What Did You Expect?

Monday Morning Match is a quick post - maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea - intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.

It's finally football season and we're a few weeks into the season in both the professional and college game. Not everyone is a football fan but there probably aren't many people that don't have at least a passing interest in a team somewhere. It may be a local organization or perhaps a team from your childhood days or a former city where you used to live. Many of us are passionate fans of our alma mater or a team with ties to a family member.

Most of the college teams are one quarter of the way through their schedule while the NFL will complete Week 2 tonight. So let me ask you football fans...How's your team doing?

• Are they undefeated and creating some excitement about what might happen this season? 
• Are you pleasantly encouraged by what you have seen so far?
• Or are you utterly disgusted with the effort displayed by the players and coaching staff?

While there is still a lot of season to be played, there is something to be said about expectations and how quickly they can be surpassed or squashed.

It's almost time for the 4th quarter in our business. Take a peek at the scoreboard.

Have you lived up to your expectations?

If you answered yes, keep it up. It's time to run up the score and build some momentum for the new year ahead.

If you can't say with confidence that you're on track to reach your goals, remember that the game isn't over yet. Don't give up. Keep executing the game plan, rely on the basics and focus on what is ahead of you.

Here's a cool video to kick off your week. Isn't it time you get in the game?

Expect success!


(Click here if you don't see the video below)




Have a great week building relationships, solving problems and having fun.

When Fear Keeps You Down...Get Up!

Monday Morning Match is a quick post - maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea - intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.

In the shadow of the anniversary of 9/11, I felt this was a great quote to share...not just because of the meaning for those of you in the real estate business but also anyone of you who enjoys the "American way" in general.

"We learn by courageous action going forward whenever fear urges us back. A little boy was asked how he learned to skate. 'Oh, by getting up every time I fell down' he answered."

~ David Seabury, How to Worry Successfully

• How does that statement apply to your career?

• How does that statement apply to your life?

In real estate, like in life, you're going to get knocked down far more than you're going remain standing tall. Are you willing to get up every time?

There is no doubt that in your career you will be rejected more often that you will be selected so decide now if that will make you or break you.

Are you ready to say that "nothing will keep me from building my business" or will you take the easy way out and say "I'll wait for business to come to me."

If you get knocked down, stop pointing fingers, belly-aching and making excuses. Get your ass back up and start marketing solutions to the necessary people that can help you win the "game."

The time is right to start building relationships, solving problems and having fun.

Why are you still just sitting there? Success starts bright and early.

Get your ass up!

A "Guest" Post?

I've written almost 300 posts here on The Realtor's Toolbox and I haven't had an opportunity to share a guest post yet.  I saw the poem below and felt this would be a perfect time for my first "Guest" post.

It's by the English born American poet and author, Edgar A. Guest.

Can't



by Edgar A. Guest


Can't is the worst word that's written or spoken;


Doing more harm here than slander and lies;


On it is many a strong spirit broken,


And with it many a good purpose dies.


It springs from the lips of the thoughtless each morning


And robs us of courage we need through the day:


It rings in our ears like a timely sent warning


And laughs when we falter and fall by the way.


Can't is the father of feeble endeavor,


The parent of terror and halfhearted work;


It weakens the efforts of artisans clever,


And makes of the toiler an indolent shirk.


It poisons the soul of the man with a vision,


It stifles in infancy many a plan;


It greets honest toiling with open derision


And mocks at the hopes and the dreams of a man.


Can't is a word none should speak without blushing;


To utter it should be a symbol of shame;


Ambition and courage it daily is crushing;


It blights a man's purpose and shortens his aim.


Despise it with all of your hatred of error;


Refuse it the lodgment it seeks in your brain;


Arm against it as a creature of terror,


And all that you dream of you someday shall gain.


Can't is the word that is for to ambition,


An enemy ambushed to shatter your will;


Its prey is forever the man with a mission


And bows but to courage and patience and skill.


Hate it, with hatred that's deep and undying,


For once it is welcomed 'twill break any man;


Whatever the goal you are seeking, keep trying


and answer this demon by saying: "I can."

Caution - Distractions Ahead

Welcome to the proverbial "Dog Days of Summer." We surpassed the halfway point of the year over the holiday weekend and I am sure that many of you thoroughly enjoyed your Fourth of July celebrations with friends and family. Heck, some of you might have even pulled a few deals together between the parades and fireworks.

