There is an old saying to the effect that "something" happens. Personal tragedy is impossible to avoid. People we love betray us, get hurt, killed, or suffer any number of other catastrophes. One event is bad enough but the fortitude of even the strongest amounst us is often tested by a full-on assault from all sides. Tragedies tend to come in clumps. When they happen, they can make things worse for us by taking us away from the very business that sustains us through these varied gut shots.

It is normal to feel overwhelmed and incapable of functioning under difficult personal circumstances. I have recently experienced such a crisis. I would like to share with you some things I have learned to make it easier on you when you have to go through 7 levels of Hell only to discover that there are 14 levels.

Winston Churchill once said, "When you are going through Hell, KEEP GOING". There is much wisdom in this statement since, afterall, what is the alternative? The first thing I suggest you do when you reach a major personal crisis is to take time off. A week or two will not only give you a chance to deal with your emotions but it will give you an opportunity to seek out support mechanisms. We all need friends and family when we are in pain and this will give you that opportunity.

But also take time to make a plan of action. What will you do to deal with this new crisis? Then make it part of your daily routine and calendar. Set aside specific time to meet with doctors or attorneys or other professionals who may be needed to assist you. Don't wing it! Make crisis management just another account to be acted on and reconciled in your agenda. It is difficult to compartmentalize your feelings but that is why you take time off at first. At least then you will have time to regain functionality.

Don't deal with it alone. Talk to your co-workers and broker. Let them know that you are dealing with a crisis and that their support will be appreciated.

Finally, decide to accept that blame is a fools paradise. Don't get caught up in investing energy into blame. Focus on solutions. It will be better for you, your soul, and those around you.

God Bless

Damn we're good looking! We are in an industry chock full of hotties. And that is no accident. The most successful sale people in the world are those who exude confidence. And, by definition, those who exude confidence are sexier than others. It's an occupational hazard to be sure. Men who work-out, make good money, smile, demonstrate leadership, and drive a new Mercedes...I mean COME ON, who'd want that!?!? Women whose breasts arrive at an address 2 minutes ahead of them and talk to you as if you were the one man missing from their lives? Let's face it, we're HOT! And for good reason, charm works!

And there in hangs a tale. A female colleague of mine was getting ready to close up an open house recently and found a man hiding in a closet. She managed to convince him to leave voluntarily with charm and a cool head but she made sure to get his license plate number and the police had a "friendly" chat with him later. Another female collegue was not so fortunate 2 years ago as she was raped at an open house. We are "mini" celebrities in our communities. People know our names and see our faces in the newspaper. We make easy marks for stalkers and attackers.

When you have your open house signs all over town stating that you are attractive, accessible, and alone you are going to occasionally meet people that aren't there to buy a house. As such, a few tips on safety are worth noting:

1) Wear shoes you can run in. Sounds silly but this is your single best defensive tool.

2) Hold an open house with a partner. Two against one is not guarantee of safety but it helps a lot.

3) Let the neighbors know that you will be holding the house open and would be grateful if they dropped in occassionally...Hey, any excuse to network!

4) If you are in a particularly troublesome neighborhood you might even ask the police to do a courtesy drive by once in a while.

5) Learn basic self defense. If you can momentarily immobilize an attacker long enough to find help you stand a much better chance of getting away safe.

6) In some municipalities it is legal to carry weapons; Pepper Spray, Stun Guns, even Hand Guns. Before using any of these, find out the law in your area and get the necessary permits AND training before considering carrying a weapon. It may be unpleasant but as a final redoubt, correctly used firepower is certainly effective at stopping an attacker.

7) Have an escape plan. YOU know the house you are holding open better than anyone else. Use that knowledge to your advantage.

Just recently a female Student Body President at UNC was shot to death. She was validictorian from her high school, beautiful, and an A student with a bright future. Remember that succeful, confident, and motivated people make the most desirable victims for people who see in you everything they think they should have.

So don't be a victim, you gorgeous hunk of realtorhood. :)

This has never happened to you, right? You sit your clients down after evaluating the situtation and give them your learned council. Print media or no print media; open house or no open house; list first, buy later; hire this contractor and not that one...we've all been there. The worst part is when you find someone who is so convinced that THEY know better than you that they do the exact opposite of what you suggest and, low and behold, get into trouble...which is of course YOUR FAULT!

The problem is worsened by the fact that in our business we consider our clients to be friends, lifelong customers who we are eager to build a relationship with. So what do you do when despite your best efforts your friend and client seems hell bent and determined to commit financial suicide in the name of being able to say "See, I was right"?

This can be one of the toughest decisions to face and can rapidly turn a friend into a foe. But I have found a few methods that work to lesson the impact for you and your client:

1) Document EVERYTHING! I know we all like to think a handshake is good enough with friends but I always let them know that my memory is not a reliable record of our discussion so I minute meetings and list my suggestions and then copy them on those suggestions.

