Home builders and sub contractors are in the housing business. Carpenters and drywallers and some types of electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians are in the housing business. Painters and landscapers are in the housing business.
If you are a Realtor, that means you help people buy and sell real estate. That means you're really in the relationship business.
Worry less about what the housing forecast might say and start worrying more about who you are going to build a relationship with today.
Monday Morning Match is a short 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.
What's the Forecast?
Do you watch the local news to hear the weather forecast? Has your local meteorologist earned trust and credibility through his or her accuracy in predicting the upcoming weather?
Do you pay attention to the local or national economists when they try to describe what will be happening in the real estate market in the near future?
One thing seems certain, whether it's Dudley Doppler at the local NBC affiliate or Lawrence Yun with the National Association of Realtors, neither has to be right all the time to keep their jobs. It's almost like Major League Baseball players who just have to hit the ball 3 out of 10 times at bat throughout their careers to have a realistic chance at a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The USPS and You
Being a successful Realtor is much more like being a successful postal carrier. You must deliver in rain or shine, through snow or sleet or wind or heat waves. Your clients expect it from you and your families are counting on you.
Will you be able to deliver? Are you prepared to do what it takes to succeed? I know that "success" is out there to be achieved. In the words of reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, "you can get it if you really want it."
"Persecution you must bear Win or lose you've got to get your share Got your mind set on a dream You can get it, though harder them seem now"
Will there be obstacles? Of course. Will you make mistakes? Hopefully, because that's how you learn. Will it be easy? Not likely, or else there would be a lot less people leaving the industry and a lot more jumping in.
Finding Buyers and Sellers in the current market might be harder than before but remember, they'll be harder for everyone to find. Those who don't get discouraged and keep looking every day will have better results than those who sit back and wait for the same Buyers and Sellers to find them.
"Rome was not built in a day Opposition will come your way But the hotter the battle you see It's the sweeter the victory"
If it looks like rain, grab an umbrella.
If there's a snow storm coming, bundle up and get ready to shovel.
Warm weather and plenty of sunshine headed your way? Kick on the flip flops, apply the sunblock and turn up the reggae.
There's business out there. Trust me or trust Jimmy Cliff. You can get it if you really want it!
Enjoy the video below of Jimmy Cliff. May it keep you warm wherever you may be watching it. If you can't see the video, click on the title above or click here
I hope you enjoy a week of building relationships...solving problems...and having fun.
Maybe you're the kind of person who looks forward to this time of year because you love to pull all the holiday decorations out and start making your home (or office) look festive. - I prefer to sit back and admire the excitement and skill my wife and daughter have when it comes to holiday decorating
Perhaps you'll have the ladder up hanging lights on the roof of the house to make Clark Griswold proud. - Not my house as I am afraid of heights. Just once in the spring and once it the winter to pull the leaves out of the gutters and that's enough for me.
Is your Christmas tree going to be freshly cut down as part of a holiday family tradition? - We unbox ours and pop it up in minutes.
We're just a few weeks away from the big holiday that bring out so much excitement for millions, especially children. How will you be decorating?
It's also that perfect time of year to look at the shelves in your office and the piles of stuff on your desk. Much like those crazy neighbors who leave their lights up until Easter, are there some things sitting on your shelves right now from that kick off meeting in January? How about the three-ring binder from your last company retreat. You know the one back in 2007
Not many people like to de-clutter their workspace for fear that they will end up throwing something away that is important and that's just probably not the case. Unless it's a valid commission check or a photo of your wedding, it can probably be found on Google...even if you did throw something away prematurely
Start getting ready for the new year by cleaning out this year. For many, we'd like to throw away much of this past year's memories alone so why not start with the paperwork and clutter that sits in your work areas?
Try to use the old "touch it once" rule for everything you touch; Do something with it, delegate it to someone else (and put it in their workspace, not yours) or delete it. Don't do what most people do and just move the crap from one pile to a newer, neater pile on the other side of the office or on a different shelf. You've got a "junk drawer" at home. Why do you need one in your office too?
Just think, if you can make enough room, you just might have some space for a new Christmas tree in your office
Monday Morning Match is a short 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.
How Are You Going to Answer?
Every day we all have a small voice inside our heads. It greets us when we wake up. It's there when we arrive at the office. It's there when we make calls to customers or knock on doors of those scary For Sale by Owners. You probably hear it every time you head out to a listing appointment or it's time to present an offer.
My guess is you also hear the voice in your personal life. It could be as you push to run that extra mile on your daily jog or making that difficult call to a loved one when you have some important information to share. You hear it when you balance your check book.
The voice is asking you the same challenging question almost every time. "Can you do it?"
The voice doesn't say "you can't do it" or "you're going to fail." Those would be statements and this voice isn't capable of making statements. It's only capable of asking questions. You see, the voice doesn't know anything. The voice doesn't have any power.
The power is yours. Your answer is that power.
How will you answer when that voice talks to you tomorrow?
My Friend David has Belief
David is a great friend of mine. I've know David since our elementary school days. He comes from a very successful family and I have had the pleasure of knowing them for all these years.
David went to Notre Dame and then attended Ohio State where he earned is law degree. He now has a very successful career, a beautiful wife and two great children. He also has a tremendous outlook on life. David is a loyal Notre Dame alum and fan of all things Fighting Irish. He was there when the school won their last National Championship in football and will probably be in the stands when they win their next. David believes in Notre Dame Football.
I received this video below from David. As you can imagine before clicking on it, it has to do with Notre Dame football. It also has to do with that little voice in your head.
You don't need a pep rally to get ready for the success that awaits you. You don't need Raghib "Rocket" Ismail. You just need to know what to say to that voice.
I know you have belief that this will be a great week for you to build relationships.
I know you have belief that this will be a great week for you to solve problems.
I know you have belief that this will be a great week for you to have fun!
And obviously, you know about this blog - The Realtor's Toolbox - for real estate tools, tips and tricks to build a successful real estate business. Thanks for being a loyal reader and sharing the posts you like with others.
Reading blogs is one thing but it can kind of be like listening to the radio, especially your favorite local morning show. You get to know the voice at the other end but it's kind of hard to put a face with that voice. Have you ever been surprised to learn what a deejay or talk show host looks like in person?
I saw a great blog post today from the folks over at FlowTown. FlowTown "is a social media marketing platform that helps businesses transform email contacts into engaged customers." What they really are to me is a really cool blog that shares some incredible visual images and information.
Their post today was titled "The Evolution of The Blogger" and it really taught me more about the "blogging tree" as it were. Here's the visual they used. You might be able to left click (once) on the visual to see it in larger details or you can click here to see it on the FlowTown blog site.
Thanks for the great visual FlowTown. Pictures sure are worth a thousand words...and a fresh blog post.
