http://excellencewithhorses.blogspot.com/

This training is inspired by Pat Parelli www.ultimateparelli.com- the horse foundation program that I am a student of. I am going to take what Pat says in his horse program and tell you how it relates so well to your real estate business and life in general.

I am "lucky" (if luck means work) to be thriving in this challenging real estate environment. I have acquired bank owned contracts through due diligence and perserverance and it has paid off. My business is booming - both retail and REO. I would like to share with you how you too can be successful in your real estate career. Here are the 7 keys to your success - these are the overviews and remember, when you drill down there is much more refinement but lets start with these.

The 7 keys are: Attitude, Knowledge, Tools, Technique, Time, Imagination and Support.

1. Attitude - attitude is defined as a multitude of actions or interactions at any given time. Therefore, everything really represents an attitude and everyone has an attitude at any given moment. Truly successful people have a GOOD attitude and a POSITIVE belief in themselves and the outcomes in their life. I have witnessed this first hand with agents I have mentored - my attitude is one of playing not to lose and expecting great things and guess what - my attiitude has become my reality. Only you can control your attitude and your inner dialogue - work on this daily. Thoughts = words = actions = attitude = your character.

2. Knowledge - you have heard ignorance is bliss right? Well when you gain knowledge, it is amazing how you just cant go back to your old thinking. People who seek EXCELLENCE seek knowledge, they crave it really. They have a "I want to know" way about them. Ask yourself, are you looking for a success model in your real estate business, and in life really, OR is your attitude leading you away from knowledge? Knowledge will lead you to "eagles' and studying with the best. There are few paths to success and millions of paths to failure - knowledge will lead you to the success paths. Knowledge will lead you to the next key to success...tools.

3. Tools - When you have knowledge, you start to discover tools that will help you with your success and ones that dont. What we have found is that successful people use a similar and yet small range of tools. Finding and using the right tools is critical. An example is the tools you would use when fly fishing versus those you would use when just sitting on a dock tossing a line in the water. Knowing the tools to use and when will allow you to succeed. Now keep in mind, owning a tool and using a technique successfully are very different. Its like having a hammer and being a contractor are 2 very different things. So lets talk about the next key to success, technique.

4. Technique - If you dont have a "technique" then you wont get the job done period. Are you perfecting and practicing your technique - do you know what techniques you should be perfecting or when to use what technique? IE scripts and dialogues, your success systems etc?  Are you adapting your techniques to fit the market you are working in? Once  you have a technique down, then you can use it in application over and over. Now dont confuse technique with principles. Principles are never changing and are consistent but techniques are ever changing - you can see that in the agents who are really thriving in this market as an example. Principles are the consistent ie daily lead generation, systems, etc with the technique being the application.

5. Time - this is my favorite success principle because it is often the hardest for humans. Time can be defined in two ways - the amount of time we invest and the TIMING itself. The first is putting in enough time to be good at something. Until you get enough time into something, you wont have TIMING. The more time you put into something, the better you will be. You can do the right thing at the WRONG time and it still wont work out right for you - ponder that. So you have to have time and TIMING. Timing is the difference that makes the difference. So many people say they dont have the time it takes to do something right but then I see them taking the time to do it wrong over and over again. Did you know we have 168 hours in a week and 8760 hours in year - find the time and practice the fundamentals in your real estate business, do the necessary things in your business until you get to be an expert and have TIMING.

6. Imagination - Einstein said that imagination is even more valuable than knowledge. Imagine success - see it in your head, close your eyes and really feel what it feels like to have the ultimate success for yourself, whatever that looks like to you. Imagine prior and proper preparation - how being prepared looks and feels when you on a listing interview. How prior and proper preparation feels when you submit a short sale application. Use your imagination and become a PUZZLE solver - ask yourself, how can I take my dreams and realities and make this career in real estate work? Dont just think outside the box - take the box away and imagine! What can you do with the foundation you built with the other principles? How can this be applied to your interests as it relates to your career? Imagine. When you image, you are creating your next generation of thoughts and those thoughts will become actions.

7. Support - the final key to success is support. Seek out support whether that is by joining networks like ActiveRain or my all time favorite Howard Brinton Star Powers - www.gostarpowers.com. Align yourself with only people seeking excellence. Network with like minded people - find a mentor (you dont have to know them personally but maybe they are someone who you emulate or has similar values). My mentors are Pat and Linda Parelli, Rober Kiyosaki, Joel Osteen and Howard Brinton - none of whom I know personally but all who are successful in their chosen professions and share similar values to me.

Remember, there are no quick fixes and SAVVY takes time. I hope this quick blog helps you on your journey to success!

Brigitte

I have had the great fortune recently to fullfill a life long dream of owning a horse (well 2 actually). I was raised around horses growing up and rode weekly but never owned my own horse. I volunteered at therapeutic riding facilities, stables riding other peoples show horses etc etc. Finally, in April, I decided the timing was right to purchase my own horse.

