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Why some Realtors are flourishing

In golf the difference between the winner of a major golf tournament is a few extra putts here and there. I have watched many golf tournaments over the years where a single putt won a tournament.

I tell everyone in my second life I am going to be a basketball player. I love basketball and I can't tell you how many tournaments I have watched that were won by one basket made and many one or two point games determined the difference between a championship team and the 2^nd place team.

Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh are known for their relentless practice routines and physical conditioning. This is why Tiger Woods wins so many tournaments and Vijay has won more money than any other foreign player and is a threat every time he tees it up even though he is over 40.

Michael Jordan spent thousands of hours in high school and college practicing while his buddies were relaxing doing other things. The extra baskets Michael took before and after games are the reason he is a legend in basketball.

I have seen some Realtors leave the business the last 12 months that never practiced their swing, never practiced their putts and never practiced shooting the ball. They gave up and moved on to another career because they didn't see any hope in their real estate career. What if they had practiced making a few more phone calls, sent a few more postcards or built a powerful website which is so easy to do?

Regardless of what the media wants us to believe people are still getting married and still getting divorced. People are still being relocated and people are still moving to smaller homes and up to larger homes. The world didn't stop revolving and stop working the way it always has just because the media tells us how bad the housing market is.

If you love sending out postcards and newsletters, send out the best post cards and newsletters there are and do it better than anyone else in your area. Be known for having the best cards and letters and best system that repeats itself time after time.

If you love cold calling then practice your cold calling skills over and over again until it becomes as natural as walking. Do it better than anyone in your market area. I worked with a cold caller when I first entered real estate and he was something to behold. I just loved just sitting in the room listening to him.

If you are into internet marketing and presence then create the best web presence there is in your area. Karen George and Mary McKnight of Active Rain have given us all the tools for free. It is up to us to read and continue applying all of their recommendations which are awesome.

People that are on the fence because of the scare tactics of the media are going to be buying. They simply won't wait forever and their need to purchase will overcome their fear. The Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh's and Michael Jordan's of real estate will be alive and well and will not only survive but will flourish in this market. It is the extra hours of practice and extra effort they put into their careers that placed them head and shoulders above those that sat there wondering what happened and did nothing.

Posted By: George Tallabas - Boise Idaho Real Estate Agent - Associate Broker
with RE/MAX Advantage, Canyon Counties #1 Brokerage in sales and listings
specializing in Boise Idaho Real Estate and Southwest Idaho Real Estate.

Posted by George Tallabas - Idaho Real Estate on 04/16/2008 09:06 AM

Comments (94)

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Originally posted at: Idaho Real Estate >> ID Real Estate Specialist: Why some Realtors are flourishing

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94 Comments on Why some Realtors are flourishing

APR

2008

George I still have so much to learn. If all you had to do was put up a sign everyone would be a Realtor.

Great post.

Enjoyed.

Thanks.

Linda

John - Put your belief in something you love doing and be the best at it. Good things will come.

Linda - Thank you and have a great evening.

George, thanks for the prospective. Practice, Practice, Practice, is the key. I believe the newbies think the business will be handed to them.

Chuck - I appreciate you stopping by. Have a great evening.

Awesome post, it will be hard to find truer words!

Very nice post, thank you! Some days are better then the others but I truly enjoy working and thats it, you just get up in the morning and do your best, eventually all of it comes together.

Joshua and Kathy - Thank you for your kind words.

Sonja - We just need to make the best of each day and I wish you well.

Great post George. We've always known that the one that goes the extra yard typically wins, and I think it's so in real estate. Your ideas are right on, thanks!

Barbara - Thank you and I hope your business flourishes beyond your dreams.

Hi George...Great Post, we all know what to do, and you just brought it to the forefront again, by hitting us on the head, with Practice Practice Practice at what you like and do and be the best in your field, even if you want to be a ditch digger be the best, just Practice Practice Practice.

I think Floyd Wickman said Just start Calling You'll Get Good At it...But not unless you practice with real people!

Cheers, have a great week!

