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July 2, 2020
I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard agents say that “Agent X is the neighborhood expert and everyone uses her.” Stop it. First of all, not “everyone” uses her or even likes her. Second, she might know the […]
June 18, 2020
You’ve probably been told that you can’t talk to the Appraiser, but there are ways you can help the Appraiser. With multiple offers becoming the norm, both buyer agents and listing agents should be concerned with the appraisal. Hold Your […]
June 4, 2020
Are you wasting precious time? Is your business a lean, mean, efficient machine? If you answered, “Hmm, I never thought about it?” You are in good company. Most Realtors don’t take the time to think about their business. If you […]
May 28, 2020
Now more than ever is the time to strengthen your relationships. Relationships with clients, friends and family. On a good day, being a Realtor can be very isolating, but in these challenging times, the isolation is magnified. Very little interaction with […]
April 23, 2020
What is our new normal? For better or worse, the world we knew is gone. We no longer know what “normal” is or will be. How we conducted business has either been eliminated or changed completely. We can only wonder […]
April 9, 2020
We are now in a new era. An era of video conferencing. The era of Zoom. Zoom as been around for years, but for many people it’s a new entity. Zoom has now become our go to for business meetings […]
March 26, 2020
It’s important to remember that Life is Good. Yes, we are going through a lot right now, but it’s not anything we can’t overcome. In fact, I believe we will come out on the other side better as a society. […]
March 19, 2020
Whatever you do…DON’T STOP WORKING! On the best of days it can be difficult to stay focused and do the work that needs to be done to keep your business afloat. Because of COVID-19, many of us are working from […]
March 12, 2020
The Coronavirus and Realtors Being a good Realtor means establishing relationships, close relationship for a short period of time. Realtors are naturally engaging, friendly and helpful. How we work with our clients must change a bit, due to the Coronavirus. […]
March 5, 2020
Push through it. Words I use when I’m exhausted. Sometimes physically, sometimes mentally and sometimes emotionally. Push through it. What I must do when I don’t feel like making another phone call, sending yet another email, or sending another text. […]
February 18, 2020
It’s human nature to compare ourselves to others. There is always someone we feel is happier, prettier, more successful or simply has a better life than we do. Naturally that’s not true, but somewhere in our minds we have these […]
January 15, 2020
Why don’t real estate agents take budgeting and goals seriously? Most real estate agents set goals based on a random number instead of taking the time to look at how they want to live their life and base their goals […]
October 29, 2019
Your Business Needs a Foundation If you want to be a successful real estate agent and build a solid, profitable real estate business, you need to have a plan. In this instance I’m talking about a written business plan. Your […]
May 12, 2019
When you take your real estate pre-licensing class you learn the real estate vocabulary, national and jurisdictional laws, the Code of Ethics…just to name a few. But what they don’t teach you in pre-licensing class is what it’s actually like […]
May 11, 2019
Why do some real estate agents feel the need to yell at their follow colleagues when something goes wrong during the transaction? I can understand their frustration, but what does the yelling accomplish? We Don’t Have Magical Powers I always […]
May 8, 2019
What makes you different from all the thousands and thousands of real estate agents in your market? Is it because you are available to your clients 24/7? Are You Being Completely Honest? I actually cringe when I hear real estate […]
April 29, 2019
Real estate agents waste a lot of time. At first glance one would think that real estate agents have it made, after all they get to schedule their own time. But therein lies the issue…they get to schedule their […]
April 22, 2019
College is a time to figure out what you want to do next. Most of us enter college with one major and graduate after several “major” adjustments…and most of them don’t include the study of real estate. What a Real […]
April 22, 2019
Being a new real estate agent is not easy. You thought you had it all figured out and saw lots of dollars signs in your future. Then reality hit. Here are 5 things new real estate agents need to know […]
April 18, 2019
Often times I encounter agents who I know need real estate agent training, but they usually say they are too busy to attend. Then there are other agents who think that just because they have been selling real estate for “x” […]
April 17, 2019
There are lots of things that don’t matter when it comes to real estate transactions. Among them are the following: How much the seller paid for the property Why the seller is moving How much the seller wants to net […]
April 16, 2019
“You should be able to undertake and complete anything”. I Got This! This is what I read when I open up my fortune cookie. Of course when I read this I got very excited. This is exactly what I wanted […]
April 11, 2019
Most consumers don’t realize it, but as a real estate professional we wear a lot of different hats. From the outside looking in Our profession looks fairly easy and glamorous…thanks to cable television shows. Real Estate Agents Work With Everyone […]
April 10, 2019
