The UPT Way with Aaron Arrington

The UPT Way with Aaron Arrington

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Hey, listen man, I know you're a busy guy. I'm a busy guy. It's tough to get together. We've known each other for a long time. And for those of you, I wanna give a quick kind of introduction on Aaron. I've known him for many years now and he's a successful father, husband of three girls, entrepreneur, married 21 years. But he has had a great, successful career. It actually started out, just so everybody has a frame of reference, as a coach and mentor in the stock and options investing arena.

Hey, listen man, I know you're a busy guy. I'm a busy guy. It's tough to get together. We've known each other for a long time. And for those of you, I wanna give a quick kind of introduction on Aaron. I've known him for many years now and he's a successful father, husband of three girls, entrepreneur, married 21 years. But he has had a great, successful career. It actually started out, just so everybody has a frame of reference, as a coach and mentor in the stock and options investing arena.

But you shifted back in 2008 to a pretty successful career in real estate and just a couple of years ago started and opened your own brokerage, and I know that's been growing significantly. You've got some great stuff—a top agent in Utah. The reason I wanted to have Aaron on the podcast today is because I believe he's got not just an amazing ability to create and maintain relationships, but he creates systems and teams, and he’s got that success mindset. So Aaron, I'm really glad to have you here, man. I know you're a busy dude. Sometimes it's funny—we'll get into this later—but I feel like it's hard to get in connection, but yet I talk to you all the time. It's really good to have you here. Can you do me a favor? Let's just start with a little bit of your background: what got you into real estate, and a quick state of the union—bring us up to speed with who you are.

Yeah, absolutely. I met you first—what, 2001? Probably 2000. I met you for the first time a long time ago. That’s when I was working sales and the home studies. Then I transitioned from selling programs to coaching and mentoring people. I did that for five years, probably from 2003 to 2008. In the meantime, I built a couple of spec homes I didn’t really know how to build. I moved down to St. George for no reason at all—just because I had an empty spec home in 2007—and then I randomly started real estate school. I wasn’t in a hurry, but by the time six months were up and I finished real estate school, I was ready to go full-time. My wife quit her job, I quit my coaching and mentoring job. We lived in St. George, a town we’d barely even visited, and I went all in on a 100% commission job.

That's crazy. I remember when that happened. That’s like a “say yes and figure it out later” mindset a lot of successful people have. How was that transition for you at the time?

I think the biggest key is that I didn’t have an exit strategy. The problem is a lot of people go into something with an exit strategy, and if you go in with an exit strategy, you’re most likely going to take it. It’s like getting on the freeway already deciding where you’ll get off. If you enter a journey knowing when and how you’ll get out, it’s only a matter of time—usually quicker than expected—before you take the exit. I never had an exit strategy when I got into real estate. It was what I was going to do.

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Mindset and Success Principles

Did you feel like you had absolute certainty, or was it just a decision you made and then followed through? So many entrepreneurs have an idea they want to do, and it’s hard to get certainty around ideas. Often they haven’t truly made the decision. For you, were you certain this was it because you’d been playing with it a while, or did you make the decision and stick to it?

I don’t remember the exact moment I decided to get into real estate, but I do remember that as soon as I got in I was like, “Where’s my office? Where do I sit?” I didn’t want to work from home or part-time. This was a job for me, and I had to roll.

You were committed to making it work. A lot of people say, “I’m going to do this,” but they haven’t made the decision—they’re just trying it. And they’re not committed. You treated it like a job. Fast-forward a bit. You’re in this real estate market. People are stressed and anxious because they don’t know where it’s going. I want to get into some of the things you’ve developed through your brokerage, but first: What’s the state of real estate right now? What perspective can you give us, since you’re in it and you really understand the marketplace, at least in your area?

What’s interesting is 14-plus years in the business, and the one question I’ve decided over the last six to twelve months that I don’t like is, “How is the market?” I say: the market is different for a 22-year-old buying a first house than it is for a 70-year-old who owns four houses free and clear and is looking to pay cash or sell one and move into something else. Those are two different people, two different lives, two different markets. So I answer: forget what the market’s doing—let’s focus on your market.

I love that. The questions you ask in life determine the answers you get. If you don’t ask the right questions, you won’t get the right direction. So if someone is looking at real estate—buying a home, investing, even becoming an agent—they might not be asking the right questions. You’re saying: ask about your market—what you’re really asking—and get those answers.