Fred - Thank you as always my friend and Cheers to you!

Very good point. We should strive to be the best no matter what we are doing.

George thats such a good reminder. Practice practice practice.....sometimes I think I shouldn't have to...because I've been selling for so long..........but the fact is I DO need to...its a little to easy to become complacent sometimes...hmm

Hey- I just wanted to say how much I love your new blog look! I have done a basic one on mine, but haven't had time to play with it to make it look as good as yours! Great job.
Sorry- I have nothing for the sports analogy LOL

APR

2008

George- You really put this post together well. It was easy to follow and to read yet filled with the message loud and clear. I would like to add, find an under served niche and shine like a star!

George, I love this blog! Perseverance and the desire to excel are huge driving forces. When this market became obvious, I told my mother: "I'll either succeed, or die trying". I'm not dead... and things are moving along quite nicely.

Thanks AR; today I got yet another great lead from this wonderful organization. I just received the e-mail this evening and I already know I'll love this person. She wants an oceanfront condo that will accomodate her dogs. She told me in the e-mail that "there is no way my dogs will make that 25 pound limit many HOA's impose on the owners' pets. My cats are heavier than that!" If I ever re-incarnate as a pet, I want to belong to this lady!

George, your wonderful blog is up at the top on our Optimist board. I gave it the ultimate compliment: the featured blog star. Congratulations and thank you!

...And: please keep them coming!

You are so right, little things make a big difference. When a potential home seller speaks to three really good agents. The one they chose probably won by that one little thing.

George,

Most Excellent!

Reference Seth Godin's The Dip and his point that those who overcome great adversity and challenging times will thrive in the long run.

As always, my friend, you are right on target. We will reap what we sow.

George, just like golf. It is the short game that wins the hole. I am a short game kinda guy and love it. I work my contacts the old fashion way via phone and email. That is my short game. I am trying to move up to the Internet marketing, just so many things to learn. I have been telling the masses, 98% of mortgages are NOT in foreclosure. Great looking blog!

Gone are the days where you could have a client handed to you on a silver platter....now it takes persistence and continued effort....the agents who keep trying and practice daily will be the ones that will make it through to the other side!

Thanks for the reminder to 'be the best you can be.' I work at that every day, and remain positive but realistic. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Thank you for the positive post.

Very good advice George... You've inspired me even further.

George - I can tell that you really appreciate the true prefessionals in sports, and probably other fields as well. The players who succeed practice with a coach, even the best have constant coaching. I am not a coach, but I think most people need someone to mentor them so that they can quickly improve. Practicing a bad swing will just make a bad swing happen more often. You have to practice the correct methods or they won't get better.

THanks for the post, you are correct in that effort is what most people fail to do.

George, great post. There are a lot of people that get into real estate with the idea that its an easy field to make a lot of money in. The reality then sets in and out the door they go. Real Estate is just like everything else if you want to be good at your craft and succeed you constantly have to practice and work at it.

George - Great post! You are so right, I completely agree with you. BTW - Your blog looks great!

George, I appreciate the names of the two women that can help us really make our websites great. I have save them and I am going to check their information out later. Thanks for the inspiration.

George,

Great post AND I love your template appearance.

I agree. If you put in the time to practice then over time you will become better and far better than your competition that is out living it up. Great post.

George,

Thanks for the motivation!

Hi everyone and thank you for the wonderful comments. I got behind and can't answer everyone because of time constraints but I appreciate all the wonderful comments and compliments on my new blog look. Thank you all and be blessed!

George-What a great post. I especially loved your perspective on buyers who are on the fence, that eventually their need to purchase will overcome their fear. I try to keep in touch with those buyers so when their need changes I'm there to help. My new thing is to send out market updates to those buyers so they can see what is going on in the market. If they are sitting on the fence because they believe the prices are going to drop even further then the market updates help show them (over time) that the prices aren't falling as dramatically as expected.