If the best you can ask is “How’s the loan coming along?”, I suggest you don’t even bother making the call. What Not To Ask Once your seller has accepted an offer, part of your job as the listing agent is […]
April 7, 2019
We all have them…a running dialogue in our heads. We are having a conversation with ourselves. Are You Positive Or Negative? We tell ourselves what we can or cannot do. We tell ourselves what we will and will not do. […]
April 5, 2019
Why should a buyer or seller work with you? What do you bring to the table? These are fairly basic questions, yet when you ask this to a real estate agent you’ll either get silence or a lot of mumbling […]
April 5, 2019
The seller is paying us to sell their property for the highest price, in the shortest amount of time with the least disruption to their lives. That’s the bottom line. So why is it that some listing agents do such […]
April 3, 2019
Although the headline reads these are tips for new real estate agents, these probably hold true for all real estate agents…new and experienced. Here they are, in no particular order, feel free to add your own! 1. It’s Not About […]
March 30, 2019
In this market it seems as though we are working much harder just trying to get the property to settlement. Every Step In The Transaction Seems Difficult Once we have a ratified contract we then have to negotiate home inspections items and after […]
March 28, 2019
One of the questions I get most frequently from real estate agents is, “How long should I keep in touch?” My answer is simple…forever or when they tell you to stop…whichever comes first. Engage Your Prospects The issue is this. […]
March 27, 2019
Are your thoughts getting in the way of your success? Here are a few ways to know if you need to get out of your own way. What Will People Think? You know that you should be making phone calls […]
March 25, 2019
As I was being interviewed on a radio program last week, the host posed this question, “what does it take to be a real estate agent?” You would think that I’d have given this question a great deal of thought […]
March 22, 2019
What is your job as the listing agent? The first thing that popped in your head was probably, “to get the house sold.” If that’s what you thought, you’d be correct. Your primary job as the listing agent is to […]
March 13, 2019
If you talk to most real estate agents you will hear that listings are the way to go to build your business, but in my experience it’s not wise to take every listing that comes your way. The Ideal Situation? […]
March 13, 2019
How many times have you heard agents say these very words? For me, this phrase is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Why Don’t I Have Any Offers? I typically hear this statement from real estate agents who are complaining that their fabulous […]
March 10, 2019
Becoming a real estate agent is kind of like being pregnant…no one ever tells you what it’s really like. They make you think that it’s just one glorious time after another… and nothing could be further from the truth. I […]
March 9, 2019
No matter what you may believe, I say that “no news is still news”! “I’ll Call You Right Back” Aren’t those some famous last words! How many times have you been in the middle of a real estate transaction or […]
February 28, 2019
Starting a new career is always exciting. Becoming a real estate agent is especially exciting because it looks like a lot of fun from the outside. I’m not saying that being a real estate agent isn’t fun, but what I […]
February 27, 2019
We have all heard the questions… “We’ve lived here for 10 years and never had water in the basement until that really bad storm last year. Do we have to disclose that?” “The fireplace can’t be used because it needs a new liner, but […]
February 26, 2019
Depending on how long you have been selling real estate, you may remember a time when contracts were only a few pages in length. Real Estate Contracts Are Thick Today, real estate contracts destroy more trees than the law allows! […]
February 26, 2019
As real estate markets heat up, the last thing your buyer wants to think is that the listing agent or seller is “shopping” their offer. The Drop Dead Date One way buyers have heard/read to avoid this from happening is to put […]
February 25, 2019
“I know how to prospect”…”I know how to market myself”…”I know how to get a listing”…”so I don’t need training”. You DO Need Training I constantly hear this from agents, new and old…or should I say “more experienced” agents. But how […]
February 20, 2019
Far too often real estate agents are so excited to be on a listing appointment that they forget what they are there to do. The Seller Should Hear It From You Yes, listings are great to have. They can be […]
February 11, 2019
A career as a real estate agent can sometimes seem like a very lonely profession. While it’s true that we are often surrounded by our clients…buyers and sellers, what we experience on a day-to-day basis can be somewhat isolating. This […]
February 10, 2019
The one person who can make or break a real estate transaction is someone we, as real estate agents can never talk to. For better or for worse we are forced to deal with whatever they say. It doesn’t’ matter […]
February 9, 2019
Would it be fair to say that most people like their parents? I for one LOVE my parents! It’s A Tough Job I think being a parent is one of the toughest jobs on the planet. Of course you don’t […]
February 9, 2019
Unless you are in the witness protection program, you need to be doing some type of social networking. Get Over It I have heard excuse after excuse from real estate agents who say they don’t want the whole world knowing […]
February 8, 2019
