$75M in Sales with Zero Ad Spend: The Facebook Group Strategy

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In real estate, we often think we need massive budgets, complicated funnels, or expensive leads to scale our business. But what if the secret to massive growth was already in your pocket?

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing John Michael Perez, an incredible eXp Realty agent out of Austin, Texas, for our Organic Lead Gen series. John Michael is a self-proclaimed "people pleaser" who realized early on that cold calling and door knocking weren't for him.

Instead, he turned to Facebook groups—and the results have been staggering: $75 million in sales over five years.

Here is the blueprint he shared with me on how to turn community into commerce.

1. Don't Lead with Real Estate This is the mistake most agents make. John Michael didn't start the "Austin Home Buyers Group." He started the "Leander Cedar Park Dads Group." By creating a space based on shared interests—whether it's pickleball, dogs, or parenting—you build rapport and trust first.

2. The Power of the Badge Even though the group isn't about real estate, John Michael makes sure everyone knows who he is. He utilizes the "Group Expert" badge on Facebook to display "Real Estate Expert" next to his name. Every time he comments or posts, he is subtly reinforcing his authority.

3. The "Business Tuesday" Algorithm Hack This was my favorite takeaway! Every Tuesday, John Michael posts a photo of himself with a client. The caption invites group members to promote their small businesses in the comments.

Why does this work? When people comment, Facebook sees high engagement and pushes that post (the one of him with a client!) back to the top of the feed. It keeps him visible all day long while helping others. That is the definition of an abundance mindset.

4. Events are the Secret Sauce Online connections must eventually go offline. John Michael hosts regular meetups—basketball, tacos, happy hours. He uses free landing pages to collect RSVPs, which allows him to capture emails and phone numbers for his database. And the cost? He gets local vendors (roofers, insurance agents) to sponsor them. As he says, the cost is "Free.99."

Ready to try it? You don't need to reinvent the wheel. You just need to show up, provide value, and be the connector in your community.

Catch the full conversation on the podcast to hear exactly how John Michael structures his weekly content schedule!

Let’s grow,

Wendy

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