I recently handed out the quarterly statistics for our market area which compares this year, by quarter, to previous years and no surprise, the number of unit transactions are down, both the median and average sales price is down, and the only thing that is up over last year is the price of gas.
The interesting thing is how the agents handled the cold hard facts. Of course these agents knew that the market was sliding, but I don't think they had a perspective on the specifics. The majority of the agents spoke to me about how they were going to use the information to help their clients make critical decisions. As a result we saw a good number of price reductions and a few buyers jumped off the fence and committed to a purchase. The agents who were freaking out were, for the most part, agents who have been struggling all year to get their businesses started.
Observing these agents it hit me that the difference between those that are actually doing business and those that are not is the attitude toward the work of selling real estate. One of the top agents in our company tells me how hard my job must be but then says "but you love it". The fact is I choose to love it. There are plenty of days when I start the morning in a less than optimal mood, but then I get in the car, crank up the Isley Brothers, and say to myself "bring it on baby!"
There is an agent in my office who was struggling. Negative attitude, sloped shoulders, no business, and complaining about the lack of relocation business being handed to her. During one of my quarterly business meetings I asked her what she had been doing to feel engaged and in control of her business. The reality - she had done nothing...just expected the business to fall in her lap. So she committed to calling her past clients and to sending out a monthly card. She started to go look at inventory with agents she knows, she took floor time. The first four months she did not have one transaction and she was contemplating getting out of the business. But then a weird thing happened.
The lease on her car was up.
She realized that at her income (or lack of it) she would have to downgrade significantly - possibly to a moped. And, in my office, she had an ephiphany. She was responsible for her situation and she could decide to leave or decide to positively re-connect with the business. So she kept on calling, she kept on mailing, she started to hang out with agents who were doing business.
Last week she came to me with a huge smile on her face and said "Thank you for having faith in me, I have two transactions pending and a new listing coming on." I asked her what she thought had been the contributing factor - the direct mail, the calling past clients, the floor time, etc. And she said "No, it was my change of heart. The more I thought about the 25 years of experience and how good it feels to help someone with a home purchase or sale, the more resolve I had to get over myself and look outward."
And the wonderful thing about someone like this, is she is so proud of what she is accomplishing it is starting to rub off on everyone else!
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