Patrick Hastings: 47 Years Deep, Still Answering Every Call in Rochester Real Estate

Want the best insights from this episode and more in bite-sized nuggets? Sign up for our free newsletter at https://undercontractnotes.com/ Guest Bio: Patrick Hastings leads the Hastings Team in Rochester, New York, part of Howard Hanna, the largest independently owned real estate company in America. He got his license in 1978 at age 19 and has built a career doing roughly 25 million dollars a year in volume. He now works alongside his grandson and business partner Peter, who joined the team at age 18. Episode Summary: Patrick Hastings joins Under Contract to reflect on 47 years in real estate, from the pre-team, pre-internet era of calling sellers directly off the MLS to today's bidding wars and automated showing requests. He shares why answering the phone remains the single most powerful trust-building habit in the business, how he's structured a multi-generational partnership with his grandson, and what he'd tell an agent trying to double their volume. What's Covered: Patrick explains how he got recruited into real estate at 19 while tending bar, with no mentorship, and built his book of business purely through word of mouth and personality. He argues that answering your phone in real time, not voicemail or callbacks, is the single most effective trust-building habit and is more valuable today than ever because so few agents actually do it. He describes the evolution of his partnership with his grandson and business partner Peter, from paying him a stipend per transaction to building out his own split as Peter developed independent business. He shares his philosophy of always having enough pending transactions that he can afford to tell a client not to buy or sell when it's not the right move, prioritizing trust over any single commission. He breaks down how his lead generation shifted from being an early, highly profitable Zillow premier agent in 2012 to relying almost entirely on past clients and referrals today, aided by a simple mailing list and company-driven email newsletters. He gives tactical advice for an agent trying to double a five million dollar business, emphasizing genuine personal outreach, real engagement at open houses, and consistent follow-up over passive reliance on social media and mass marketing. Timestamps: 00:00:53 - How Patrick got recruited into real estate at 19 00:02:01 - Why answering your phone is the old-school habit agents should bring back 00:03:48 - Starting solo in 1978 before teams existed 00:06:23 - How the partnership and splits with grandson Peter evolved 00:08:08 - What's really happening in the Rochester market since 2016 00:11:01 - The 20-transactions mindset for putting clients before commission 00:12:45 - Being an early Zillow premier agent and why lead gen has changed 00:16:09 - Why Patrick isn't chasing growth and is planning the handoff to Peter 00:21:12 - How Patrick and Peter are using (and not using) AI in the business 00:23:18 - Tactical advice for doubling a five million dollar business