That reminds me of this quote I ran across the other day,

"If there is no wind, row." -_Anon

Very good point. We cannot allow the media to set the tone for what we do. We have to be the one's to convince our clients how the market can and will help them. So in effect we have to educate ourselves constantly and stay ahead of the naysayers.

George, you know I love this post! A few weeks ago I had this "golf talk" with my nine year old...literally. She has a great tee-shot. She can drive about 100 yards with her 6 iron. Her short game needs a LOT of practice. Reading your post, I realized that momma's real estate career started with a great "tee shot" seven months ago. Although things are still going great it's time to work on my short game to make sure I keep a constant flow of leads and that I take great care of the clients I already have.

Thanks a million.

You touched on another good point in your post. I'll use a sports analogy too. Great football coaches relentlessly practice the fundamentals - blocking and tackling. No matter how game plans and schemes change - blocking and tackling will always be a core part of any practice.

Geprge,

You have some great points. Its not that difficult to be average but if you want to be great you have to put in the extra effort and it starts with the samll things like you said.

LOL....a basketball player huh? What position would you play? All this talk about sports, makes me miss playing them. I am trying to get back into volleyball shape again. I want to join a recreational team.

George,

I truly believe that it takes a certain type of person to be a "successful agent". We need more agents to treat this as a career and not just a way to make a quick buck when things are going good. Thanks for the post

George,

Thanks for the post - we need to be reminded to be the best we can be, and results will come.

Great post. There's never a time to just sit back and let the money roll in. Too many did that and now we see what happened to them. Also, treat your clients like valued customers and not like a paycheck. Good luck to all, and keep practicing.

Thanks everyone. BTW Christy, I would be a power forward! LOL

Exactly! Now is the time when real professionals shine. I'm working harder then ever and am busier than ever.

Hi George - I believe Michael Jordan said the reason he made so many clutch shots in games was that he missed so many in practice ... the point being that he kept working and persevering until he trained his body to respond successfully in the most pressure-packed situations. Solid fundamentals and disciplined practice will always lead to success.

George, great advice! It is good to practice and keep learning! Thanks for the reminder

People are always surprised when they ask me how the market is, and I tell them it is GREAT. I just spoke with a gentleman today who said his Realtor friend is doing horrible and may not survive this market, and then I tell him that I am having my best year ever. So, I think it is just like you said, I didn't stop doing what it is that got me where I am in the first place. I keep doing it over and over again and then the business just comes...got to love it!

I really like this blog. Makes me want to do the best!!! Thanks

I can't hang with cold calling..but the website seo...I love

Great article. Practice and stepping into the unknown helps to expand your comfort zone. Growth comes from facing your challenges and then mastering them.

George - Your post is right on target... It's all about giving it your personal best, don't be like the other guy...

Great featured post George. Whatever you do, do it the best with excellence in mind.

Thanks again everyone and Mary I am glad you are rocking and rolling! that is exactly why I can't answer each comment individually. I am as busy as I can be and very thankful. Good luck to all of you.

So true and very well put. As we have all heard many times - you get out of it, what you put into it.

Thanks for the great reminder and the sports comparisons!

This was a really great post, keep it up. I also believe that buyers will get around to buying again. I can't wait for the market to change, it will be better than ever for realtors. Just wait and see!

Thanks for the mention, George. Great post. Marketing with cold calls, print mailer and the Internet is a great integrated campaign that will get results-I love that you thought about doing stuff outside o the internet. I think that is very important as well

I completely agree with you George! I am "flexing" every single real estate "muscle" that I have!

Thanks again everyone and thank you Mary for all you have done and continue to do with a generous heart. You are awesome!

Words to live by. We too are going back to basics. When the market was doing well, we barely had time to keep up with the transactions. Now we are focusing on cleaning up, streamlining and reconnecting with our clients through phone calls, emails and personal notes. Weekly team meetings are keeping us on track and accountable. Hopefully, we can ride this out.

I think realtors flourish because they really "want it". I know you think that all realtors "want it" but I see them all the time and they just don't "have it".

You are right. There are many leaving who honestly were never really "in the business" to begin with.

