It was only two weeks ago that my wife and I took a trip to North Carolina.  We invited a couple of friends of ours to come up and visit.  One of them is a Builder, one a lender and one a financial advisor.  Even though we were on a vacation, our career choices and conversations of the Real Estate market were inevitable. 

As we sat one morning around the breakfast table, we began to talk about how each of us views this so called "Real Estate Meltdown".   Chaos, negativity, bad debt, bad loans, bail out plans, all of these words and phrases came to the table.  Is this how we want to perceive the path our careers are supposedly heading?  Why do we choose to use these expressions?  Why is the public in such a state of fear?

This conversation went on and the only solution that was right in front of us is that we need to change our mindsets.  If we continue to use these negative phrases and word choices, of course we are going to continue to believe that it is a reality.  Let's think positively.  What can we do to help people get out of their situations?  How can we make the public feel more comfortable in this market?  A scared man can't gamble, and that is exactly what is happening in this market.  People are afraid to invest.  People are afraid to spend their money.  We need to change the mindset of ourselves and our buyers.

How do we do that you ask?  Well, how did we get here in the first place?  The media!  Yes, marketing is the key!  I opened the Wall Street Journal that morning at the breakfast table and what did I read?  Foreclosure this, bank owned that, scandal in the mortgage industry, blah, blah.  What I didn't read was, housing prices have dropped, interest rates are low, now is a great time to buy.  If we can't convince ourselves and the public that it's okay to invest, our market will stay stagnate.  If you want a positive change, you have to make a positive change; you have to live that positive change. 

We have so many resources right at our fingertips.  We have the internet, the #1 marketing system in the world.  Use it to your advantage.  Sell yourself, sell your properties.  Use the newspaper, yes, people still read the newspaper every morning.  Advertise in pamphlets, put out signs, use audio, video, whatever works.  We are in the age of technology and communication and most of the marketing systems are free!  Take advantage of what the world offers you and don't give up.  Don't pitter patter with war stories about how the market is bad, stay away from people that offer that perception.  Make a difference.  Make a change.  Let's market!