Charlie don't change a thing.  You are not here to please others just yourself.  We too have the fur coat high dollar car group but in our office it is more about the down home atmosphere that sells.  Jeans and a nice shirt and I drive a mini van.  Most think I am just a soccer mom and when they find out that my kids are grown and that I bought the van to have more room for clients they too are amazed.

Charlie, You can't please all the people all the time.  Just keep on being you.  When you drive the Sonata, they wonder how many people you've lost.  If you were to drive the Mercedes, they'd wonder how many people you lost.  Are you losing people now because it's not a hybrid??  Just keep on being you!

Charlie, image is a perceived 'notion' in our society.  I say match your dress, your vehicle, your language to the clients you work most with.  With $130,000 homes, I feel your car is simply perfect.  If you find yourself dealing with the high end sector, then those commissions will allow you to drive what would be most appropriate to work with them.  In our area of the country, a SUV seems to be most acceptable for the type of gear we haul and people we transport.

The first thing I try to teach my agents is not to worry about what the others think say or do.......I explain to them very carefully that people will think things even if they are not true and there is nothing you can do about it - as long I know we do the right thing each day, that is what matters.  Our clients/customers are what matters and they know the truth.....they are where we get our business from.......

Charlie.. one word for you..  RUNNING BOARDS.. ok thats two words.. they make climbing in and out do-able for shorties like me.  Drive what you want.. its your comfort zone, me, I drive a Mazda, for its durability and maneuverability.  And I don't justify the Mercedes or BMW as a "have to have to do business", I have other places to spend my money.  happy New year. Be Great in 08.

You are not gonna keep everyone happy...goog job!

I don't think you should change a thing.  I don't care if I do start netting a million dollars in commission, I'll drive whatever I want, and if it's a Subaru Forester, so be it! 

Frankly, sometimes in this business I get a little tired of people (the high-falutin' ones or the wanna-bes) projecting their insecurities on the rest of us. I got into this business so that I could get away from conformity and be myself.  Just as I've done my entire life, if someone doesn't like me for who I am then I do not want to be around them, potential client or not.

But I realize that this attitude may be to my detriment, because there are just too many people out there who place a high value on outward appearances.  Oh well.

Charlie,   I can definately relate with what you are saying.  It really can drive you crazy wondering what people are thinking.  I have been fairly successful in life and occassionally have been hassled by people who are my friends; they tease me and make me feel as though they are jealous and it makes me feel uncomfortable.  At the same time, I know where I came from:  Twenty-one years ago I left Oklahoma because I hadn't worked at a steady job for over a year, drove to Phoenix in my car and came real close to having to live in that car.  Since then I have worked very hard to build a life out here.  Curently, I am going into my fourth year in real estate, which still is an uphill battle with all that has happened in the real estate industry in phoenix the last few years.  Nevertheless I am here to stay, and feel proud with what I have accomplished with my life.  If I drive nice vehicles, to me, it is a just reward for my accomplishment in this life.

Aaron

What it comes down to is that your are the person they are working with.  If your car had rust all over it then step back and figure what they might think.

Charlie the bad thing is that if you just make the Million dollar club you made 30,000 before expenses and taxes.

Only the "egos" and phonies worry about clubs, furs, cars and who they impress.

Sounds like you are doing just fine the way you are.

Too many folks in the real estate business neglect the real methods of impressing clients, customers and other agents.....giving excellent service. They work for the commission and rewards only, not a long term reputation of credibility.

By the way, you live in a very pretty area.

Charlie

I've driven them all, a handful of Mercedes and Cadillacs, Toyota 4-Runners, a Toyota Corolla (when, in a fit of anger, I got tired on the Mercedes' break-downs, sold it, and bought the cheapest car I could find), a couple of Hondas and now a Chevrolet Suburban.  Oh, I left out the one Lexus.

The secret has nothing to do with what you drive as long as everyone comfortably fits in it.  The secret is keeping it washed and waxed, the inside immaculate, and no hip-hop playing on the music machine.  I promise it has nothing of consequence to do with make, model and cost (or for the women, whether you have a fur coat, face lift and boob job from Dr. 90210)

Happy New Year!

Billycherry