When I was 16 years old my parents decided it would be best to move us from the only place I had ever known, New York to Florida. As a teenager you can venture a guess I was pretty mad. I did everything but cooperate. It was my life and who were they to take me from my family and my friends ?For months they showed me all the wonderful things about Florida in hopes that it would grow on me. The only real thing I thought about was boys and the beach... boy did that seem to fit. From one day to the next I couldn't make up my mind...Whether I would give it an honest chance or continue to wreak havoc on my parents lives for what seemed back then " ruining my life " . This is when I learned to start sitting on the fence.

Shortly after moving to Florida, still kicking and screaming I might ad, I met my best friend. Her name was Holly. She had grew up in Indiana and her parents moved her to Florida some 5 years before. She could empathize with what I was going through. She became the " wind beneath my wings " in so many ways. She had a boyfriend named Everitte, he was a trip and became like a big brother to me, one I never had. He had a friend named Corey who liked me but in my eyes I was still going back to New York, even if I had to swim all the way there. I must admit he was rather "cute" and for 16 a real gentlemen. I still sat on the fence because I feared the unknown and wanted back what I was comfortable with.

One night Holly wanted to sneak out after curfew during a sleep over at her home. The " boys " were to meet us at the end of the block. It was a race to stay awake for a little while after her Mom went to bed so we could sneak out the window, climb the 6 foot wood privacy fence and run for our lives and for Holly into the arms of a boy she swore she would marry one day. Being scared of heights that fence looked rather larger than it really was. Thinking back I can say now,  " I didn't climb fences but rather I sat on them ". Instead of giving things an honest chance I chose to sit in hopes everything I needed and wanted came to me.It's amazing at how at 16 you think the world revolves around you ! Climbing out the window went off without a hitch. Getting stuck on the pointy end of the fence up my shorts literally became a huge problem. As I tried to cross over the fence the tip stuck in my shorts and their I sat on the fence I had always been sitting on in my mind now stuck. It wasn't long before I realized I wasn't going anywhere and the fear of the unknown started to take me over not to mention my fear of heights. In hindsight at 16 it was a funny adventure, the most embarrassing moment when 2 boys and your best friend have to free you from the fence, all while being quiet so you don't wake Mom or the neighbors. Today, looking back I can see how by creating images in my mind and living for " sitting on the fence " because the unknown was to uncomfortable, I got back exactly what my mind had already been creating. The fear of change, changing times, the unknown, what was not comfortable, what I didn't know bound me to a fence both in my mind and then in real life.

That night not only did I realize I could over come my fears but I also realized I had friends who would ease me from that wretched old fence and safely place me on my feet again. That I had resources that had been staring me in the face the whole time to help me through the changes in my life but I missed them, I missed it all because I wanted back what I was comfortable with. How dare I go against everything and everyone I ever knew. The things that made me laugh, smile and cry all at the same time. The things that made me whole.....

In our lives there is change. We grow up, we move, we start a business. We get married, we have a family. Friends come and go. The one thing that always remains the same is change. This we cannot control. As Realtors(r) our business changes. As a Buyer or Seller their business changes. The one thing I know for certain is that I would have never gotten off of that fence if three people I barely knew didn't provide a push, a pull, a tug and hope. I had to trust they would do exactly what they said they would. I had to open my heart and mind that they would show me the way. That with every hand placed upon me they would get me down from sitting on the fence. Because I embraced the unknown and learned to trust what I was not comfortable with I was freed, free to live and enjoy my life in a place in a new era of time. At that moment I learned keeping two feet on the ground was more comfortable than your feet dangling from a fence.

Have you been sitting on the fence ?  If you are sitting on the fence it's no wonder our buyers and sellers are sitting there too. How many of us are holding out our hands, opening the mind and instilling trust to a buyer and seller that although the markets have changed they are getting no where by dangling from the fence. Like my friends took over in my time of need it is our time to take over the market, change with the market and educate our buyers and sellers. If we fear, they fear. If we sit on the fence, they sit on the fence. There are both buyers and sellers out there waiting for someone to give them hope. Waiting for someone to show them that they do not have to fear the unknown. That the world still spins and no it will NOT fall off it's axle. If we don't dare to show and tell the knew things they won't dare to understand them.

There are new questions arising every day in our changing economy and market. The fact still remains the same that buyers will need to purchase and sellers will need to sell. We already know that most buyers these days are going to the internet to start there home searches. If we write for buyers the sellers come. Today's most important question that a seller asks is :

What are you doing or what will you do to bring buyers to my home ?  If your answer is post cards, mail outs and media advertising than you are no different than the other three agents they will soon be interviewing. NOW is the time to stand out from the rest. How am I doing it. Easy, I stopped sitting and the fence, I am embracing the unknown and there is no fear factor when I walk into a home. I call upon Growth Leader every time ! Why, it's simple.....

Growth Leader : Growth Leader is a proven strategy to bring in buyers. What better piece to incorporate in your listing package. Seriously, everyone has a web site these days. In fact, if you go looking around many look the same only the area's , territories are different. Right now we need our sellers and buyers to say " I have never seen that before ".That is how we will gain there trust, develop a relationship and offer hope. By showing them something knew we are showing them we are not sitting on the fence waiting for someone else to show us.Not everyone can walk into a home and say " This is how I find buyers for your home " and pull up Growth Leader. It is not everyday or every agent that can walk in a home with their laptop google a search term and show your Growth Leader on the top of page 1 in the sponsored links. We all know a seller leads to a buyer, a buyer back to a seller and the referral stage begins. From what I have gathered on recent comments there are so many of you sitting on the fence waiting for everyone else using Growth Leader to tell you what to do or not instead of seizing the opportunity. What may work for me may not work for you or your market. The only way you will ever know is to get off the fence and try it yourself.

I don't care how pretty your fence is, it's still a fence.

I have been using Growth Leader for 10 weeks. In that 10 weeks I have passed referrals for listings in other states, gained both short term and long term buyers, written contracts, closed and my listings are flourishing because I have a system that has proved itself to work. Not only in my eyes but in the eyes of the consumer who is looking at me to show them exactly how I have changed in our market. Nothing Will work in a week or a month. It takes time, effort and diligence. When you first started blogging did the prospects start coming over night ? It took time. It took time to learn how to blog, learn about tags, SEO and what to write about. For some of us it took months to complete a task of 1 prospect. Nothing happens over night but the more time you waste sitting on the fence not only are your buyers and sellers sitting there with you but you are wasting valuable time and resources to get you exactly where you need to be.

Today, I am passing along a favor. A favor that was given to me 19 years ago. I am helping you get off the fence. Why are you still sitting there ?

Melissa Grant, Realtor(r) Century 21 Fountain Realty. 931-210-8277 Direct Melissa@C21Fountain.com or visit my website at www.crossvilletnrealestateforsale.com. I am never to busy for your referrals.