that to you. And because I was like, something is going on with her. I cannot put my finger up to it, something's going on. And you called me a few months later and you told me what was shared with me, what was going on with you. And you were like, "But Glenda, it's going to be okay, because you know everything is very amicable and we're going to make it through. It's not going to be... it's going to be easy, no problem." And I thought to myself, "Oh goodness gracious, I don't think that she's thought through that." And I extended that to you again: if I can ever be an ear. And I think that as a woman, it is so critical to make that offer, to be that vault, to be that person. And this is for me, for my team, it is exactly the same: like whatever you are carrying, I want you to give it to me and get it off of you. And the reason I want you to do that is because I don't want you to walk in with your children, I don't want you to walk into the next appointment, and I don't want you to feel that weight, that burden, that anxiety that you're carrying alone. And I may not be able to take it away from you, but at least I can lighten the load. I always say that, I'm like the little top on that pressure cooker thing. Like I... like I can be like, I can unscrew and at least let some of the pressure off of you. And you never, ever have to worry. And I think that as women, it's so critical that we do that for each other.
Taya DiCarlo: Absolutely, that's an act of love. Yeah, that is an act of love. And I... I remember that day vividly that you called me, and I... I'm so grateful for it, because it's something that I continue to do and pay forward to other women. And I... and I usually ask people if they're going through something tough, because if you've been through anything tough, one of the ways that you can actually find peace in your own life is by being there for someone else, right? Absolutely. Very healing about just supporting another woman, especially. And so I usually ask people, "Hey, I don't know what's going on, but do you need someone to just listen or do you need advice?" Yeah. And I actually ask my children that too, because intuitively you can always sense when someone's off, and so I'll ask my kids-instead of talking at them, which I've learned it doesn't work-I usually say, "Hey, it's... it's looking like something's going on. Do you need to just vent and have someone listen without any advice, or do you need some advice? Do you need... do you need actually someone to like help you do something?" And nine times out of 10, they're like, "I just want someone to listen." It's like, "Okay, I'll listen and I won't say a thing." And then once they start talking, then they're like, "Well, so what do you think?" And then usually I'm like, "Well..." Not to my children, but to my friends, I'm like, "Do you want me to tell you what you want to hear to hear?" And then they say, "Tell me what I need to hear." I'm like, "I don't know if you want to hear it."
Glennda Baker: But you know what? It's so true. And I'm so glad that you... that you recognized that with your children at this age. My daughter was much older before I learned: "Are you coming to me for counsel, or are you coming to me to vent?" But whichever one is fine, there's no judgment. I just want to make sure that I play the role that you're looking for. And and I think that... that's critical in any relationship that you have with anybody, is, you know, let's... just tell me. Because I... you know, I always say, I remember-and maybe this... maybe this is terrible advice because I'm divorced-my ex-husband would pick a fight and I would say, "Tell me where you're trying to go." Like, "Where are you trying to go with this? If you just tell me where you're trying to go, I can save us a lot of anxiety, because I can tell you if I can get you there now before we have this huge argument, right?" But that didn't do what he wanted it to do, so he would never ever tell me where he was going. And then 30 minutes or an hour later, after he was all whacked out and screaming and yelling and acting like a lunatic, I would... we would never get anywhere, because he didn't want to go anywhere except to argue. And it's very frustrating when you say to some... But I say that, I always say to Elizabeth, my business partner, I say, "Where is it that you're trying to go?" And let me see if I can get you there, and if I can, I'll let you know, and if I can't, I'll tell you that too. And I think that it's so critical that you understand in relationships what it is that the other person is looking for. Because I learned something the other day, and I wish I had it right here so I could say it perfectly: when there is tension in a relationship, it is because one of the people in the relationship is not getting what they want. And I was like... and sometimes that's because they haven't shared their expectation. Exactly. And... but I was thinking to myself, well, that was way too simple. Like, are you sure? Like, where's the rest of the lesson? I was waiting for the rest of the book, right? And no lie, he just said, "Think about it: in every relationship that you have where there is tension, it is because either you are not getting what you want, or the other person is not getting what they want. That's what creates the tension." And so now, I always am very clear about: "This is what I need." And if you can do it, that's great, and if you can't, I understand. I just need to know now rather than later.
Taya DiCarlo: 100%. And isn't it funny that these relationships-whether they're friendships, romantic relationships, business relationships, work-like colleague relationships-the rule applies across the board? Across the board. It's the same exact thing with a seller: tell me exactly what your expectation is, and I can tell you if I can meet your expectation. But sometimes you have to have the conversation with... no matter who it is, the gap between your expectation and reality, that I can't bridge that gap, unfortunately, and I wish you the best of luck, no harm, no foul.
