Reversing the Tide of Negativity in a Challenging Market

Let's face it, times are tough. Unless you're living under a rock or are part of the Occupy Wall Street 1%, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. All of us have been affected to varying degrees by the severe market downturn, especially for those of us whose livelihoods have been directly impacted by the massive slump in the housing market.

As is typical, whenever the economy tanks, there's a lot of negativity floating around. The sense of doom and gloom can be overwhelming at times and affect us at our core. It's hard not to get caught up in the sucking vacuum of pessimism.

I'm currently re-reading a really excellent book by Gary Keller entitled "Shift: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times." Definitely a 'must-read' given our current market dynamics.

In his book, Gary makes the statement  that 'your life will either be about your problems or your opportunities. That you can't control the market, but you can control your outlook and your response to the market.'

Recently, at the invitation of my friend Drew Meyers, I had posted an article on GeekEstateBlog entitled "Real Estate Outside the Box: Questioning the Value of Brick & Mortar" with a corresponding teaser article here on ActiveRain called "Are Brick & Mortar Real Estate Offices a Dinosaur?"

Both articles garnered some really great and valuable contributions to the conversation. The one here on ActiveRain reached nearly 100 comments!

Unfortunately, over on GeekEstateBlog, an anonymous commenter attempted to hijack the topic and turn the discussion into a personal attack against me.

I have to admit, this is something new for me. While there may be a few folks who may not care for me, I've never considered anyone an enemy, per se, at least not enough to slander me in an open forum.

Now I'd be the first person to admit that I'm not currently a 'Top Producer,' not by any stretch. I've come close a couple of years, but like many other good, hard-working agents/brokers, just making ends meet the past couple of years has been challenging. This doesn't negate the fact that I love being a real estate broker nor diminish the relentless passion and commitment I have for my clients and representing their best interests.

I think our natural tendency is to get caught up in the drama, expend inordinate amounts of energy being consumed by such petty annoyances, and allow ourselves to feel defeated. But that's not going to happen. I can control my attitude and outlook. Seriously, if you want to complain that I spend more time blogging than I do selling real estate, how about you spend more time selling real estate and less time pestering me, okay?!

So I'm making a conscious decision about my attitude here, and I think its a lesson we all can learn from:

When we're faced with tough times, where pessimism and negativity is prevalent, we are faced with a choice - either we add our critical voices to the sea of negativity, or we become agents of positive influence and change.

It's time for all of us to reverse the tide of doom & gloom that permeates our offices and culture. It's time to take responsibility for the things we can control. It's time to stop being critical of others, and focus more on who & what we are and what we ourselves are doing for others, particularly our clients.

How can you turn the tide where you are today? What positive words of encouragement can you offer someone today that can truly make a difference?

To my anonymous commenter, Jimmy8814@yahoo.com, I'm sorry that I'm not as successful as you are. If it's any consolation, I truly do care about my clients and always strive to serve them to the best of my abilities. If I've ever done anything to upset you, please consider this my sincere apology.

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Keller Williams West Sound, providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife, SoundBiteBlog, and Crabbing in the Hood, or e-mail: kitsapagent@gmail.com