Absolutely. What is your market? What are you looking for? Another thing I started doing about six months to a year ago is replacing “buying and selling real estate” with “moving money in and out of real estate.” Because if someone says, “Can you believe this house costs me $500k?”—if you’re paying cash today, yes, that cash costs you $500k. But what you really need to ask is: what am I currently paying in rent? What’s the difference between my new mortgage and my rent? If that difference is $380, a $500k house is costing you $380 a month—because you’re already paying the rest. You’re either moving money into real estate or you’re moving it out. You just have to see it differently.

That perspective—how you view the market and money—is a huge competitive advantage. It shows your commitment level and how you’ve built systems. When you bring this up to clients, does it help them shift perspective?

Half my time is with the public—clients like you. The other half is coaching agents at my office and team. I have to wake up with a strong mindset, then relay it to my team, then to clients. It starts with me believing it, then having others believe it. Getting people to believe things is the number one goal of sales. I’ve always loved teaching. I wanted the lifestyle and impact, so I built my own brokerage to teach, build, and use my ideas to help others.

I love that. Yesterday I asked you, “Why did you start your own brokerage?” I expected a money/margin answer. You said you wanted the challenge—it was something to do—and you wanted to make a difference and create the culture and impact you couldn’t where you were. That tracks with your teacher heart.

That’s right. I wanted to build systems and a place where I and others would love to be. Money matters—I’ve had sleepless nights without it—but beyond that, there are ways to fulfill your life. You help people through The Daily Mastermind; I’m a mindset-and-success-through-others guy.

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The UPT Way and Business Philosophy

You were already building teams, but you shifted to your own brokerage to create community and impact—and you created the UPT Way. What is the UPT Way?

UPT Way is believing that—from me to a plumber to a photographer to an insurance guy—we’re all in the same business: people. Our slogan is “People Matter.” We wake up not looking for clients; we wake up looking for new friends. If we consistently stay in touch, it’s only a matter of time before people have a need. Then we serve them with our specific skills.

For context, UPT = Utah Property Team. It’s a business, a community, and a way. It reminds me of Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why.” You don’t see people as transactions—people matter. Obviously, money matters, but life matters too. What made you formalize “the Way” rather than just operate on the belief?

Two things. First, when I got my license, my team leader told me, “You are where you intended to be.” There are so many ways to get business—foreclosures, short sales, door-knocking, FSBOs, expireds—but I decided I’m in the long game. If I’m not selling 365 homes a year, that doesn’t mean I can’t meet 365 people a year. If you wake each day trying to sell a house, you’ll go to bed disappointed. If you wake each day trying to add a quality person to your life, you can go to bed a success every night.

Second, Disney. I went to Disneyland/World and noticed the “Disney experience.” No matter who you interact with—custodian or ticket taker—the attitude and service are the same. I wanted that experience in my brokerage, so any client working with me or any agent would say, “I felt the UPT Way.”

That’s powerful: design the experience—for clients, partners, team, and your life. Do all your agents adopt it? Or is it for the right people who resonate?

Not everyone buys in—agents, assistants, or even clients. Sometimes things don’t work out. Without pain or losing people or bad days, how can you appreciate the good? You can’t please everyone. We have a why, a process, and the right people will come.

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Keys to Success: Mindset, Consistency, and Passion

When I asked your keys to success, you said mindset, consistency, and passion. Let’s break those down. Why those three—and how do you coach them?

Those are most important—and the hardest to coach. Before coaching, find people who match your mindset, consistency, and passion. If they don’t, coaching won’t work.

Start with mindset.

Mindset starts with competence and expectations. The better you know your subject, the better your public speaking, results, and mindset. If you have to convince yourself every morning why you need to do it, it’s only a matter of time before you convince yourself not to—like people do with the gym. Build wins and set realistic expectations. Think earnings vs. expectations in the stock market: a company makes $1B, stock drops because analysts expected $1.2B. Expectations shape reality.

Go to P.F. Chang’s on Valentine’s at 6:30 p.m.—you expect a wait. At Wendy’s drive-thru, you expect 60 seconds. Hit a red light when you’re ten minutes late—it feels like the worst thing in the world. Early? A red light is a breather. Small wins affect expectations, which affect mindset. Agents do an open house, don’t sell a $1M home, and call the weekend a waste. Change the expectation: you time-blocked two hours, met three people, followed up with leads, posted on social. You won.

Consistency?

A mentor told me: “Time on task over time.” If you don’t use the MLS for four months, of course you forget it. Consistency beats big bursts. It becomes habit, and habits carry you when you don’t feel like it. It’s the tortoise and the hare.