Glennda Baker: And you know, I think that when you learn how to communicate effectively like that, number one, for yourself, it's... it's also how you communicate with yourself effectively. It's not just communicating with them. When you think through, okay, this is what I need for myself, when you're very, very clear about what it is you need for yourself, you're much more likely to get it. Period.
Taya DiCarlo: 100%. You have to ask yourself questions. I mean, I have found myself actually asking, like talking to myself, going, "Okay, what is it that's actually upsetting me right now?" Yeah, like, "What is it that's bothering me?" And because then once you can get to that, then you can solve the problem. Same thing, I've had a handful of my listings lately have been me taking over an expired listing that didn't sell. And so when I go in to the appointment, I'm not going in just pitching myself, the vast majority. I'm going in with very intentional questions: Where were you left feeling unserved? Where along the lines were you disappointed and you felt let down, or you had expectations that weren't met? Because then I can come in as the hero and be like, "Okay, well, I hear you on that part, and this is how I would do things differently." Or, "By the way, this is where your agent did a good job." Yeah. And then you can bridge that gap up front, right? But the power is in the question. The power is in the curiosity. The power is in not being afraid of having the wrong answer, of going and having your knowledge and asking the right questions.
Glennda Baker: And I think that when... when you... when you ask questions and you give people the opportunity to explain themselves, it really gives you an insight into... into them. It gives you an insight into what to expect. And you know, I had, um... uh an agent here in Atlanta, and her listing expired, and the seller decided not to relist it with her. And this is a great agent, and, um, she... she was telling me the story, and, uh, they decided to list it with some guy, and he picked up the phone and he called her and he said, "Hey, I just want to let you know I'm going to be listing 123 Banana Street. I didn't want it to come up on MLS. I have such respect for you as a professional, and I just, you know, wanted to give you that courtesy." And she was like, "I was just so taken aback, and I thought that was so cool that he picked up the phone and he called me and he did that." And she goes, "And then he actually got it under contract and got it sold, and he sent her a referral check."
Taya DiCarlo: What?
Glennda Baker: Yeah! And he just said, "Hey," he goes, "you know, I just... I know that you spent money on photos, I know that you spent a lot of time, I know that you did a lot to get this home sold. And I just felt like I wanted to give you something to reimburse you for your time." And you know, "I hope that you know, if you ever know of anybody who wants to buy one of my listings, that you'll show my listing and sell it." What a good guy!
Taya DiCarlo: I was like, how awesome is that?
Glennda Baker: I just thought that was so cool. Because you know that the... blown away. Well, the same 20 agents sell all of the houses. I mean, you know, we... we... we go around each other all the time. And I remember I had this listing that expired, and this agent that's in my market, she listed it, and I had it listed like, uh, 90 days, and she had it listed like 60 days. And... and I was agent number three, and she was agent number four. And I sent her a text message, and I said, "Hey, I saw that, uh, the listing at 123 Banana Street with Drew... I wondered if we should trauma bond together." And she sent me back a text message and she goes, "Me and my entire team are in PTSD therapy right now."
Taya DiCarlo: I was just like, "Not surprising."
Glennda Baker: Yeah. And... and what was so crazy was then the wife got her real estate license and took over the listing, and she never ever sold it. That was a year or two or three ago, and every time I think about that particular listing, I'm always like, "Oh, this is hilarious." But anyway, um... but Taya, so what's next for you? What... what is next for Taya in business? Like, is there a... Taya since coming back? What is the next series?
Taya DiCarlo: I have been, um, content banking lately, because you know, now that I'm feeling better, feeling like... I'm feeling like myself again, this has been... not like it's a new version of me, I feel like the OG Taya is back. It's like there's been all these layers covering me up, and I've just been like rediscovering myself again. And instead of shooting in the studio, my team has been coming to my house and we've been doing a lot more, um, you know, videos that have nothing to do with real estate, because being on camera is my strength and being myself, selling my personality, just putting myself out there and showing my goofy side and not being afraid to do that, to be that two things can exist at once: that I can be the luxury agent who also has a ton of house plants and make a funny video about that, right? I'm like... I mean, some people were like, "So that video that you just posted, like were you making fun of people who have house plants?" I'm like, "Oh, no, that's... that's me. I... I have the house plants." And we literally just went around my house and in my backyard, like that was at my house that we filmed that video. And so I'm doing a lot more of those videos, and we're doing some of the... like the "get ready with me," right? I'm not afraid to be without makeup and looking like shit and talking in the mirror to the camera about the real estate industry and making it more raw. Because again, the highly polished, the highly produced videos are now falling flat, because everyone thinks it's AI.
