Would It Kill You To Help? - 06/30/10 01:12 PM

"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - James D. Miles
I just had a couple of conversations this morning that left me disturbed.  Before I elaborate, please let me ask a simple question:  As a real estate professional, are you in the business of helping people?
Both conversations this morning hit a topic that is coming up more and more:  Real estate pros who not only don't want to be bothered with lower-priced properties, they don't lift a finger to help these people.
The best agents … (48 comments)

Realistic Expectations In Today's Market: This Ain't 1986 - 06/25/10 12:28 PM

Are you being held to standards and expectations that are 10 years old?   20 years old?
Real estate and sales seminars provided by real estate companies for their agents serve their purpose and there is valuable information to be gained.  However, listen closely to what you're being taught and don't be afraid to ask questions.
Case in point:  I just got off the phone with a North Carolina agent who is attending an educational series provided by his real estate company.  The requirement in the class is to make 20 new contacts (leaving a voice mail doesn't count) per day.   … (1 comments)

The 7-Year-Itch Rule: Forget About It - 06/11/10 11:29 AM

Forget: The 7-Year-Itch rule that states “the average homeowner moves once every seven years.”
Remember: The average homeowner will probably need you once, maybe twice in their lifetime.
There’s hardly a day that goes by where I don’t encounter real estate pros who “purge” their database of people who haven’t return contacted them in the past, say, 90 days. In years past this may have worked, but considering the resources for long-term contact that we have at our fingertips today it’s an almost ludicrous strategy.
With the CRM technology available to salespeople of all realms, there is more power in … (4 comments)