Most new agents fail because they never decide their job description. Own your job description, then your calendar. Identify the two or three things that move the needle—financial, fitness, spiritual—schedule your mornings, then let life happen in the afternoons. Focus on productivity over performative busyness. If you only “practice” for six months, you become a professional practicer—with no game-time experience. By then, your spouse wants the experiment over.

I love that. Many entrepreneurs hate the phrase “job description,” but defining it gives structure, which creates consistency—which creates freedom.

Exactly. And on scripts: people say they don’t like them. Surgeons use scripts. Tom Cruise uses scripts. Scripts are beliefs internalized, repeated, and refined so you don’t have to think so hard in key moments—you can be present.

On “flexibility”: if your reason for getting into real estate is “flexibility,” be careful. There’s the homeless version of flexibility—no bills—and the business-owner version—earned freedom because you built the structure. Which one do you want?

That’s a bar. Okay—passion. How do you maintain it after so many years?

It bothers me when people post vacation photos and then write “back to reality” like reality is bad. Are you living for weekends and dreading weekdays? That’s no way to live. Same at the grocery store—ask someone how they’re doing, and they tell you how long until their shift ends.

When you find passion—a way of life—you avoid living for Friday. You don’t dread “back to reality.” For my team, if your passion is anything other than people through real estate, it’s a tough fit. You can be passionate about anything and apply it to your work—but make sure it centers you daily, not just on vacations.

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The Role of Scripts in Mastery

You touched on this, but it’s worth isolating: scripts are a mastery tool. They streamline cognition so you can be present with people. It’s not about sounding robotic; it’s about being prepared and trustworthy.

Exactly. Scripts = internalized truth. They let you serve faster and better.

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Practical Strategies for Wealth Building

Let’s end with a practical tip listeners can use right now to build wealth. You shared something smart and simple about mortgages.

There’s a time to rent and a time to buy. America will always have about one-third renting. But if you own, think differently about your mortgage as an investment tool.

Example: On a $500,000 loan at 5%, pay an extra $300/month for 10 years. That’s $36,000 extra you actually pay, which reduces your principal by about $52,000. That’s a $16,000 gain on $36,000—roughly a 44% return over ten years. I call it “$300 junk-food money.” With drink shops, delivery apps, and small leaks, it’s not hard to find $300/month.

This isn’t spreadsheet acrobatics; it’s quiet compounding through debt reduction plus normal appreciation. As the market changes, we keep finding new ways to build wealth through real estate. Yes, people matter and mindset matters—but you also have to know how to help people actually build wealth.

I love that. People obsess over big deals but ignore guaranteed wins like mortgage prepayments or tax savings. Picking up $16k in interest savings drops straight to your bottom line—often easier than “earning” $16k more. That’s the wealth mindset.

Follow Aaron and his team on Instagram and Facebook at UPT Real Estate for more ideas like this. You’ll learn not only how to create and maintain great relationships, but how to elevate mindset, consistency, and passion.

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Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Aaron, I appreciate you spending time. I know you’ve got a wealth of knowledge. Anything else to add before we wrap?

If you don’t know where you’re going, you have no clue when you actually get there. Think about that. And I’d love to mastermind—if anyone wants to connect, let’s connect.

I love it. Great thought to leave us with. Everyone, share this episode. Hit us up on The Daily Mastermind on Facebook or Instagram. Check the show notes—I’ll post some of this there for you as well. As I always say, it’s never too late to start living the life you were meant to live and really unleash your potential and grow. My name’s George Wright III. This has been The Daily Mastermind. Have a phenomenal weekend.

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About George 

George Wright III is a proven, successful entrepreneur and he knows how to inspire entrepreneurs, companies, and individuals to achieve massive results. With more than 20 years of executive management experience and 25 years of direct marketing and sales experience, George is responsible for starting and building several successful multimillion-dollar companies. He started at a very young age to network and build his experience and knowledge of what it takes to become a driven and well-known entrepreneur. George built a multi-million-dollar seminar business, promoting some of the biggest stars and brands in the world. He has accelerated the success and cash flow in each of his ventures through his network of resources and results driven strategies. George is now dedicated to teaching and sharing his Prosperity Principles and strategies to every driven and passionate entrepreneur he meets. His mission is to empower entrepreneurs globally, to create massive change and LIVE their ultimate destiny.

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You have GREATNESS inside you. I BELIEVE in you. Let’s make today the day you unleash your potential!

George Wright III

CEO, The Daily Mastermind | Evolution X

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