Glennda Baker: Absolutely. There's this one girl, she does, um... well, let me not... let me not say that one. This, uh, guy sent me a video of a girl jumping out of a plane, and you know, you want to land in water and not on concrete, but you really want to land at 123...
Taya DiCarlo: I saw that one!
Glennda Baker: And... and the guy said to me, he's like, "What do you think about this video?" And I said, "It's got 5 million views, it's got 531,000 likes. This is a great video. My question is: did the house sell?" Yes. Did somebody look at that house because of that video, or did somebody do business with that agent because of that video? And I think that that is what people are missing, is I don't think that people are buying that house because of that video. I don't think that people are engaging or following or picking up the phone to do business with the agent because of that video. I hope they are, because I thought it was a great video. But I always go back to the same question: what is the purpose of your content? I have a very specific purpose for my content, that's why I create it. And you have always had a very specific purpose: it is to let people know who you are, it is to let people see the advice that you give, the professionalism, the listings that you have, to do business with you, to let agents know where you are. You have a very specific purpose for your content. You want people to know you on several different levels, and I think that that is... that they know you, not that you AI-ed out of an airplane into 123 Banana Street.
Taya DiCarlo: Totally. I think for me, you hit it spot-on, because my objective and who I'm talking to has never been real estate agents, right? Real estate agents follow my content and they enjoy my content, but I don't make my content for them, and I've always said that. I've maintained that from when I first started doing Taya's Two Cents, and now it's morphed into Taya's Two Cents, but more shooting from the hip, having like a very casual conversation, almost like I'm FaceTiming you and that I'm talking to one person. I've always tried my best to look into the camera and talk to one person. That has been my shtick. And now it's... I'm inviting people into my home, basically, right? My camera crew is with me and they're shooting oftentimes with an iPhone. And if something... if there's something that's trending, like the '90s was trending, right? And so I have a couple sketches where it's like "Things that only a '90s mom would say," and it's me dressed up as my mom. I have her red leather jacket from like the '90s when she's like, "Okay, kids, I'm going to go get a margarita, uh, you know, blah, blah, blah, you guys don't kill each other, okay? 911, that's the number to call." Like literally shit that only a '90s... my mom actually said-I love you, mom-but like these are real-life stories. So, my objective in making this content, and I'm having more fun with it, is: yes, I'm sprinkling in the real estate content, but let's be honest, people are bored with real estate. They're like, "If I hear one more real estate video..." But truth be told, you have to sprinkle in a tiny bit of proof of success, otherwise people are like, "Does she sell real estate?" But the vast majority of where I'm taking my content now is really just showcasing my personality and who I am as a human being. Because when I go to the mom's night out, when I go like to the soccer tournament-I was in Temecula, California for a club soccer tournament over Memorial Day weekend, and at one point I was out to dinner with three dads and seven boys, party of 11 with...
Glennda Baker: The lone woman here with all of these boys!
Taya DiCarlo: Men included! It's like guess what? If they follow me on social media, or they happen to stumble upon, you know, suggested follow Taya DiCarlo, they're like, "Oh, my god, I... you know, I was just at a soccer tournament with her." Not only if they go to my page are they going to see that I sell real estate, they're going to see my personality. And when I'm on the soccer field talking to these moms, they're like, "I love what you've been doing. Oh, my god, I love house plants too," or "Oh, my gosh, I do that too," or, you know, "I went on a date with someone recently and he was like, um, I did... I did see your Instagram, and I think that you are so endearing and so adorable." And I'm like, to me, that's a relief, because guess what? If they go on there and they don't like what they see, bye. Bye-bye. Swipe. It weeds out the riffraff.
Glennda Baker: I just got to tell you, I sold 27 houses on Match.com. If my business gets slow, I mean, I will be back on Tinder... not... I sold 27 houses on Match.com, no lie.
Taya DiCarlo: You did not!
Glennda Baker: No lie, that should be a new goal of mine. Sit down... sit down, you will not believe this. I sold two houses last month to a girl that came from a guy that I went on a date with from Match.com, and it was 13... 21 years ago. No lie, cross my heart. No lie, 27 houses.
Taya DiCarlo: I would...
