Now don’t get me wrong the title is not about ‘micro-managing’; it’s about being able to be in control of the outcome of any situation that may arise in my day to day running of my real estate business.
I found success as a residential real estate agent from the time that I started. I loved working with people. To see the look on my clients eyes as I showed them the ‘home of their dreams’. I love negotiating with other real estate professionals looking for the best possible outcome for my clients and even better in the end it being a win/win situation for all. As many of you reading this know there are many facets to being a real estate professional, but one common denominator is being in control of the outcome.
As I stated earlier I found success to come easy. When the bubbles started to grow and was about to burst I got scared and panicked. The funny thing is that this is totally out of my character. I love a challenge, but I didn’t want to get out of my comfort zone and try a new endeavor. So I got enticed to try the commercial lending arena. I was in awe of the big commissions, less regulations and quick closing times. So I basically dropped my residential real estate business (which I had grown for 10+ years) and went full time in the commercial real estate lending business.
What I found out very quickly is that I was not in control of the situation. I was in unexplored territory for the first time in a decade. Sure I am a marketing machine and able to get deals in quickly, but the way the system was set up that’s all I did. I was kept out of the loop and got very little updates according to where the deal was. As just as with any business ‘bumps in the road’ did occur, but I was unable to correctly answer the questions they had and had to direct them to the system that was in place. As time went by this gave me a reputation for not knowing what was going on and I was very uncomfortable with this. Repeat business virtually never happened, and again that was an area I was not accustomed to.
I am a big believer that responsibility means the ‘ability to respond’. I took responsibility for the choices that I made, but also knew I had to do something about it. I knew that I was not a ‘control freak’ but I also knew that it was critical that I was able to control the outcome. Just a month ago after sitting with trusted advisors and mentors I’ve decided to make my way back to the residential game. What is great is that I still kept great relationships with people in the industry and they have welcomed me back with open arms.
So yes, I’m in a comfort zone again, but know the next time a ‘shift’ happens I will adapt to the change and keep ‘pressing on’
I wish all reading this a fabulous 2010 and to Expect Abundance!
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