When I made the drive from Connecticut to Florida, Jackson and St. Augustine stood out to me more than any other area. Why? Because I saw DJ and Lindsey DellaSala’s faces everywhere – completely dominating that market.
On this episode of The Byron Lazine Podcast, the duo from the DJ & Lindsey Real Estate “teamerage” join me to discuss joining the billion-dollar club, entrepreneurship, sponsoring the Jacksonville Jaguars and more.
The Billion-Dollar Club
DJ and Lindsey accomplished something team leaders everywhere dream of doing – joining the billion-dollar club.
It didn’t happen automatically. After making the switch to a team model in 2015, DJ and Lindsey started with 62 transactions. Year-over-year, they doubled growth by going after market share and running plays that work. In 2021, their team closed on 3,025 transactions for over $1 billion.
Considering only about five real estate teams are in the billion-dollar club nationwide, this is a big deal. Thanks to DJ and Lindsey showing that this kind of goal is attainable, I think more teams will be added to this list in the near future.
Entrepreneurship and Accountability
A lot of people come into real estate with this glamorous idea of what it means to be a real estate agent and an entrepreneur. DJ pointed out that with their team, everyone has an important role to play in making the business successful, and much of it has to do with being accountable.
Consumers want agents who are on top of things. They want someone who’s got a playbook and who keeps themselves accountable – or, better yet, that works as part of a team that supports that accountability.
Investing vs. Entrepreneurship
There aren’t many people who are true entrepreneurs, but everyone can and should learn how to invest their money. When you join a high-powered team that guarantees success, you can use that as a means to build wealth.
“I want to encourage people in our brokerage and on our team, (to) use us as this launching pad to do something else….Sell 50 homes, sell 60 homes a year. Do that for three years in a row, and you’ve got a serious pot of cash that you can invest.”
An investor and an entrepreneur are two different things. And we all agreed that being an investor is, on the whole, way cooler.
Glitter Vodka and Struggles with Expansion
Around 2013, Lindsey created a line of glitter vodka called Luster, thinking they could use their skills in real estate and team-building to make the business work. Meanwhile, their real estate business was accelerating.
At some point, they had to choose between vodka and real estate. They chose well, and they haven’t looked back.
On the expansion front, they’ve worked in different markets. But duplicating their presence in areas hours away from their primary markets was difficult. Ultimately, they found dominating their own market was more rewarding.
“We did a billion last year and we only had 3% of the market share.”
Sponsoring the Jacksonville Jaguars
Along with dominating their market, DJ and Lindsey dominate getting their names out there. One key move for the team is their sponsorship of the Jacksonville Jaguars (despite the Urban Meyer controversy).
DJ discussed some of the benefits of aligning with a global brand like the NFL – like working with coaches and now players, and the turnover in inventory the team creates. But the bigger picture is the alignment and community.
“As an organization, we throw big tailgates with agents and employees. We get to make it a great event for the eight games we get to do there, so it’s really good for the culture as well.”
Insights for New Agents
Considering how many top-producing agents are on their team, I asked DJ and Lindsey what it takes to be a successful agent right now.
“Following the playbook.”
A lot of people come in not knowing how hard the industry actually is. You need to be prepared to be on your phone all the time. That doesn’t change as you move up, because real estate is very much a customer-focused industry.
Lindsey referenced the accountability discussed earlier, saying, “It’s not really coming from us. It’s the customer; you have to be available for them.”
What’s next?
As entrepreneurs, DJ and Lindsey are always thinking of what’s next. They own seven Airbnb properties and are looking to add to that portfolio. Lindsey enjoys designing the luxe aesthetic that fits their goal of creating an experience for their customers – one that goes beyond just booking a room. It’s a creative twist on what they do as a real estate team.
Watch the full episode for more:
Check out DJ and Lindsey’s content on Instagram at @djandlindsey.
Sisu increases brokerage & team annual volume by 107% and agent annual volume by 28%.