Work Zone Ahead - Long Delays Possible

Now it's time to put up some orange barrels for the serious "work zone" we are approaching. We've entered the time of year when we might be tempted to take our foot off the gas and go into cruise control. It almost seems like we're in slowing traffic and we're all ready to start rubber-necking.

Here are just a few things that might be taking some of your attention away from your business plan:

• The kids are home from school and they tell you every day how "bored" they are.
• The kids are home from school and every day you have to transport them someplace - sporting events, play dates, summer camp, the movies, etc.
• You have a vacation coming up and you've got to get ready for it.
• You've got family coming to visit and you need to get the house in order.
• The pile of mulch in your driveway isn't going to spread itself in your flower beds.
• (insert your own "woe is me" story here)

Trust me, I get it.

On one hand, we say to ourselves, "Where has the first part of the year gone? It seems like it was just January." On the other hand, we try to justify that we'll be okay and can still hit our plans. We just have to get through the busy summer months and then we'll be able to re-focus. Those ready, willing and able clients will just magically appear at our doorstep like Ed McMahon with the oversized check.

Seriously answer this...When was the last time you looked at your business plan? Technically you should be exactly halfway to your goals you set last winter or at least on pace to be close to half way home. Are you?

Have you met with your manager, coach or business partner to determine what needs to happen in the next 30 days? 90 days? 6 months?

Is your "why" still as important today as it was when you first thought of it or are you allowing outside influences to turn it into a "why me?"

There Is Business Out There

I just did a quick check of our local MLS. As of today, there are currently 15,459 homes on the market for sale here in Central Ohio with an average listing price of $204,693. They've been on the market an average of 138 days.

Do you have some active listings that need some attention? Could you schedule a meeting with your Sellers to re-evaluate your current position in regards to competition? It might be the perfect time to ask the Sellers if their motivation is still the same as it was on the day you signed the listing agreement.

As of today, there have been 9,325 properties sold since January 1st. Those sold properties were on the market for an average of 102 days and sold for an average sold price of $153,296. 

Are your Sellers aware of the list to sale price ratio that is realistic in your current market so when an offer does come in, they aren't shocked? Is your low end inventory level rising or falling? If your listing has been on the market longer than the average for the solds, what is the market telling you?

Fifty a Day?

A quick test drive of the ol' calculator tells me that with 9,325 closed properties since January 1st, there have been approximately 50 sales each day. And because there are two sides to every sale, that means there have been 18,650 clients sitting at a closing table at some point this year.

Were they working with you? I might suggest you do the same exercise in your local area right now. You might just come up with some great insights, talking points or inspiration for a detour route around the distractions.

[Managers - this is a great exercise to use at your next sales meeting. Do the research and come up with your local market numbers. Ask the questions in the form of a quiz and reward the agent who is the closest to knowing the current market. You can then discuss the importance of knowing your market and the competence and confidence it will bring.]

The question is are you going to quit rubber-necking, put your foot on the gas pedal and accelerate your business into the fast lane? Start building relationships today. Find ways to solve problems today. It's important that you have fun today.

Once you get past this bottle neck, it's nothing but open highway up ahead. Turn up the radio and enjoy the ride.

(I suggest you type the words 'listings sold' into the search box that appears to the left of this text on the blog page. There are some relevant posts that might give you some more ideas of where you might find some additional business opportunities)

When the Student is Ready, The Teacher Will Appear

Hey student!

Yes, you.

As long as you're in this thing called "life," you are but a student in the class. A player. A cog in the big wheel. A rider on the rotating earth.

As you sit there, do you think you are smarter than the teacher? Are you closed to outside influence? Do you ignore the feedback? Have you stopped listening?

Or are you open to listening to feedback? Will you continue adjusting your direction based on the results you get or don't get? Are you ready to try new things? Are you ready to leave the status quo behind like chewing gum under the desk?

If you're looking for a passing grade in this class, you better be ready to participate. Raise your hand. Start doing the homework. Ask for extra credit. Sign up for the extra-curricular activities. 

Start building relationships. Start solving problems. Start having fun.

Start now.

Check the Want Ads

If you're not doing what you want to do every day, check the want ads.

Seriously. Why continue to report for work each day just to cash a check?

I think I know it on most days...but I LOVE what I do.

I get the opportunity to build relationships every day. On most days I get to solve problems. I certainly create opportunities each day to have fun. If I do all three, that's a pretty damn good day.

Do you get excited to tell others what you do? Do you wake before your alarm clock buzzes because you are excited to "get to work"? Are you excited when someone asks you "what did you do today?"?

