Hey {{first_name | there}}, this one goes against everything agents are told to do.
Noble Black still doesn’t have a CRM.
$3.5B+ in career sales. $550M+ last year. A $73M penthouse on his list of deals.
He started in New York selling a studio. He grew up in Mississippi. His dad was a policeman & his mom was a secretary.
At one point he rated his own marketing a D.
I’m an introvert too.
Most people think you have to be the loudest person in the room to sell. In my experience it’s been the opposite.
Being introverted made me focus on listening & analyzing people. That’s how I figure out what they really need.
Noble is proof, o I asked Noble how an introvert builds one of the biggest businesses in New York without doing what every coach tells agents to do.
Today:
Why being quiet is part of the strategy
His verdict on 5 lead sources
How he stays the broker who knows more
The one rental that turned into his best clients
— Andrew
Quiet is a strategy.
His words: “I’m the most introverted, like, I’m so shy naturally.”
Walking into a room full of brokers to network? “This is my nightmare.”
But in real estate, he says, “you don’t have to be the guy that’s handing out the most business cards.”
Here’s the part I want you to sit with.
Some brokers are loud & outrageous, & that works for certain clients. Noble’s clients are big finance people & big celebrities who value their privacy. They don’t want a broker like that.
There are so many types of clients that they find the brokers who fit them.
His lead source verdicts.
I asked him to call each one underrated or overrated for an agent going after luxury.
Open houses: underrated
You still meet buyers, help your seller & find people who don’t have a broker yet.
If you’re not turning business down, you should be doing them.
Mailers: overrated
“You have to spend insane amounts of money to get any return on that.”
Too much junk mail. He thinks they stopped working about 10 years ago.
Door knocking & cold calling: “my absolute nightmare”
He’s never done it. Not once.
Paid leads: skip them for luxury
“I certainly don’t think that’s a way into the luxury market.”
Referrals: huge
Past clients, friends & other brokers. Even the ones in his own office.
“A lot of brokers grossly underestimate how much business they can get from their colleagues.”
Everybody knows 15 brokers. Why would they pick you?
Noble never says “I’m in real estate” at a dinner. He just talks to people. Sooner or later, real estate comes up.
That moment decides if they’ll ever hire you.
If they know more about the market than you do, his words: “They’re never working with you. Why would they, right? They already knew more than what you do.”
Here’s how Noble stays the one who knows more:
One rental. 5 transactions.
On a summer Friday, Noble was in the office in a suit. An executive walked by & needed someone to do a rental valuation.
He went. Nothing came of it.
Then that person needed help with another client. Another rental.
That led to a $6M listing at the Essex House.
Then, on a random Saturday showing, a couple walked in without a broker. That apartment wasn’t right for them, so he offered to show them others.
They’ve now done 5 transactions with him, all big deals. They were at his wedding. He has an off-market listing of theirs right now.
No mailer. No cold call. He was there, & he did a great job.
It’s also why he pushes his team to come into the office. You’re not in front of anyone when they need something if you’re at home.
Our ask this week
Q4 is here. Before you plan 2027, look back at 2026.
Noble’s team does a business plan review every year. Steal his questions:
Where did my business actually come from this year?
What did I do right?
What clearly didn’t work?
Where do I want to go next year?
If most of your deals came from 1 or 2 people, his advice is to skip the new ads. Take those people to dinner. Take them on a trip. Buy them gifts.
Then ask: who else in my world is like them & could start sending me business?
One warning for your 2027 goal. An agent on his team once came in with a goal that was totally unrealistic.
His words: “There’s nothing in your past that has indicated that you’ll be able to get anywhere approaching that.”
Set a high goal. Just build it on what’s already working.
The one thing: you don’t need to become a different person to win next year. Do more of what’s already working.
Search Top 10 US Realtor: How He Sells $550M/Yr Without a CRM on YouTube or your favorite podcast app to watch the complete episode now!
-Andrew
