From W-2 to Independent Agent: Building a Real Estate Career My Way

Danae Aballi has worked in the real estate industry for 20+ years as a W2 employee, and just in the past 7 months, she resigned and went out on her own as a 100% commission real estate agent in hyper-competitive Orange County, CA. She only wanted to talk to people who already knew her. "I have no interest in calling strangers anymore", she said. She hired us to create and promote very niche, bespoke videos answering questions her buyers and sellers ask. We send them out to her 3.200 person contact list, and via video postcard to a more valuable, hand-selected list of 329 people. "I'm already making more money than before, and it's all attraction-based; I'm not chasing. It's just a better way of doing business, it's who I am, and it's more profitable than buying cold leads here." Watch the interview to learn how Danae got her "new agent" business up to speed quickly by attracting new clients from her existing database.

AI Summary Notes

Introduction and Background

Frank Klesitz of Vyral Marketing interviews Danae Aballi, a real estate agent in ultra-competitive Orange County, California.
Although Danae has 20 years of experience in real estate, most of that was in salaried W-2 roles. Just seven months prior to this interview, she made the bold leap into 100% commission sales to gain freedom and grow her income.

Career Shift and Mindset

Danae left her stable job to “bet on herself” at age 42, embracing her earning potential in what she calls her prime decade.
After years of steady pay, she craved autonomy, financial growth, and a business that was authentic to who she is.
She took December off to regroup, then re-entered real estate with a clear plan to grow through meaningful, magnetic marketing—not cold leads.

Authenticity Over Trend-Chasing

Danae rejected industry pressure to cold call, door knock, or “perform” on social media.
She eliminated all her social platforms and only rejoined them on her own terms—with messaging aligned to her values.
Her goal was simple: don’t chase leads—attract them.

Marketing Philosophy

Danae’s entire approach is about magnetism: delivering value through video, education, and relationships so clients come to her.
She focuses on her database, past clients, and referrals—avoiding cold traffic or lead buying entirely.
Her content is rooted in real conversations and questions she gets daily from clients.

Efficiency Through Leverage

As a mom of four (all under 4!), time is her most valuable asset.
She chose Vyral Marketing to handle scripting, editing, publishing, and promotion so she could focus on clients and family.
She records multiple videos in short sessions—each one based on actual client questions.
She collaborates with her coach Shane to turn those moments into custom scripts and polished content.

Video Strategy and Results

Danae records videos on hyper-relevant topics like:

“Do sellers have to disclose old systems?”
“Is buying in Laguna Woods worth it?”
“Should I invest in a Newport Beach duplex?”
Her Laguna Woods video has over 5,000 views and generates weekly calls.
Her videos have attracted buyers in the $3–5M range and generated multiple new clients without traditional lead generation.

Open Houses and Organic Growth

In addition to video, Danae’s most effective lead source is open houses.
She combines in-person connection with educational content to create a trusted presence.
Business now comes to her through referrals, sphere, and video—not online lead ads.

The Power of Belief and Mindset

Danae attributes much of her success to a month of money manifestation coaching, which helped her eliminate scarcity thinking.
She now approaches her business with clarity, confidence, and calm—no longer feeling the pressure to “grind” every day.
Her belief: “If I can help you, I will. If I can’t, that’s okay.”

Why She Chose Vyral

Vyral allows Danae to be her authentic self: efficient, informative, and relationship-focused.
The full-service solution covers everything—video scripting, editing, blogging, email, thumbnails, posting, and more.
She compared the cost to online leads ($3,000+ monthly) and concluded Vyral’s value is exponentially greater.

The Postcard Strategy

Danae is a major advocate of video postcards—a rarely used but powerful tactic.
She mails QR-coded postcards linking to her most popular videos to a hand-built list of 329 top contacts.
It’s a low-cost, high-impact touchpoint that grows her YouTube channel and brand.
Compared to wasted spend on cold internet leads, she believes postcards offer a better ROI and stronger client retention.

Database Insights

Danae has about 3,600 contacts in her email list, but only needs 100 quality relationships to meet her income goals.
Her focus: educate, provide value, stay in touch, and let clients call her when they’re ready.
She’s open to hiring a caller to book appointments on her behalf—further leveraging her brand and database.

Real Results

In her first 7 months, Danae has already earned more than her previous full-time salary.
She runs a lean, efficient business that’s in alignment with her values—and it’s working.
With minimal expenses and a growing database, her trajectory is steep and sustainable.

Final Insights and Takeaways

Magnetism Beats Chasing: Attract clients through authenticity and education.
Leverage Your Time: Hire out anything that distracts from your core genius.
Create for the Market, Not Your Peers: Answer real questions your audience is asking.
Video + Mail = Magic: Pair digital content with physical touchpoints for maximum impact.
Database > Everything: Stay in touch, provide value, and your phone will ring.

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