2) Solicit independent opinions. During a tour you might ask for a price opinion from fellow realtors or ask a collegue to do their own CMA (buy 'em lunch!)

3) Regularly update market trends and the comps

4) At open houses, get visitor opinions and note them for the seller

5) Always advise your client of the consequences of poor decisions. It is always a cost versus reward scenario.

Sometimes there is nothing we can do to keep our clients from going down in flames. But we can at least make sure we aren't dragged down with them.

I lost a listing today. It happens. The client bought another house BEFORE listing her old one, then listed it over the Thanksgiving weekend for the top of the price range and couldn't figure out why it didn't leap off the market. I eventually convinced her to lower the price but her "needs" still dictated her price and NOT the market. Poor timing and decision making have her sitting on two mortgages in these delightfully interesting times.

In the end, I wasn't exactly sorry to see the listing fall into someone else's lap. This was a friend of a friend and those can be toughest customers. Despite the market we have to be resolute to be frank and honest with clients and not afraid to say, "perhaps another agent can serve your needs better". I know people are clammering for deals right now but it is often a better use of your time to let a difficult seller go in order to hunt better game. In the end, the agents that survive will be the ones who go on to prosper when the market turns. And the survivers will be the ones who maintain integrity and use their time wisely.

There is no question that there are fewer buyers during the holiday season. But there are fewer sellers too. As people remove their listings to ensure privacy during the holidays those that need to buy have fewer options.

In certain demographics the Open House can be a GREAT way to generate more business. For example, if the family is all together for the giving season then there is only so much football and honey baked ham to occupy your time with. Often, out of town visitors will go for a drive or a walk. And these are the people who are going to be inclined to drop in on an open house sign. Maybe they are just bored. But some may actually be planning to move back home as the spirit of the yule tide overwhelms them. Or perhaps they are just enchanted by the idea that Christmas in California doesn't mean freezing to death.

This a a great opportunity to get maximum exposure with very little competition. December 22 and 23rd are just a couple days before Christmas and you are sure to find a lot of out of towners strolling around looking for something to do. Put up a sign, make some hot chocolate, and grab a client or two.

Being the father of 2 little rug rats I tend to get sick more than I used to. And although I don't mind the runny nose or headache that much, I do mind the inability to maintain consistency in my business.

The reality of life is that we have sickness, vacations, emergencies, etc that pull us away from, what are otherwise, the best laid plans. In an attempt to deal with this I am beginning a blog tickler file.

A tickler file is a list of blogs that can be stuffed into the blog by anyone at anytime. I will have my assistant insert my prewritten blogs on those occassions when I can not be there to do it myself. This will maintain consistency so my readers do not feel like they are on a roller coaster.

Time management is very important but will only get you so far. If you don't have consistency you will lose readers. So take some time over the thankgiving weekend to front load your blog with prepared content that you can publish whether you are flat on your back with a stuffy nose, or working that tan.

Many of use grew up in a time when CYA meant Catholic Youth Association. It has come to mean something completely different today. When I was born my father paid the doctor $125 dollars. That included his services and a one night hospital stay for my mother...and no, I am not older than dirt. ;)

Litigation has been the most dominant growth industy of the past 30 years and it is getting worse. Statutary and case law makes it necessary for any good agent to be well educated on the process of making sure you are not a victim of someone else's desire to deprive you of a lifetime's work. Whether though no fault of your own or otherwise, you already have the deck stacked against you in litigation because you are a "rich" Realtor and, as the agent, are expected to be an expert.

Hence, BE AN EXPERT! Know the laws and your responsibilites and keep good paperwork, detailed conversation logs, save your emails, and make sure you give copies to the client of everything. All it takes is one lawsuit and you are looking at losing all you worked so hard for.

Tips:

1) Don't work with just anyone. Choose your clients carefully. Don't let the potential commission influence your decisions.

2) Use checklists. If you still use paper then use checklists. If you are going virtual use a proven system like Relay

3) Copy your clients on everything

4) Above all else remember that these words with your clients are your best friend, "if you have to ask, disclose".

The latest greatest double edged sword of the last 20 years has been cable TV. When you used to have 4 TV stations you were pretty limited in content. But with the explosion of hundreds of TV channels in the last decade we have also seen a rise in the number and variety of programs. Air time needs to be filled and it does not matter what with.

One of the most popular programs lately are those home flipping and restoration shows that make it look like a snap to just buy up a beat up old home for pennies on the dollar and turn it into a multi-million dollar palace that will sell in 24 hours.

As a licensed General Contractor who has done this myself I can tell you that Dan Rather's Memo-gate story had more credibility than most of these programs. Worse still is the host of "get rich quick" advertisements strewn in between these shows offering videos, DVDs, work books, and coaching ALL promising to provide a pathway to riches.

