I don't know if there's every a 'good' time to cold start a real estate practice.  I look forward to better times. I host Open Houses, I send out letters, I call people I know well and people I barely know.  I am one lucky person who actually gets the occasional floor call at my office and I'm working those leads.  I've been so busy not making any money, I haven't taken time to write.

I watch the other agents who have been around awhile and see some of their posturea sink lower and lower and their complaint levels rise higher and higher.  It's hard to work without getting a paycheck. I have come to enjoy immediate gratification with that paycheck every two weeks and additional commissions at the end of the month. Then I became a Realtor. 

Every once in awhile I get a little slap happy between silly questions from customers or hours of research to find just the right house for someone who has completely changed their mind by the time you meet with them.  It's all good, its' all part and parcel but ya gotta wonder sometimes, WHERE'S THE LOVE??

Yikes, does anybody care what we do? Don't they know the hours we put in and the education we continue taking and the phoning we do just to stay on top of things?  WHERE'S THE LOVE??

My husband wonders where I am on Saturday and Sunday afternoons now.  I actually am missing parts of Seahawks games to go sit in an empty house and hope someone stops by to talk to me.  I miss my halftime treats at home! WHERE'S THE LOVE??

It's the end of the year so we start getting out dues notices for next year.  Didn't I just pay these? How about if you wait and bill me when the "market picks up"? No? Okay but WHERE'S THE LOVE?

I love this business though and I've only been in it six months.  You can't let yourself get down or discouraged. No matter what, we have to be encouraged and encourage others, including our customers

I am not complaining. I am blessed with a lot of love around me. I have some good connections with some agents and brokers in my office. These are people with whom I'd like to do business. These are people whom I trust in their ways and wisdom and appreciate their advice.  THERE'S THE LOVE. People passing on what someone spent time to share with them when they got started.

Meeting new people is a pasttime for me. I love meeting people and learning about them, finding out what makes them tick, finding out what they love.  Some people are hard to love!

Steven Covey is famous for a lot of sayings but one of my favorites is "Love is a verb."

It isn't just an overpowering passionate feeling or an overwhelming feeling of gratefulness.  Sometimes it's just an act of the will, an expression to show someone else some love.  It's pretty simple actually.  You do something so someone else feels loved or encouraged.

Maybe you start your wife's car and warm it up for her on a cold morning while she gathers her briefcase and coffee for work.  Maybe you add that little sticky note in your son or daughter's lunch box just to make them smile and feel loved while they are at school away from you.  My husband travels a lot and once in awhile I like to surprise him with little sticky notes inside his planner, his briefcase, pockets in his suits, places he can find "me" while he's 2000 miles away from home.  THERE'S THE LOVE.

In our business, it's nice to hear thank yous. It's nice to be appreciated. And you know what? We are.

Everyday I see and hear of gestures of kindness from clients who want to do something nice for their agent. They do value us.

I finally got my first 'official' one today.  This client was my first listing and my first transaction.  I've written about them here before today. Today they sent back a survey our mother company sends out. It's always good to ask for feedback. 

They said there was nothing I could have done to improve and they said they loved me!

It doesn't get much better than that.

Copyright 2007 Tall Cedar Publishing