Written by:
Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, Broker
Keller Williams Realty
Phone: 919.454.8864
Email: darleen@darleenmc.com

Recently, while listening to Loral Langmeier, a wealth strategist, talk about leveraging talents/skills - in addition to your day "job" to produce more income this year - I thought about my real estate colleagues who are complaining about how bad the market is and how much money they're not making vs. two years ago.

And then it dawned on me that while many of us are waiting for the market to turn around, our families must still eat, right?

No...I'm not saying to give up real estate - but rather find ways to supplement your income using talents you already possess so that you won't get into financial trouble.

I've often heard friends and colleagues say that they really don't know what their passion is - or what they are good at outside of their current profession. Sometimes, it's necessary to do a little soul searching to figure out our talents and skills. 

I recall that when I was a teen, I complained to my Mother that I didn't know what my talents (gifts) were. I've always been a "right now" kind of person - who wants to have it all figured out NOW! (Being in real estate certainly cured that, LOL!)

My mother calmly said to me that I would figure it out in time- and that "Your gifts will make room for you." She was actually paraphrasing the verse in the Bible that says, "A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men." (Proverbs 18:16 - King James Version).

And of course, my Mother was so right! My gifts taken me to some unimaginable places.

Following are some of my Talents and Skills that enable me to be successful in real estate - and that I could use outside of the real estate business if needed.

Please know this is not coming from a place of inflation (of the Ego) - but from a place of Gratitute for the blessings that I've been given.

1. Analytical and methodical abilities. These come in so handy in real estate.
2. Ability to make anyone in my presence feel Special - and that they're the only person who matters in the world! This is especially important in any sales environment.
3. Trained writer and editor. I've edited a book and currently write a real estate column for The Triangle Business Alliance - Grapevine
4. Resume Writer/Career Counselor/Teacher. Ability to motivate others. I sometimes teach classes to college and high students on how to present themselves when interviewing for a job. It's my way of giving back from all my years of working in Corporate America - and seeing some individuals who didn't know how to dress or interview for a job.
5. Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations training.
6. Poise. This is definitely needed in any work situation! How many times have we seen individuals lose their heads in intense situations?
7. Win-Win negotiation.
8. Computer skills (HTML and other technical skills, which are useful for creating Web pages). I also worked in marketing for a technology company (business intelligence software) for 13 years before coming into real estate.
9. Great Smile. A smile can break through many barriers - and lessen a tense situation.
10. Attention to Detail.
11. Self-starter. To be a successful entrepreneur - this is a must!
12. Sales Training with excellent listening skills.
13. Scrapbooking. This is something that I do for fun and provide as gifts to friends and family. But it's a huge business, and people do make money at it.
14. Competitive Intelligence training. Comes in handy when analyzing the market competition for real estate and other industries.
15. Loyalty to family, friends, and clients.

Please share your talents!

Darleen McCullen,

REALTOR® on a Mission... NOT Just Seeking a Commission!^TM