real estate agent: Vendors - 10/31/17 09:52 AM
TEAM Hughes Real Estate School is in its third week of a Real Estate Broker Course and to make the course as convenient as possible, we asked vendors to sponsor a dinner each night and to give a short presentation about their products and/or business.  Vendors are the bomb!  Without these vendors, TEAM Hughes could not accomplish such a successful broker course.  Historically, the school has presented this course only once a year and preparations for it are time-consuming at best.  To rely on vendors to help take the edge off can be a risk.
 
After the course is finished, TEAM Hughes … (2 comments)

real estate agent: What Happened? - 10/17/17 08:35 AM
Bob and I were in New England for a couple of weeks.  Our intention was to visit family and friends and to have our annual meeting with our Administrative Assistant, Judy, who handles the school database.  Combining that with a trip to Bar Harbor, ME, seemed like a good way to see the foliage and to take care of business.  When we got to Maine, we discovered 70-80° weather!  What happened?  New England is usually in full regalia by the time October rolls around.  We still enjoyed the scenery and the little bits of reds and golds that were available, but … (2 comments)

real estate agent: Think About It - 09/18/17 05:11 AM
If you think about it, the practice of real estate can sometimes be stressful.  The public perceives real estate agents as having it easy, a cushy job if you will.  They think the entire commission goes to one real estate agent, and that agent hardly worked for it at all.  Think about it long enough and it will make you want to educate every consumer you meet!
 
Realtors® and real estate agents work for their money, and sometimes work harder than other times.  I always told my agents sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but other times you win big.  Once you’ve … (1 comments)

real estate agent: The Wonder of It All - 09/18/17 05:08 AM
Do you stand in amazement sometimes when you stop and think about your career?  The wonder of it all sometimes confounds me, and my business world seems almost surreal.  Having been raised by parents who worked most their lives to survive, I subconsciously believed that work was a must and should not be viewed as a luxury of any sort.  That was until one day I realized I had been practicing real estate for a while and it was no longer a job; it had become a career of choice.
 
The wonder of it all stops me in my tracks.  Many working-class … (1 comments)

real estate agent: Become a Hurricane! - 09/11/17 12:47 PM
Florida just got knocked on its “keester” with Hurricane Irma, Texas was pummeled by Hurricane Harvey, and while writing this blog, we still don’t know the calamity Hurricane Jose will cause.  Let’s face it:  this hurricane season was not your Momma’s hurricane season!  Time stood still, businesses shut down, schools shut down, people evacuated, and life became disorganized.
 
Now it’s time to get back to work.  Now it’s time for you to become a hurricane!  Of course, I’m using a hurricane as a metaphor in your real estate career.  Hurricanes can be scattered, unnerving and unpredictable.  That’s not what I want for … (2 comments)

real estate agent: Team Efforts - 09/03/17 06:28 AM
Regardless of team efforts, sometimes your team doesn’t place first.  The other night, I watched FSU succumb to Alabama.  The overall team efforts in that game were painful, to say the least.  FSU’s quarterback couldn’t control his passes, and FSU defense looked like a bunch of school boys practicing.  To be honest with you, even though Alabama won, I wasn’t none too impressed with some of their team efforts either, and if they don’t get it together soon, they may have an upsetting season.  By the way, I’m an FSU fan from high school days back in the 60’s and I’ve … (0 comments)

real estate agent: One Thing I Know - 08/26/17 12:38 PM
At my age, you tend to know lots of stuff.  Some of the stuff you know is of great value and some of it has little value or use to anyone.  One thing I know, however, is how to make money as a real estate practitioner.  There’s an old saying, “Those who can’t, teach.”  There’s a lot of truth to that adage, but in my case, it’s a bit different.  I no longer practice real estate because I do not have the energy or the physical capacity to do what must be done.  One thing I know is how to make … (1 comments)

real estate agent: To Be or Not To Be a Broker - 08/20/17 02:46 PM
Many real estate agents think it is a waste of time to go through the time and expense to get a broker license.  To be or not to be a broker is the question.  Some think a broker license is only for agents who either want to manage an office or who want to open their own office.  They couldn’t be more wrong in my opinion!
 
To be or not to be a broker is a no-brainer in my world.  When I first got a Florida broker license in 1985, I had no idea of ever owning my own company.  I wanted … (4 comments)

real estate agent: It’s the Little Things - 08/03/17 10:58 AM
One of our grandsons is visiting from Maine and his time here has been wonderful for me.  I don’t normally get to have grandchildren visit because they all live far away.  Having our 10-year old grandson has been educational, comforting and joyous and I am continually reminded that it’s the little things in life that are the most important.  Having a 10-year old caress my face or hug me and tell me he loves me is at times overwhelming.  I really like having him here.
 
It’s the little things that count in a solid real estate career as well.  I remember clients … (1 comments)

real estate agent: It’s a New Day - 07/27/17 06:11 AM
Ever wake up knowing it’s a new day and you are so glad yesterday is gone?  We’ve all heard the adages, for example, tomorrow’s another day, joy comes in the morning, there’s a new day coming.  How would these sayings relate to a real estate career?  We all have bad days that we’re glad to see come and go, but a bad day for a real estate agent can be monumentally destructive.
 
