STOP WHINING!!!! We Cannot Afford to be Ostriches!!!!

I find humor in the whining of some real estate professionals! Did you think that once you got your license that sales would just drop into your lap? Did you think that sales would only go up? Life has ups and downs and so does real estate.

In this unstable economy, where the real estate market is normalizing, I am simply shocked at the entitlement mentality of some real estate professionals. It's as if they have blinders on and didn't realize that we had been in one of the strongest real estate markets in decades and it was going to cool off sooner or later.  

In trying to make some sort of sense out of this, I've come up with several theories that might explain the behavior:

Spoiled. The market was so good, some of us got very spoiled. It is time to start business planning, especially when it comes to differentiating yourself from your competitors. Perhaps focusing on ways to improve your client services and relationships. What can you do different and better than your competitors?

Ignorance/Arrogance. There were agents who had been fortunate enough to have a great run during the boom period and did not save for rainy days. They took sales for granted and now during the course of this correction, did not realize what it would be like to have no deals or fewer deals in the pipeline. Now their ignorance/arrogance may lead them to make unsound and irrational choices in these times because they didn't plan. There are even some agents that are still doing well and they feel that if they've survived through it so far, they won't be affected by it. We all need to understand the magnitude of the poor planning for slow times!!

We cannot afford to be ostriches with our heads buried in the sand and have no concept of planning ahead for economic realities.

Think before you start whining. People don't want to hear it! It is time to go out and find ways to succeed. Find ways of increasing your networking in your community, cutting costs where you can, increase your marketing efforts, improving processes that will benefit client building and protect your current sphere of influence by keeping in contact, don't forget birthdays and anniversaries.

Don't forget the basics of personal attention. Especially in these sensitive times when buyers and sellers are scared of what the media is feeding them. Maintain a positive attitude and make sure you have made provisions for savings in case the correction lasts longer.

With a little preparation, insight, long-term perspective and an attitude adjustment, we can weather the real estate correction and come out winners!

P.S. Turn off the negative "Doom & Gloom" real estate coverage on your radios, television sets, newspapers and make your own news!