Michael Floyd is a Twin Cities realtor for eXp Realty.
Until 2019, Floyd’s life revolved almost entirely around football.
As has been documented previously on this platform, Floyd starred in high school at Cretin-Derham Hall before later evolving into a standout wide receiver at Notre Dame.
In 2012, Floyd was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, and over the course of the next eight seasons he suited up for four different NFL organizations.
Once his gridiron days ended, COVID soon hit, and following a brief stint as an assistant coach for Concordia University in St. Paul, Floyd was left pondering how to spend the next thirty years of his life.
“My wife told me I couldn’t golf every day,” says the Super Bowl champ, who, due to savvy investments and sound money management, is in no immediate rush to generate income.
“When I was playing football, I was advised to manage my money well so that I would never have to work again when I stopped playing. Fortunately, I had a good system and smart people around me to where I was able to invest wisely, and set myself up nicely for the future.”
But regardless of the number of commas in his bank account, post-football, Floyd was seeking purpose, and he found that in the form of real estate.
“What better way to help people than to help them buy or sell one of the biggest assets they will ever own,” he says.
Unlike many new realtors, Floyd didn’t get into real estate purely for the sake of earning money.
Thanks to his past profession, his finances are in order, and that security translates to the way he deals with his clients, in that there is no urgency for transactions to be facilitated.
“That gives people so much peace of mind because there are realtors who charge their 6% fee, and then they are trying as quickly as possible to move a property,” Floyd mentions.
“That’s not how I operate. Due to my background in the NFL, I understand on a fundamental level how important patience is when it comes to finalizing an agreement, and how, if executed properly, people can maximize their returns, but more importantly, leave the deal feeling better off.”
Still, it’s not as if Floyd got his real estate license and then instantly became the go-to resource for Twin Cities homeowners.
As a former teammate of Tom Brady, Floyd understands that trust is not built in a day, or even a year, and Floyd is not shy about admitting that in his first year as a realtor, he only sold two properties.
“After that, it would have been easy for me to retreat to my comfort zone and go back to playing a lot of golf, but just like with football, I’m a grinder. Just because something isn’t working, that doesn’t mean you should completely stop,” says Floyd, who quickly went to work to refine his skillset.
“After that first year of real estate, in the off-season, I went back, watched hours of YouTube videos, read books, and did a lot of role playing through an online realtor’s group. That was all done so I could learn how to be a more competent realtor and ultimately serve my clients better.”
Today, beyond getting referrals from past clients, Floyd obtains new business through cold calling listings, knocking on the doors of properties that aren’t moving, and diligently scouring social media for people who may not know who to turn to for help with real estate.
That same persistence that attracts clients is also the same trait that gives clients the utmost confidence Floyd will deliver when it matters.
“When people work with me, it’s more than just the typical realtor-homeowner type of relationship,” Floyd insists.
“Not too long ago, I was working with a woman who wanted to move into Highland Park [upper middle-class neighborhood of St. Paul] because her kids were going to Cretin-Derham Hall. Well, as an alum of Cretin, I not only was able to help her find a home in that area, but then I also connected her with certain people at my alma mater to enhance her overall experience in the area.”
Adds Floyd:
“It’s in areas like this where I try to differentiate myself because truthfully, a lot of realtors can help you buy and sell properties, but if that’s all it is, then that quickly become stale, so I want to always be trying to help people beyond just the transaction that’s in front of us.”
Performing well is one thing, but the challenge for many realtors is also marketing their value proposition to potential clients through various channels.
For his part, Floyd has excelled at showcasing his real estate services, particularly online, where the vast majority of Americans consume several hours of ads and content per day.
“Social media is huge, and when you’re working with a realtor, you’re working with that individual, and not necessarily the company they’re affiliated with,” Floyd explains, touching on why fostering a personal brand is so vital for realtors.
“Working off that, I always encourage people to work with a realtor that they know, like, and trust because ultimately, the company they represent is only a very small factor in determining how the customer service experience will go.”
With 70,000 followers on Instagram, plus a bevy of nationwide contacts, it should then come as no surprise that Floyd’s reach extends far beyond the grasp of localized Twin Cities markets.
In turn, he is creating real estate opportunities that likely do not exist for his contemporaries.
“I played for four different NFL teams, so I have a lot of connections around the entire country, and you never know who is going to want to do real estate in Minnesota,” Floyd says.
“That’s just one more way I try to distinguish myself among my competition.”
At this stage, Floyd is genuinely happy, his real estate business steadily ascending, but perhaps more critically, he has overcome the fulfillment gap that many ex-athletes find themselves mired in.
That alone gives him confidence that the coming years will only continue to have a positive impact on his life.
“If I stick with this, I see myself becoming one of the top realtors in Minnesota,” Floyd asserts, but he is also quick to point out that while real estate is his passion, his main priority in life isn’t competing with Kris Lindahl for billboard space in the Twin Cities.
“I’m not a workaholic, but that’s only because I have a wife and kids, and they are my biggest source of joy and fulfillment. They keep me balanced and grounded.”
Adds Floyd, concluding our interview with a reminder of what’s truly important:
“Yes, I love the challenges and competition that comes with real estate, but again, as long as my family is happy, then I’m good. I’ve had a crazy and rewarding first half of my life, for which I’m very grateful, but I’m equally ecstatic about this next phase, and being able to help people all across the Twin Cities.” QS
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Today’s post is sponsored by realtor Caleb Carlson!
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