"There is no greatness without a passion to be great, whether it's the aspiration of an athlete or an artist, a scientist, a parent, or a businessperson." - Anthony Robbins
Without passion you will not make it in real estate. It is a proven fact. Right now, while we enter into a slow real estate market I will see and have seen tempers flaring, agents and sellers complaining, brokers worrying and people just quitting real estate. Some feel that it is time to jump ship. Some feel that they drained the last drop out of real estate and there is no more money to be made. I have to also add that alot of people are just plain out right frustrated and see no light at the end of the tunnel.
My reply to any agent that tells me that the market is just not good right now and they are thinking of getting a "regular job" , is good. Go. You lost your passion!
But here is what I really want to tell them. You are an independent contractor. You are in essence self employed. You need to make business. Let me tell you a story, which I find motivating - There was a woman in NYC who graduated high school with all D's. She had no further education except a real estate license. After several years of having jobs and quitting them or getting fired she borrowed $1000.00 from a boyfriend. She took that $1,000. 00 and opened up a real estate company. In 1989 when real estate took a dive by 40%. Brokers were starving. She was broke and owed out more than she had coming in. She was about to close her doors within the next few weeks.
But wait - She gets a client - with 88 apartments to sell - not the best of the best to sell in a down market and she did not think that these apartments could be sold. She called the owner back and explained to him that she did not think that she could sell them for him. She was broke and she had no money for advertising. The owners reply to her was - "You are a smart girl - you will figure something out" and he hung up. When she went back to the office - she priced out each apartment and told each agent "secretly" that she only has 88 apartments to sell - so only tell your best customers. Low and behold - within the next day or so, more than 200 people showed up to "view" the apartments. Within two weeks they were ALL SOLD. She made 1.2 Million in NET commissions, in the worst real estate market.
"In the worst of times when everyone is looking this way and that way -not seeing any opportunity and watching your BEST agents who continue to have thier best fears in the worst markets because the competitors are laying low and no one is TRYING." What she learned was that "whenever there is quiet - the BEST opportunities are found". Barbara Corcoran.
That is it. In the quiet - the best opportunities are there. No one else is trying - So TRY!
(On a side note: in 2001, Barbara sold her Real Estate business for 66 Million dollars to Cendant Corporation - and she rode off in a gallop)
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