I went about finding a horse the same way I approach my real estate business, through great research and networking. After much due diligence, I made my selection. Cutter has been with me now for 3 1/2 months and what I have learned from him and now my second horse applies to all aspects of my life - including my real estate business.

Horses are prey animals and we are predators - the fact that they allow us to ride them is amazing - when was the last time you saw a zebra taking a lion for a ride? The reason horses "allow" their human the riding experience is due to the principle of partnership. Now you can force a horse to do just about anything, but to get them to be a willing partner, takes dedication, putting your principles before the goal, effort, patience and time - just like a successful real estate business. Forming partnerships is critical for sustained success in real estate - building a database and then fostering relationships with these people is a must.  For me, I have challenged myself to not only foster my existing database but make a concerted effort to grow it weekly. The partnerships I have developed with my sphere have given me great rewards.

The next lesson I learned is one that is so obvious but yet I see many of my fellow agents struggle with this principle. I have learned from my horses to never release on a brace. I wont explain what that means for horses but for real estate, that means, when the pressure is high, dont give up - stay with it, increase your level of energy, determination etc to match and you will make it through. It is so easy to get discouraged and off track but persistance and knowing when to "release" is critical. Its when you stop that the lesson is learned. We are in a challenging real estate market no doubt but f you keep doing the right things everyday, you will have results.

Finally, my horses have taught me the important of leadership, responsibility and consequences.  The same is true with our real estate business. Our customers are looking for leadership whether they be buyers or sellers, especially in an unsettled market. And, we make decisions each day and each has consequences on our business.  Make conscious choices toward success.

Heres to a great week!

2008 is here and promises to be an interesting year for those of us in the real estate arena. As an active real estate broker, I am filled with optimism and excitement at what this year will bring for my business. I am also filled with confidence because I have a road map in place to help me achieve my business goals. Each year in December, I create a business plan for the following year - with this in place, I feel a sense of peace in an otherwise business that can be chaotic at best.

 I am sure it is a well known fact that lack of planning is one of the key reasons for business failure. However, you would be amazed at the number of real estate agents I talk to who do not have a written business plan. Not having a plan is like a football team showing up for a game without any predetermined plays or a tourist visiting an unknown city without a map. Planning is a must - especially in trying times.

When creating your plan remember that you own and run your own business - regardless of where you hang your license, it is your business. You are a business owner who happens to have real estate as the product offering. As a business person, make sure you have your financial piece in order - do you have a business bank account, if it makes sense are you incorporated, do you have a trusted cpa and attorney available to you?

 The key components to your plan will be to:

1. Assess your current position - is your business where you want it to be? What is your brand? Who is your audience? What message are you sending them? What is your differentiation from your competitors?
2. Define your business goals and focus - what is your income goal? What is your definition of success? Personal goals?
3. Create your action items that will allow you to reach your objectives - Determine your sources of business (ie open house, internet, referrals, sphere/past clients, sing calls, postcards, farming). What must you do to obtain business from these sources?
4. Revist your plan - business planning is an evolution - track these items at the very least: prospecting activities, listings appts taken monthly, listing contracts written monthly, listings closed monthly, buyer apps taken monthly, buyer closings monthly, monthly expenses, monthly revenue.

Once you have a plan in place, then it is time to implement and execute. An idea without action is simply an idea - action is critical. If you do not engage in behaviour that generats business, then you will be unemployed - say that to yourself every morning and I guarantee you will feel motivated to take action.

If you are overwhelmed, try and focus on 3 areas: leads, conversion and retention - keep in mind that we are in the prospecting business first and foremost. Once you create an ongoing abundance of leads, then you will need to perfect your conversion skills (this will occur through systems you implement and by practicing scripts and dialogues). Finally, you will want to implement a client retention program - this entails setting up a database of past clients and sphere list and creating a monthly touch plan for these groups. Your goal should be 12 touches a year to your sphere/past client list - this will allow you to achieve the retention piece of your business.

 Plan your business now and reap the rewards!

We all have heard the news that our real estate market nationally is challenged, but we need to remember that real estate is a local business. Always has been and always will be. While the market here in Vancouver WA has experienced a decrease in sales and increaes in inventory, buyers are still buying. I searched pending sales just over the holidays and there were plenty of homes that went under contract.

Whats the secret? Price, location and amenities. Home sellers cannot change their location (but maybe learn for the next buy. Amenities are important - the buyer wants the home that has the wow factor so presentation is critical. The biggest factor however remains price. The market is not being as generous as it once was and is indeed correcting. The goal should be to priced at the right price. What is the right price? The right price is the price a buyer will buy it for TODAY - not yesterday or tomorrow.  The great thing is that the SELLER controls this factor - a seller can decide how fast or how slow their homes sells or even if it sells at all.

2008 is going to be a great real estate market here in Vancouver WA - its all a matter of choice.