You can’t walk forward if you keep looking over your shoulder. - 02/24/10 05:46 AM
Are you one of those agents who can't let go of any mistakes you've made in the past?  Ever had a listing agreement go south either from the client or broker because of errors?  Do you forget your phone and need to go back home to get it?  How about the device you need to open the lock boxes so you can get the key to open the home.  Ever leave it at the office or home and worse you drive like a bat out of h--- and then you forgot to charge it.  Well if you've done one of those … (4 comments)

There are many things we can do on our own, but being a realtor isn’t one of them. - 02/22/10 06:24 AM
Good morning and I hope you have a wonderful day listing and selling.  There are a host of things we can do on our own.  We can get up, comb our hair (not me I am follicle deficient) brush our teeth, put or clothes on and drive ourselves to work.  We can fix our breakfast, lunch and dinner; we can think and voice our opinion (sometimes when we're asked and sometime when we're not).  The list goes on but you get the general idea.  How did we get to where we could do all those things that some of us take … (8 comments)

Some clients are magic some are tragic. - 02/21/10 10:13 AM
I have this buyer I acquired off of a sign call I'll call him Bob.  I also have this client I acquired off of the internet I'll call her Sue.  Both clients contacted me in reference to some property I had for sale.  One was a person that needed to acquire a loan the other was a cash buyer.  One client I have been working with for about 3 months and have shown several properties to.  The other client I showed 4 properties to just this last weekend and I believe we are going to make an offer tomorrow.  One I … (4 comments)

Service is a choice, thank you for choosing me. - 02/18/10 05:53 AM
I do business with a warranty company.  Their representative in my neck of the woods is top notch.  I'll call her Liz.  I recently listed a property and offered the seller as I do from time to time a home warranty paid for by me.  I sent Liz a copy of the address and what I would pay.  Within a few hours I received a conformation and warranty number and all that comes with it.  That's one of the reasons why I do business with Liz. While I was reading over the email I noticed the heading for this blog.
 "Service … (1 comments)

How do you tell your clients to put a zipper on it? - 02/12/10 06:41 AM
I have this client we'll call her Sally.  Sally is a very intelligent person but for one small well let's count the ways. 
•1.    Please you signed a contract with me let me find the property for you.
•2.    Do not and I repeat do not contact the listing agent on the property your interested in.
•3.    If you don't follow my first two rules then for goodness sake do not tell the listing agent what you want the property for.  You just added thousands to your costs.
•4.    After showing you the properties you were just dying to see make … (3 comments)

How are your actions today affecting other agents tomorrow? - 02/11/10 06:20 AM
Here you are going about your daily routine not paying attention to your actions.  You get on the phone or however you get your listings and make contact with a client.  All goes well and next thing you know you're at the front door and inside the home giving your presentation.  Again all goes well and you get the listing and go back to the office and enter it into your MLS system.  You get busy and next thing here you are getting notification the listing is about to expire and then it hits you...
Darn I did not do anything … (4 comments)

What’s your reaction time? - 02/10/10 06:01 AM
In law enforcement, firefighting, medical, and a host of other professions reaction time is crucial.  If a firefighter takes his time to put water on a fire the results can be devastating.  If a doctor takes his time to react to a patient's complaint the results can be fatal.  If you were being robbed, raped or shot at the reaction time for law enforcement a few seconds can make a big difference. 
Then I ask you when a client has a concern or complaint why do some (not all) agents take their time to respond?  I had entered a residence the … (4 comments)

Are you consistent with what you promise? - 02/08/10 06:08 AM
When you make that phone call from the office and get that client on the phone do you make promises you can't keep?  When you go on that listing presentation do you make promises you know you can't keep?  When that buyer calls you do you know you can't deliver?  Then why I ask again why do you do it?  When I first started I told each client I would call them once a week, once a month or whatever but I held to my promise.  When I got so many listings I could not keep my promise I called and … (6 comments)

What is your minimum standard? - 02/05/10 05:49 AM
When you get up in the morning you don't say to yourself I'm just not going to do my best today I think I'll just go 40% of my capability.  When you go to the doctor because your ill you don't expect him (her) to give you only 30% of their ability.  When you go and get your oil changed you don't expect them to only put 50% of the oil required in your vehicle.  These people are expected and better perform at a minimum of 100% of their ability or dire consequences (lawsuit) would occur. 
So why then do you … (11 comments)

Are you willing to share your success? - 02/03/10 05:58 AM
So are you, are you going to tell what you do that grew your business to others? Are you going to let them in on the secret to your success?  When you go to a listing appointment and get that listing which no one else could are you going to share how you did it?  Are you going to let the agents who did not get the listing just what you said or did so they can use it next time? 
Okay so you're not the type that okay to but think back if someone did not let you in on … (11 comments)

Why did kamikaze pilots wear head protection? - 02/02/10 06:02 AM
During the last stages of WWII Japanese pilots would crash their planes into Allied ships in an effort to destroy capital ships.  This was done in part to protect their homeland and for other reasons.  I wonder why the pilots wore head protection.  If they were going to sacrifice their lives for their country than what purpose did the head protection serve? 
Are some agents like those pilots?  Are you one of those agents?  Is you plane headed for a crash landing?  Have you lost your enthusiasm for this profession?  To each agent if you are new or been around for … (4 comments)