got the bpo's too

Hey Renee--I didn't take it personally I just forgot about the BPO's that I am doing.  I am in the office today hand addressing all of our Christmas Cards so those will be ready to go out.  Client stood me up so got to do something right. 

I don't have rentals here and we have a girl that gets all the lease purchase business cause it is her specialty so any other suggestions on how to use my license would be more than welcome.  I am pounding out emails to everyone I know that the market is not what the media says.

Jeff I spend an incredible amount of time on my business and am still incredibly slow right now.  I do not have income coming into my household from another source so I am on a rather tight budget.  I did have some residual income left over from some sales that I did and my parents have helped me out when needed but the residual is drying up fast because I still have fees, dues, marketing, etc to pay for so either I need a ready willing and able buyer right now or I need to find something that will help me over the hurdle.

I am sure there are many out there in the same boat.  No one could foresee the market we are working in and only the seasoned agents probably truly know how to get thru it because they saw the 21% interest rates that so many of us did not see. 

I have been fortunate to have the help I have had and don't take it for granted one minute but I know that things are going to change.  We are already experiencing more calls to the office and thru our 1-800 lead capture line.  But I pose this question to you if your market dried up to the point where no one in your office including you had a sale for 5 months wouldn't you be considering other options too? 

I applaud the guy working in a restaurant think of all the leads he can get while waiting on his customers if he plays it just right with service.  I applaud the person who thinks outside the box and isn't just sitting back waiting for the phone to ring. If I had been told by a seasoned agent or any agent that I needed reserves because you never know what might happen I would have heeded that advice.  I have lived thru many things that make me very frugal and that is the only reason I am just now running low on funds.

In working their business do you recommend they go without proper shelter, proper food, proper hygeine to get that almighty dollar from a sale.  Work your business yes but do not put yourself into a financial bind because if you do your clients will feel it and if you can't manage your money then how are you going to manage the sale or purchase of their home.  Work that second job if you have to so that you can pay for postage, pay your fees, pay your dues  but take care of yourself first so that you can take care of your clients second.

And Gaylen, I apologize I did not mean to hijack your post for my rant.

Wow you didn't mean to sound like a jerk well you did a bang up job with your response.  Me personally I have had no closings for the past 5 months.  Have I been sitting on my butt those 5 months no I have not.  I work as a buyers agent in my office and if you had read any of the other posts that I have written would know what I deal with on a daily basis. 

Yes I have made calls make them every day as a matter of fact, I email, I hold open houses, matter of fact I am the only one in the office that holds these open houses.  Admittedly being in a new office for the last 5 months I have sat back and tried to let the man who oh so needed a buyers agent figure out what to do with me but I have not sat back and waited.  I created a data base where there was none before, I have created a better albeit not perfect and not finished website with the somewhat unhelpful hands of the web designer, I have had leads but not of a substantial nature where they could actually close.  I have changed the marketing so that more calls were coming into the office.  I do my BPO's in a very timely fashion, I go to closings when my partner can't, I promote getting out there and being seen as in the Trunk or Treat that I alone signed up for at my office. I spend my own money on advertising, food for opens, balloons, signs, etc. 

Why am I in real estate because I am good at what I do and I love it there are just times when you need help getting over that hump, paying for those fees, and I think what you said can make some feel less of a person because they realized they needed to make that happen.    As to knocking doors I don't you could get shot for just riding up unannounced at some of the homes in my area and I would like to live to see another day.

Do I take offense to your comment no just pointing out that there are some out there that might have to do what it takes to stay afloat, to get those 100 letters out next week, to buy the balloons for the open, to put gas in their car for the showing on the weekend.  Working this job part time is hard and those that have to do it that way are the ones that will either survive or realize that it just can't be done and move on to something else, it is for them to decide.

I have to apologize Jeff you aren't a jerk actually I like most of what you say most of the time, your comment just struck a nerve after what happened last week at my office.  I took some time off this weekend to think about it and do some reading (real estate reading mind you) and I am a bit fired up.  I am basically going into the office with purpose tomorrow to try and resolve this issue.  If it can't be resolved I will be looking for another firm and Panama City looks like an excellent place to be, lol. 

Again, Gaylen I am sorry for the hijack, nerves are raw here to say the least.