Glennda Baker: I would go out with them and I never... the guy who started it was this guy Don Dawson. I'll never forget it. This guy Don Dawson, we were at Longhorn, no lie, cross my heart, it's honest to God truth. We're at Longhorn, and I mean this guy is a beefcake, I mean he works out like 48 hours a day. And I'm like... I mean, and... and in fact, we went to the Longhorn because it was across from the gym. And so I looked across at him and I said, "Don," I said, "you are such a nice guy and you know you're so handsome, and I got to tell you, I've really enjoyed the evening, but we are not a love connection, because working out and sweating is literally like I would be physically ill, like I could not do that." I said, "But you are going to find Mrs. Right, and when you do, I hope that you think about me as your real estate agent."
Taya DiCarlo: I love you, Baker. I love you, you are my hero.
Glennda Baker: Okay, so you're not going to believe this. So no lie, no lie, no lie, I get this call and the girl goes, "Hey, Glennda, this is Kim. Um, Don and I are getting married and I want to sell my house." And I'm like, Dawson, beefcake boy! I'm like, "What?" And she's like, "Yeah, Don Dawson." And I'm like, "Oh, my god, I can't believe that." So no lie, no lie, I mean I sold her house, and then they got divorced and I rented her a house, and then she met another guy and I sold his house and I sold them a house. I mean, no lie, and... and null... you look at Null. Null got married, I sold her house, sold them... I mean, I could name 27 transactions.
Taya DiCarlo: Dead. I'm dead, dead. You are my hero. This needs to be... Paige, are you listening to this? Paige is in the other room, I'm like, "We... we need to make this a goal." I'm putting this on my vision board.
Glennda Baker: Dating should be an opportunity. It's... it's prospecting, I mean, because they're... they already know you're a real estate agent, for God's sake. I mean, I went out with this one guy and he goes... he goes, "I almost didn't swipe on you, because who wants to date another real estate agent?" And I was like, "Oh, you're charming." And so anyway, so we go out on a date, and... and then I was like, you know, it was not a love connection, like it was not a love connection. And, um, he calls me and he goes, "Hey, I want to sell my house. Will you list my house?" And his house was like a million dollars, and I was like, "Sure, I'll list your house." And then... then I see him at church, and this guy says, "Oh, how do you know her?" And he goes, "Oh, I met her on Tinder. She's a real estate agent."
Taya DiCarlo: Oh, my... you know what, I'm going to start pulling this Chuck Woolery quote of yours, you know, like, "Two and two, be right back at you." We are not a love connection! Oh, the young... the young people listening to you are going to be like, "Who's Chuck Woolery?" Everyone over 40 is going to go, "The Love Connection! Two and two, be right back at you."
Glennda Baker: So Taya, it has been amazing spending some time with you. I don't get to see you enough. Now, when will I see you again? Will you be at VidCon?
Taya DiCarlo: I am going to be at VidCon, uh, and so will I. Yes, so we have to be together. So I... I will see you at VidCon. I'm going to... I'm going to be here, there, and everywhere. I've got a... a bunch of travel coming up. I can't wait to see you and hug you again in real life. I would love to have dinner or lunch or spend some time with you, because I didn't get to see you enough in Miami.
Glennda Baker: I will tell you, ladies and gentlemen, for those of you that are listening that do not know Taya... Taya, where can they find you online?
Taya DiCarlo: The best place to find me is on Instagram, @tayadicarlo. And always, always send me a DM. If you follow me and you want to interact with me, send me a DM. I'm really big on sending voice notes back. Anyone who reaches out to me, I really like to let people know, I'm the only one who manages my Instagram. Like, robots do not manage my Instagram, no other human being will ever have the password to my Instagram. That's the best way to stay in contact with me. And I just... I don't take this opportunity for granted, uh, to be here with you, Glennda, and I'm just so excited for the future. And it has been... girl, it has been an amazing few years for both of us. You know, I think about what you went through, what I went through, and then I think about what is on the horizon for us. And all I see is more and more amazing things happening in the future, and I am so, uh, thankful that I have the opportunity to call you my friend, not only my colleague.
Glennda Baker: And ladies and gentlemen, Taya DiCarlo, with Compass in Manhattan Beach, the South Bay of Los Angeles. If you are looking for an agent to help you buy, sell, invest, or a referral partner, Taya is absolutely amazing. As I always say, my name is Glennda Baker, I'm a real estate agent in Atlanta, Georgia. This has been Glennda's Guru. Send me a text, tag me in a post, give me a call, that's what I love the most, because I'd love the opportunity to talk real estate with you today. See ya, bye!