There are times things appear to be going well.  That closing date is getting closer and you can finally take that vacation or pay those bills.  Two days before closing … (1 comments)

real estate agent: The Perfect Storm - 07/24/17 04:58 AM
Halloween night of 1991 was a nightmare for some living in New England.  An unnamed storm came up that took lives and eventually gave rise to the movie, The Perfect Storm.  Living on the coast of New England can be treacherous without warning, and that fateful night was no exception.
 
Sometimes a perfect storm brews in our own real estate career.  We don’t have a lot of control over outside calamities and when they come, we feel desperately helpless.  That’s why it is so important to have a Plan B to counteract the perfect storm when it affects your real estate career.
 
These … (0 comments)

real estate agent: Make a Difference - 07/23/17 05:37 AM
In the Pensacola Association of REALTORS® alone, there are over 2,000 residential and commercial members.  Students often ask us if there is room for another agent; we always answer yes, there is.  That affirmation comes with a caveat, however.  The industry always has been and always will be flooded with agents who have great aspirations, but who miss the mark.  To be one of the successful REALTORS®, you will need to make a difference.  You will need to set yourself apart from others.  You will need to be one of the best!
 
This country has its share of entrepreneurs, and sometimes it … (0 comments)

real estate agent: Why I Do What I Do - 07/11/17 04:43 AM
Allow me to explain why I do what I do.  My real estate career began in 1983 (I tell people I was only 10 at the time).  I was a single mother receiving zero child support.  Although my background had been as a legal assistant and paralegal, I quickly found I could not continue in that profession and raise my daughters without being catapulted into poverty!  My real estate rental agent gave me a job lead with a real estate broker and it didn’t take long for me to realize I wanted to be on the other side of the desk!  … (1 comments)

real estate agent: A Clear Path - 07/07/17 05:13 AM
Real estate agents sometimes run around without being organized.  They don’t have a clear path to lead them, and their attitudes are like one that promotes slinging enough mud so some of it will stick.  Organization isn’t their thing, and at year-end they complain because nothing seemed to work out and they wonder why they didn’t make the money they expected.  Several REALTORS® come to mind who needed a clear path in their real estate career. 
 
The first was a student who got his license on the first try after working hard to get through our one-week Fast Track class.  He … (0 comments)

real estate agent: A Few Suggestions - 07/05/17 05:57 AM
When you are newly licensed and have begun a real estate career, you tend to follow the lead of some major players in your professional life.  Brokers, trainers, and top producers will all have a few suggestions as you muddle your way through the first month of filling out forms, attending meetings, setting up sites, ordering cards, and generally staying bewildered and wondering when and if it will ever end.  Once the paperwork is done, and the dust has settled, it may be time for a few suggestions about what to do next.
 
Granted, not every new real estate agent starts out … (1 comments)

real estate agent: The Rules of the Game - 06/25/17 02:09 PM
Although the practice of real estate is laced with many consumer laws and licensing laws, there are rules of the game that are not specifically statutory rules or written laws.  For example, there has always been a rule that says if we don’t have anything good to say about someone or something, we probably should keep our mouths shut.  In the real estate industry, this rule is important because just as sure as you say something negative about another real estate agent, it will somehow come back to haunt you.
 
Additionally, the Golden Rule has always been promoted by the National Association … (1 comments)

real estate agent: It’s Your Choice - 06/21/17 03:33 AM
Again, it’s raining!  We’ve had more rain than we know what to do with, and quite frankly, calling Florida the “Sunshine State” right now is a bit of an oxymoron if you ask me.  As I write this blog, I am in my nightgown, sipping a cup of coffee, listening to the rain flood my yard and, of course, I began thinking about the practice of real estate and how it’s your choice when it comes to getting dressed today.
 
In a real estate career, it’s your choice to go into the office, to go into the field, to go door knocking … (0 comments)

real estate agent: How Do You Know? - 06/15/17 09:46 AM
This question plagues me each month we teach a pre-license class.  At least one student will ask us, “how do you know you’re choosing the right office?”  What a huge responsibility that is for us!  I’m always asking the very same question!  We’ve taught at Keller Williams offices, an ERA office and now we are using Coldwell Banker facilities.  So, how do you know it’s the right fit?
 
When a student asks that question, the answer isn’t always simple.  Sometimes it depends on what the student is looking for in a brokerage.  Some students cannot jump into a full-time real estate career, … (1 comments)

real estate agent: A Rainy Day - 06/15/17 08:47 AM
It seems our neck of the woods has had more rain than sunshine lately.  We know it will end, but we also know that since it’s hurricane season, a rainy day is something of a regular occurrence.  We’ve all heard that we should save up for a rainy day in case something unexpected happens.  While this idiom is appropriate for saving money, it can also be appropriate in your real estate career.
 
Saving for a rainy day makes sense, and for REALTORS® and real estate agents, it’s a matter of success or failure of careers.  Most of you know real estate is … (4 comments)

real estate agent: You Are Not Your Thoughts - 06/12/17 12:55 PM
When negativity sets in and your mind begins to ramble or you create conversations with others in your mind, it is easy to fall prey to your thoughts.  To train your mind to reject all negative thinking takes years of meditation, training and is never easy to attain.  Some of us are products of great negativity over the years.  It could be difficult to realize you are not your thoughts.  Because thoughts come from within ourselves, we assume they are part of us, which doesn’t have to be the case.  It’s okay to observe your thoughts and to be aware of … (1 comments)