As real estate professionals we know very well that we wear a lot of hats.  The average real estate customer sees it as, "Sheesh...all you do is put up a sign and wait for a buyer!"  They don't see the marketing hat, or the showing hat, or the qualifying hat we all have to put on just to get a buyer through the door!  I have often said you could train a monkey to stick a sign in a yard with a toll free number on it, a buyer can call it and say, "I'll take it!"  But the monkey could not handle the details of closing that deal.

So you have the buyer on the hook and it's time to change hats...you are now...The Negotiator!  So Capone may not be the best example, but let's be honest...in this market you need leverage!  Heck, you may have to get downright heavy handed to even get a return phone call.  The fine art of negotiation has changed in this environment and you may find yourself getting down and dirty just to get the right person on the phone.  The point is you have to, "Go to the mattresses" to put your client's offer in the best position to win the deal!

At this point in the game it may come down to the fine art of seduction.  If the heavy handed approach is not working we need to try a little finesse.  You know, smooth things over, make some small talk, a little wink of the eye may go a long way.  Hey, we work on commission and I gotta do what I gotta do!

At times we may be confused as to just exactly what hat we should be wearing.  So we might have to try them all on at once and see what fits.  Am I the therapist, the babysitter, the mother?  We may be all of them at once.  Look, we know buyers get cold feet and we have to help them understand the next step.  So our job is to smooth things over, help them understand the big picture.  Everyone has doubts so we need to reassure them and maybe even coddle them a bit.  Hey, if the hat fits wear it!

Now we are talking!  This is a hat I love to put on.  It's all about the fun we get to have as we get to know our new client and maybe even become friends.  And that is one of the great benefits of real estate...we work with people and get to enjoy some great times and adventures with them.  It may not quite be like this: Elwood: It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses. Jake: Hit it.  But we can certainly enjoy the ride!

Which brings me to the Stingy Brim.  My favorite hat of all.  Why?  Well it let's me be me and just have fun and celebrate the small things in life.  Like meeting a new client, or enjoying my sons soccer game, or signing a nice commission check for an agent that just closed a big deal.  For more on that you can check out my video blog on The Many Hats We Wear here:  http://www.twitvid.com/ACCD4