I got a call yesterday from Marc Davidson over at 1000Watt Consulting.  He told me that he was tired of the the gloom and doom real estate reporting already.  He said that he was writing a series on things that "fascinated" him in the real estate business.  He wrote an inspiring post called Walking on The Moonwhich explores a different and positive real estate perspective that you don't hear so much these days.  You might want to have a quick read, its more of what we all should be writing about if we want to turn the media tide, but that's another blog entirely.

Take responsibility for your business.

I laid in bed last night and thought about the market and my business and my conversation with Marc, and wondered why I felt like 2008 was going to be a great year.  You know, I've never been one to follow the pack, I basically live my life hearing the beat of some other drummer.  My real estate career is no different, market up or market down, it really depends on what I do that drives my business.  I've never given the market much credit when I had the big pay days and I don't blame the market when my credit card balances start to climb. 

Why fix it if it ain't broke?  If everything is going along just fine, then no changes are in order, but if your business declines, then you need a change.

I'm a control freak, and anyone that knows me even a little will tell you this.  Maybe that's what I love about real estate the most, I can control my income.  Nope, I can't control the market, but I can control what I do with the market that is in front of me.  It's like a game, and it is certainly not boring.  I don't use the same marketing techniques for each home that I list so why would I use the same marketing techniques for a different market?  I've found my niche has changed as the market has shifted from a buyers market to a sellers market and that's because I changed with the market.  I did it naturally, I didn't even notice until last night.

It doesn't matter what I think about the market, I have to adjust my thinking if I want new opportunities.

I think the market change is good, we needed it.  But even if I didn't think the change was good or that it was long over due, I'd still have to adjust the way that I do business and my mindset.  My point here is that we (real estate professionals) don't make the market, but we do have to succeed in whatever market that's in front of us.  Market up, or market down, if there is movement there is a living to be made, and a good one if you ask me.

You can avoid having ulcers by adapting to the situation:  If you fall in the mud puddle, check your pockets for fish.  ~Author Unknown