Having right-mindset

Matt entails that in pro surfing, it’s important to have a daily action checklist. One must know what they are doing, as they cannot merely show up and guess. In order to achieve this, one needs to stick to a schedule and continue performing the daily tasks. “In surfing, you show up, practice, and try out new equipment. It might take three months until a maneuver is perfect. In real estate, you practice scripts and listing presentations until it just comes naturally,” he mentions. In his experience, one must stay in the right mindset. He states that if one wants to master something, they have to live, breathe, and think about it all day. “It’s a very strategic part of competing; real estate requires that too,” he adds. “Part of it is always having appointments, reaching out to people, and following up. You have to associate with the best.”

Matt was among the top 150 surfers in the world, and being around those guys motivated him to keep getting better. “I saw how they did their techniques and made certain maneuvers look good, and I wanted to do the same thing,” he continues. “I competed against two world champions—in the US Open of Surfing against Tom Curren (3-time World Champion) and at the Pipeline Pro against the 1st Hawaiian World Champ, Derek Ho—at the heaviest of waves in the world to compete, Pipeline, and it taught me a lot. That’s why I seek out people in real estate who know more than me. I surround myself with the best, and my hero is someone I used to read about and study, Bob Wolff, someone I’ve spent a tremendous amount of time with, been mentored by both in the field and in life, and shared the boardroom table in several leadership committees on the board and on the road traveling; we share common practices, and both work by referral; I’m just 20 years behind him, Bob said to me once, if I knew what you know at your age, I’d really be a force in the game.” 

Matt is very proud of what he does and thus says, “I’m doing exactly what he does, and we mirror each other in many ways; we are still very close to this day.” He states that one has to have sponsors. “In pro surfing, you have to have sponsors who pay for your tour so you can be present and compete. I had contracts with Gotcha and Oakley that I held for 10 years. In real estate, my sponsors are my title team, escrow officer, home warranty representative, transaction coordinator, my legal team/general council, and of course my awesome mortgage professionals.” 

Matt has been working with his escrow officer for a decade now. His home warranty company for 10 years and his title representative for five years. Sometimes sponsors change, and he states that it’s completely okay to change from time to time to make sure one has the best team around one. “I rode for MCD (More Core Division), an elite international team under the Gotcha International Sportswear surfing brand, and had an unlimited supply of clothes and gear with their logo. In real estate, you have to dress the part to be the part. If I show up in flip-flops and board shorts, my clients probably won’t take me seriously. That’s why I put on a suit every day,” says Matt.