I had a great conversation tonight with a mentor of mine about what I have the opportunity to do each day. When you get a chance to say it out loud, it really makes you realize how cool it is to help other people "become better."

As you head in to your place of employment today, ask yourself this - "Am I going to do what I do best today?"

If not, maybe it's time to take a few weeks off or maybe it's time to check the want ads.

Change Your Thinking

Monday Morning Match is a short post - maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea - intended to spark some motivation inside of each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.

Change Your Thinking

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.

His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end.

They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service and where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days, weeks and months passed. One morning, the day-nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate to describe such wonderful things outside the window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, ‘Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.’

Thanks to Peter J. Sobeck, a Senior Vice President in charge of Business Development with NRT LLC. for sharing this story with us at a recent leadership workshop. I'm not sure who the credit for the story should be attributed to but the message is clear. Choose your view today before it's chosen for you.

Good luck building relationships...solving problems and having fun. Have a great week

Need a Lift?

Monday Morning Match is a short post - maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea - intended to spark some motivation inside of each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning

“Those who abandon their dreams will discourage yours”

Sure, lots of people think they know better. Many of the 300+ million people in the United States have had a real estate license in the past or know someone who has. That doesn't mean they know what your goals and plans are. You know why you decided to get into a career in real estate (or stick with a career in real estate) so stay focused on what needs to get done to achieve your goals.

Just because someone went to a great college or took some high priced training course doesn't mean they can tell you how to live your life.

Someone attending church on a weekly basis doesn't necessarily have a better chance of success than someone who doesn't believe in a higher power.

“Those who abandon their dreams will discourage yours”

Author John Maxwell says there are two types of people in life, Lifters and Leaners. Lifters are always picking people up, staying positive and supporting people while the Leaners are always holding people back, pulling them down or impeding their progress.

Watch the video clip below from The Pursuit of Happyness. Stuggling San Francisco saleman Chris Gardner, played by actor Will Smith, starts the scene as a "Leaner" and then transitions into a "Lifter."



I hope this week, you will avoid the Leaners and look for the Lifters.

I hope this week you will be the Lifter someone needs.

Time for the Big Push

Monday Morning Match is a short post - maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea - intended to spark some motivation inside of each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning




As we near the last quarter of the year, it's time to make a final push to finish off strong. It's time to stop worrying about what happened in the first nine months of the year. There's nothing that can be done about that because it is in the past. You can't do anything to change what has or hasn't occurred but as you know, how you react will determine what happens next.

“If the door to success is marked pull and still won't open, ignore the sign and push.”

• There is business out there waiting for someone to grab it.

• There are For Sale By Owners who will throw up the white flag this week and decide to list with a full-time Realtor.
  
  


• There are Sellers who's listing has expired who desperately need to sell that just might finally see what needs to be done with their asking price - or perhaps they need a professional like you to help them learn?
  
  


• There are clients of yours sitting in their home and they haven't heard from you in weeks, months or maybe even years.

• There just might be some Sellers of yours who are finally ready to reduce their asking price?
  
  


• There are new relationships out there waiting to be built.
  
  


• There are problems out there waiting to be solved.
  
  


• There is plenty of fun out there waiting to be had.

“If the door to success is marked pull and still won't open, ignore the sign and push.”

When You Look Up, What Do You See?

A young couple moved into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they were eating breakfast, the young woman saw her neighbor hanging the wash outside.

'That laundry is not very clean,' she said. 'She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.'

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: 'Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this.'

Her husband said, 'I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.'

And so it is with life.

What we see when watching others depends on the window through which we look.

Judge Not... It might be your window that needs cleaning!

Thanks for Deborah Hutchings at Coldwell Banker King Thompson for sharing this with me today. After you're done cleaning off your window, who will you share this with?

Monday Morning Match - What Will They Say About You?

What Will They Say About You?

Are you striving to be a star or are you satisfied just being "in the play"? Some people want to be the leading man or leading lady while others are just as content to see their name in the program or scrolling in the credits at the end.

Our success isn't as much about what happens to us on the big stage as it's about what happens to us each day on our way to that big stage. Emmitt Smith didn't become the NFL's all-time leading rusher in one game. Nope. He gained those 18, 355 yards one yard at a time.

What's your work ethic going to be today? How about this week? There are less than 100 days in the year. Come to think of it, there are less than 100 days left in this DECADE!!! What are you waiting for? What needs to be done now to help elevate you to the levels of success you deserve?

Watch this video and ask yourself what they will be saying about you?



I hope you have an awesome week!