Mega thanks to Rick Geha who was in Lubbock today, speaking to and motivating area Realtors.  Keller Williams team leader Debbie Frapp had invited Rick to come speak and gave him quite a build up.  Well deserved!  It was fun to have fellow Realtors and agents from Midland and Amarillo attend as well as a few Lubbock Realtors from other real estate companies.  Rick was a super instructor!

I had a few AHA's and my number 1 AHA was to have deeper, probing dialogue with my buyer clients before getting in the car and going to look at houses.  With gas prices being high (I'll stop saying that when the price drops to $2.25 per gallon!) and my time being precious, I want to work with motivated buyer's.  In addition to loving my real estate business, my husband and I have our Moms, our wonderful kids and fabulous grandkids and we can't live a balanced life without carving out time for family.  To top that I have dear friends, love to do arts and crafts, and have just agreed to be a partner in a booth at a local gift mall.  So driving all over Lubbock looking at homes that aren't really what my client wants anyway makes no sense.  To drive clients around town all weekend with buyers who aren't ready, willing and able to buy is  detrimental to my social, emotional and financial well-being.

Understand though, that I do love showing people homes and love to meet my friends, colleagues, and prospects at homes they have an interest in.  These folks don't have to pass a litmus test.  That is an entirely different proposition.  This AHA is just about what Rick taught which in this case boiled down to working smarter, not harder.

I look forward to taking a number of friends on a fall home tour in November.  Last year I (tongue in cheek) called it Tour de Lunch.  I will choose a variety of vacant homes in different neighborhoods and price ranges and take my girl friends on a custom tour.  Last year we squeezed in 3 or 4 homes during a lunch break and I provided brown bag lunches.  It was so much fun, gave me a chance to stay in touch with past co-workers, and them a chance to see some cool homes.  This year we may go for an evening after work so we will not be so rushed.  Then either drinks or dinner on me.  Last year two transactions stemmed from the Tour de Lunch, directly or indirectly. 

Doom and gloom still dominate the national mediat when it comes to the housing and real estate industry.  Again, Lubbock's market is stable and for that we are all grateful.