Many otherwise intelligent people are easily roped into the belief that with no money down or for just a few dollars they can buy cheap properties through foreclosure, flip them, and make a fortune overnight. The endless stream of bad hair weave actors standing infront of Lamborghinis and bikini clad silicon sisters trying to convince you that endless wealth can be achieved with no significant effort makes one wonder how the hardest working country on Earth got to the point where we can actually be conned by this stuff.

If you aren't roped into the $6000 coaching fees you are SURE to buy the $499 get rich quick package which is usually some almagamation of 90% hype and 10% "secret" techniques, non of which are much of a secret to any professional Realtor. But why then don't professional Realtors make this kind of money? Perhaps there is a little more to it than the infotainers let on. In reality, Most of the time, you are bidding on a house you have never seen on the inside .  People who are in foreclosure are a lot less likely to let people in to have a look at the house. Additionally, they are VERY likely to leave the place a mess or even destroyed! You don't know how much damage you will find inside.  Repair costs are VERY expensive. Quality building labor is at a premium and not always available when you need it. And in Real Estate, time is your enemy.

The next thing to remember is that when you bid on a foreclosure property you are competing against some VERY savvy and well financed competitors. If they are not bidding on a house you are bidding on you should ask yourself why. Repair costs, market value, rent rates, all have an impact on a buy decision.

I have worked with many flippers over the years and I have made good money for several of them...when they take my advise. Those that ignored my advice and thought they had the whole thing dialed in because they never missed an episode of Flip That House...well, I've referred them to some might fine bankruptcy attorneys.

Getting that Buyer Representation Agreement signed!

I have once worked with a buyer who wouldn't sign my Buyer Representation Agreement, to my regret. They wasted my time driving all over town looking at properties and in the end decided to stay where they were.

Since then I have had my Buyer Representation Agreements signed everytime. Getting it signed initially was challenging. And the reason was that I had no compelling reasons to give the buyer as to why they should sign it. But that has changed and here are the methods I use to get that agreement signed every time:

1) The first document we show the client is the Agency Disclosure. I refer to it for my cleints as the "Miranda Rights" of Real Estate. This gets them to feel comfortable since I explain that it is not a contract just a legally mandated disclosure of their rights as consumers under the Law of Agency. One of the key elements of the disclosure is the requirement to obey the clients lawful commands. I point that out

2) I then bring out the Representation agreement and specify that one of the client's lawful commands could be to pick up the dry cleaning, get the car washed, and massage their feet. Since this is out of the scope of my job description I "REQUIRE" my clients to sign a "REAL ESTATE" Buyer Representation Agreement which narrows the scope of my obligation to you "THE CLIENT" to matters related to Real Estate like Preparing CMAs, Showing Properties, writing contracts, Negotiating, etc.

With this approach I have NEVER once found a client unwilling to sign. I take the opportunity to explain that I offer a no obligation cancellation clause with 72 hours written notice. Naturally I include procuring clause verbage in case they try to pull a fast one. But I let them know that the benefits of the agreement are to define my responsibilites and HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE for performance, give them a written and exacting definition of their financial obligations, and legal protections for both of us.

Knowing what you are selling is critical to sales success and that is not limited to homes. You need to know the contracts too.

The result? My average commission for 2007 YTD is 3.41%

GET IT SIGNED! :)

Since becoming a web marketing expert I have also come to understand the danger out there from people who have greater tools than ever to steal our identites. To protect yours do these things:

1) Buy a shredder! And get one that does CDs as well as paper. They are relatively cheap at Staples or Office Depot and you should use it religiously. I shred ANYTHING that comes to me in the mail that has personal information on it that I no longer need. The most common way people get your identity is stealing your garbage. Their favorite excuse is "I was just looking for Aluminum cans". The fact is that once you put your garbage on the curb, ANYONE can take it LEGALLY! So make sure there is nothing in it you don't want anyone to have.

2) Protect your Social Security number and NEVER give it out unless absolutely required by law!

3) Check your credit report annually (at a minimum). The 3 credit reporting companies are:

Trans Union http://www.tuc.com/
Experian http://www.experian.com/
Equifax http://www.equifax.com/

4) Block your name from marketing lists and remove it from pre-approved credit card offers by calling (888) 567-8688

5) Don't carry your birth certificate, extra credit cards, or social security cards with you for regualr errands

6) Keep all confidential info in a safety deposit box or safe

7) ONLY use reliable online transaction clearing houses

8) pay attention to clerks using your card in a store. If they still use manual credit card machines ask for the carbon paper.

9) add a firewall and/or router to your computer if you have an internet connection

10) If you suspect your ID have been stolen call police immediately and check out these sites:

http://www.idtheftcenter.org/
www.consumer.gov/idtheft

If your identity has been stolen you will need to engage the services of a credit repair firm. Feel free to email me if you want the name of a good one.