George, great post thanks for sharing!

George, great things to keep in mind. When I realized that spending time on internet related activities was actually my form of prospecting it gave me a sense of relief. I realized that I did not have to spend as much time on activities I did not really enjoy doing.

APR

2008

George,

what a great post. This is true on what ever you do, if we are willing to go the extra mile we'll find that is less crowed. Thanks for sharing.

I love marketing.... I'm still TRYING to flourish!! :) Thanks for the encouragment/advise!!

Being the best takes time and a lot of work, but if you want to survive in this market you must work at it

George,

Great post! The little reminders to get back on track and keep on trucking is what the people need who have this in their blood but are scared of the failure...keep going, you can do it!! Pump it up a notch! Love it!

George -- It helps to read the perspective of those that have endured and are successful. . .I'm still chugging along, practicing and perfecting despite the negative media!

Good morning all and thank you once again for stopping by and sharing your comments. Have an awesome day and Misty...Keep pumping!

Ohhhhh George, this is more that a GREAT post. I have spent the last hour and a half exploring the two links and taking notes on how I can do this stuff! THANK YOU!

Thanks so much! Your points and tips are right on!!!! Congrat's on the feature!!!

George excellent thoughts my friend. There are so many who are jack of all trades but masters of none!

Finally a postive spin ! Thank you so much for sharing this and the analogies are great !

George thank you I have learned more from you post then any other training I have taken. Keep the info coming my sponge is not full. thanks again

They stick with the basics... And the main thing is: LEAD GENERATION - EVERY DAY like clockwork! I wrote on this recently. CLICK HERE to see my rant... Thanks! Steve

Wow-- where are the best post cards?

Very inspiring post. In this market, you are going to have to give it everything you have to succeed.

Thanks yet again to everyone and I am glad you liked this post. Have a fabulous day!

George - I use Tiger as my model for continued improvement - and this is his mantra:

I smile at obstacles....

My will moves mountains....

I do it with all my heart...

From one lover of this planet to another.... Thank you

I want to be a basketball player too! :) Great post George. Strive to be the best. A quote by Prefontaine is in order I think.

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."

APR

2008

Eva - Well said, thank you

Casey - I hope I can play on your team in the next life...LOL!

George, GREAT points. First of all choose what you love and do best and then be the best at it! So simple yet so important!

Diane - Thanks for stopping by and sharing your comment. Have great weekend.

APR

2008

Great Post George! Persistance and being the best you you can be are two very important ingrediants for success...."Just Do IT!"

George, Thank you so much for yet another reminder to get back to basics. When all is said and done that is the road to success.

Earlene - Right on! Thank you

Cheryl - You are so welcome, have a great day.

APR

2008

Congrats on the featured post my friend! I haven't been around the rain in a while and just saw it. People will always buy and sell houses regardless of the market. Realtors have to work hard and anyone who thinks the money rolls in with no effort in real estate is in for a big surprise. Great post and well said!

George, AMEN! Enough said!!! Great post and so right on!

Patricia - Thank you my friend...it's good to see you back.

Elizabeth - Thanks and all my best to you.

MAY

2008

George - the reason those Realtors are dropping like flies is that they not only don't want to get better at doing the tasks you mentioned - they don't want to have to do them at all!

The old 80-20 rule is holding fast - except that I see it shifting a bit to something more like 90-10. Lots and lots of agents got into the business thinking all they had to do was sit at a desk and write offers. I for one think that the industry will be better off when they go find a job washing dishes or mowing lawns.

Great post, thanks!

Marte - The 80/20 rule went by the waistside years ago and trainers like Howard Brinton have proven it. Also, an Active Rain member wrote a post last fall and wrote that only 96% of Active Rain members were actively using the system. This proves my point. In most states it has been 90/10 or 95/5 for several years now. The majority of Realtors are simply waiting around waiting for a miracle to happen.

JUN

2008

George: Thank you for being such a positive force!

Mirela - Coming from you my friend that is an awesome compliment that I thank you for! I hope all is well in your world.

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