Real estate agents are quick to talk about the importance of customer service. But how many agents deliver truly exceptional client care? Notice how I changed from customer service to client care because that’s what I think we should have […]
February 8, 2019
After training new agents for close to five years I can usually pick out those who will be a success and those who will fall by the wayside. A Successful Real Estate Agent Today I want to focus on the […]
February 6, 2019
It’s so easy for us as real estate professionals to get personally involved in the real estate transaction of our clients. After all, we have spent hours and hours meeting, driving and working with them and have formed, in most […]
January 30, 2019
The cases and blogs we talk and write about most often are those that involve difficult, unreasonable and sometimes abusive clients. But if we are completely honest, that probably only makes up a small percentage of our business…maybe even as low as five percent. […]
January 24, 2019
You don’t need me to tell you how difficult it is to sell a house these days. Between the unreasonable buyers and sellers, the changing financial market and tight appraisals, you never know if your contract will make it to […]
January 20, 2019
Whether or not to farm is always a major question for real estate agents. This year I decided to increase my marketing efforts. I decided to target three groups of people: 1. My Fan Club 2. My “A” Referral Sources […]
January 13, 2019
We all know that if you plan on being a successful real estate agent in today’s market you MUST be active on the Social Media sites. I train agents of all ages and I have to say that there are […]
January 12, 2019
Real Estate teams are all the rage. Everywhere you turn real estate agents are forming a team. Before you make the move to start a team or join a team, think about how you want to run your business. The […]
January 9, 2019
Whether you are working with buyers or sellers you need to learn how to think like an appraiser. But how do you do that? In this post I will focus on “Thinking Like an Appraiser” when you are working with […]
January 7, 2019
It’s not unusual for real estate agents to say that they don’t like working with friends. The rationale I hear is that they prefer to keep their business and personal lives separate. They have heard too many horror stories about […]
January 3, 2019
As real estate professionals we know that buying and selling real estate can be a very emotional time. Keep Your Client Moving Forward At some point during the transaction we have to help our clients stay focused, remain calm or […]
January 3, 2019
Can motivational speakers really and truly motivate you? Sure they can get you hyped up for 30, 60, or even 90 minutes, but what happens when you go back home, back to the office or back to your car? How long […]
January 1, 2019
I often write about real estate agents who get in the way of the transaction. But today is a little different. As a trainer I am seeing more and more agents get in the way of their own success. At […]
December 14, 2018
Why do you need a marketing plan? Picture this. You have four transactions going at one time. Business couldn’t be better. A month later, those transactions have closed and now you realize you don’t have anything in the pipeline. […]
December 14, 2018
The home inspection contingency is one of the most common contingencies in a real estate contract. Your buyer should know going in, that their home inspector will find issues with the “house of their dreams.” That doesn’t mean that the […]
December 9, 2018
With over a decade of working as a Realtor I have learned a great deal throughout the years. As I reflect on my real estate education I found these to be my top 8 lessons learned… Top 8 Lessons Learned 1. […]
December 6, 2018
One of the first rules of real estate should be, “You’re a Realtor, not a lawyer.” Yet I don’t recall anyone making a point to say that. Every Jurisdiction is Different There are some states and jurisdictions that use licensed […]
December 1, 2018
Is it a benefit to your clients to be available all day, every day? If so, when do you turn your phone off to rest and rejuvenate…when do you unplug? You Can Work Non-Stop With all of the technology we […]
November 8, 2018
Risk management is an important element of being a real estate agent. If you are a new real estate agent you are a walking, talking liability. Even if you have years of experience under your belt you know how much […]
October 25, 2018
There is no doubt that social media can create a “black hole” if not watched carefully. You understand that there are several social media web sites where you could spend an enormous amount of time mindlessly reading and commenting on […]
October 4, 2018
Why real estate agents shouldn’t reduce their commission sounds like a no-brainer. But if you’ve been a real estate agent for any length of time, you have been asked to reduce your commission. The question I always ask myself is […]
August 23, 2018
When I was growing up there was an advertising campaign aimed at getting kids to read more books. It was called, RIF or Reading is Fundamental. I find myself saying this phrase to myself, numerous times throughout the week. Why? […]
August 2, 2018
When is enough enough? We stress out trying to achieve the American Dream. We work too many hours and take too few vacations. All in the name of achieving success. Our children are pushed into sports, music and STEM programs, […]
February 6, 2015
To be clear, buyer’s have a right to representation. They also have a right NOT to have representation. Why a buyer would not want full representation is beyond me, but it’s their choice. As a buyer’s agent you have an […]