Two Sundays ago I sat through one of those sermons where it feels like God is talking directly to YOU. Almost as if there is a giant spotlight on your seat. You know the feeling?

The topic at hand: "The Christian as Worker and Citizen!"

Now, I won't attempt to plagiarize my good ol' Southern Baptist Preacher. And I normally don't "preach" in my blog. But I thought that the lessons I learned in that sermon deserve to be heard by my fellow real estate professionals. I'll put my own twist on his message in a real estate-y kind of way. I will cite the scripture used with the hopes that you will be able to use these references in your own life...and share them with others.

(And, as a side note, you may be wondering why he's a good ol' Southern Baptist Preacher? Well, he was born to do this job. He was blessed with a knack for getting people to pay attention to the Big Guy in the Sky, AND he was blessed with TWO first names - Pastor John Mark!)

As you conduct your real estate business, here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Christians (Realtors) are to be civilized CITIZENS

1 Peter 2:13-17: "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men...Show proper respect to EVERYONE: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king."

This doesn't say to show respect just to those people you LIKE. Or to those people who share the same beliefs as you. Or to those people who share the same political views. It says to EVERYONE.

How this applies to real estate: I think this ties in quite nicely to our Fair Housing laws. Show the SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE (respect) to ALL customers and clients. Don't play favorites to someone because they have more wealth than another. Don't treat one buyer differently because of their nationality. Treat everyone with the same respect, and your reputation will never fail you.

2. Christians (Realtors) are to be WORKplace WARRIORS

Work is Biblical

Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men."

Work is Varied

Ecclesiastes 9:10 - "Whatever your hands find to do, whatever you put your hand to do, do it with all your might, the Scriptures says".

Work is Good 

Ecclesiastes 5:18 - "Then I realized that it is good and proper for a ma to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him - for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work - this is a gift of God".

Work is Sacred

1 Corinthians 10:31 - "Whatever you do in work or play, do all to the glory of God".

How this applies to real estate: If you choose to make your life's profession Real Estate - then KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK! Challenge yourself - take calculated risks - don't sit back and be mediocre. Don't settle. Our job is one in that it can impact people on a very personal level. We're not just selling them a toaster oven. We are selling their family a home. The single largest investment for large percentage of the population. Through our actions, the standards we set for ourselves & our level of commitment to excellence, we can let God's light shine to everyone we encounter. And we encounter a LOT of people on a daily basis. Not just buyers or sellers. But lenders, title companies, appraisers, inspectors, trades people, fellow agents and so on. Be the kind of agent YOU WOULD WANT TO WORK WITH!

On a personal note: As a Broker of a new, small company with a different mindset than most, the following quote stuck with me most this day. It reaffirmed that what we were doing was the right thing. We're not crazy. And it wasn't a quote from the Bible. It was a quote from the most famous salesman alive - Zig Ziglar, which stated quite simply that YOU CAN ONLY GET WHAT YOU WANT, IF YOU HELP ENOUGH OTHER PEOPLE GET WHAT THEY WANT.

Our brokerage is a small, niche brokerage blessed with being able to provide one of the most attractive commission splits in our area. There are several reasons for why we charge what we charge, but it comes down to these fundamental truths:

• The Current Economy - a large percentage of Realtors have a spouse in other industries. As a larger percentage of this population is experiencing layoffs, it's more important than ever for the Realtor-spouse to produce. Every penny is precious. When an agent has to give up almost half of their commission to their brokerage, this directly impacts that families bottom line.
• The Current Real Estate Trend - there have been numerous posts about how the traditional "brick & mortar" brokerage is changing and evolving. Agents have direct control over their own marketing and business sources, so we give them the power to use more income to pay for whatever marketing efforts they believe benefits them best.
• Agent Motivation - we're helping other people get what they want (income to earn a living, give and save) so that we can get what we want (more time with our families, money to save for the future, build a business to leave to our children).

It was these lessons that I learned from the pulpit that inspired my day and inspired me to share with you all. I hope it inspires you to rethink your business practices, how you talk to each other and how you view your profession. Don't take it for granted - we have one of the best jobs in the world. We can't get laid off. We can't get downsized. We can only do those things to ourselves. It's up to us to work harder, smarter and with integrity.