Just this past week I had a referral from one of my associates and friends in the Rain.  Mr. Jeff Belonger!  Mortgage Guru Extraodinaire!!!!  The FHA-meister!!!  Mortgage Knowledge at its BEST!!!! (Jeff Belonger) I've now been dancing in the rain for over a year.  I called him up this past week to just BS with him.  I have always enjoyed him and he has a sarcastic element of him that aligns perfectly with my quick wit and sharp tongue.  I'm grateful to Sir Jeffrey....

It's amazing the people that you meet while swimming in the Rain.  I now feel that in this last few months I've developed just stellar relationships with certain people here.  Why do I bring this up now????  During my conversation with my cross nation cohort in crime, he had told me that he "lived on AR for almost one entire year" before his business really took off.  I said that I had deals close prior to my first year, but really at the 1 year mark, the walls of the prison started to crumble and I was free.  What a refreshing feeling.  All these deals.  Mind you, I had deals close prior to this year, but it has really blossomed in the last six to eight months.

ANYWHOOOOOO.....I just received this referral on Monday or Tuesday and my clients are already approved.  Tonight they're putting an offer on a home.  Life really doesn't get much sweeter than this.  I'm helping a first time homebuyer who's been renting for the last 15 years.  I'm making a fair commission on this and it's a referral from a brother within the community.  I now feel pressure to refer a deal back to him.  I'll get him one.  It may be next week or next month or next year, but I'll reciprocate... referring a client to a great member of the community who works in a state that I don't.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET DEALS OFF OF ACTIVE RAIN?  5 SIMPLE RULES:

1)  Persistence - you don't become a "player" until you've shown that you're going to deliver.  There's a ton of 40,000 point members that quit before their 40,001 point.  Same with 70K and 100K.  1 year baby of full vested interest and it's game on;

2)  Localism -  I make about 20-25% of my posts around localism.  I want to be known in my local market, but hey....I'm not just throwing listings or rates out there.  I'm talking about my community.

3)  Create Relationships in the Rain - Maybe I'll post about the great relationships that have been developed in the rain.  Like "real life" relationships...some just click.  Some take time.  But proactively reaching out to others is a sure fire way to start that process.

4)  Don't be a hawk when it comes to selling.  I promote my "wares" about 1 out of every 4 times on average.  I balance the other three times with things that are important to my core being, my family, fun, my local locale and just things that Im passionate about.  But when I'm in my business, I need to show just the things that I'm great at.  Add value to the public as a true servant.  In time it will come back to you.

5)  Have fun - This ain't no stinkin job....This is your forum....have fun with it.

Those are my 4 simple rules.  I am now working on lucky number 13 or the baker's dozen.  That'll be a fun post when that happens....