Interview with a Real Estate Rock Star... Margaret Rome

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  A few months ago, one of the rock stars of real estate asked me to do the cover art for her new book. That was the beginning of a power relationship between three "Type E personalities".

 In case you don't already know, the rock star I'm talking about is Margaret Rome and since her new book Real Estate The Rome Way is about to be released, I thought it would be fun to get a little background and insight into the woman behind the book!

 

 Hi Margaret, before we talk about your new new book, could you give us a little background about you and the "how and why" you got into real estate?

 I am a former Pediatric Head Nurse and Porcelain/Ceramic artist. Following a car accident, I was told not to lift anything over five pounds. My box of clay weighed Fifty pounds. While recovering, I had a call from a former RN asking if I wanted to sell my house. Yep.... she was cold calling and was in Real Estate.

 I had been helping others write their ads and look for homes...it was fun and I was receiving nice thank you notes. This former RN suggested I get my license so I could send her referrals. I signed up for a RE class that same week and the rest is history. Both of my former careers have been extremely helpful in Real Estate. (I use as much, if not more, psychology and psychiatry with my clients giving counseling sessions about the stress and distress of moving.

 

 Since I'll be using the term "Type E personality" in this interview, can you give us a short explanation about Type E's and maybe a link to where we can read more about it?

 The quiz for Type E personality can be found on the first page of my website www.HomeRome.com You can take the quiz in a minute or two. It consists of 10 yes, no, maybe questions. When you have your score, there is an easy explanation describing your results. I have the quiz in the book along with examples of how a Type E person functions. The original idea for the book was to write about Type E.



 I know your book will cover a lot of ground but how are you dealing with today's tough real estate market and if you could give new agents one or two pieces of advice about making the most of this market, what would it be?

 Keeping in touch is important in any market. There are so many ways to do this and Active Rain has been a perfect way to stay connected with professionals as well as letting the public know that you are staying active and involved. Join and participate in activities that you enjoy. Get out and meet people. Find out what others need and help them achieve their goals.

 

 

 OK, let's get into Real Estate The Rome Way. For starters, is this your first book?

 This is my first book, Silloway Press' first published book and mARTi, your first book cover. The first of many, I predict.

 

 I love the title! How did you come up with it? Care to share any titles you thought of before deciding on Real Estate The Rome Way?

 My working title for a while was WIN = What's Important Now. This concept is incorporated throughout the book but the title did not work. It sounded more like a sports book. I absolutely love the title and smile when I say it!

 Can you give us an overview of what it's about, the topics you cover and why you decided to write the book in the first place?

 This book is written for  both novices and experienced professionals alike. It is for agents  who want to build a business that runs on referrals. I cover everything from deciding if Real Estate is the right career for you, to having a life outside of Real Estate. I speak about my choice to be a solo agent and how I've made that work for me. All my business is referral and now I am able to choose the clients I want to work with.

  I'm sure more than a few people reading this have thought of writing/publishing a book. Can you tell us about the process you went through to get it from concept to book form as well as who is your publisher and how did you find/select them?

 I've been thinking about writing a book since learning about Type E. I wanted and needed more information and there was nothing written. Alex was supposed to write a Type E book ... he had the idea but never followed through (This is so Type E ).

 

  I remember calling Alex and saying How About I write the book. He was delighted and very encouraging.  Peg Silloway has been my friend for over 20 years, meeting through NAWBO-National Association Women's Business Owners".

 Peg became my second listing, a former FSBO... that story is in the book. The more we talked about the book, the more obvious it became that we should publish it. As mentioned above, it became the first title for The Silloway Press and expanded her business in a new direction.

 

 

 Since you're a true Type E, I probably know the answer to this but... do you plan on writing another book?

  Absolutely, already working on that idea.

 When will Real Estate The Rome Way be available? Is there an official release date yet and how can we order a copy?

 The book is due from the printer the end of November. Right now you can go to the Silloway Press website and click on the book cover. That takes you to a page where you can read a brief excerpt and also order the book autographed by me.  Later it will available through online stores like Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

 

 I know how busy you are Margaret so I really appreciate you taking the time to do this and before I close, is there anything you'd like to add?

 

  Please share how well we worked together. I followed and loved your work for 2 years. I called you on a Friday evening, you took my ideas, you listened, you created, you changed, you perfected and by Sunday we had a book cover. The cover is a hit. I was at an art gallery today and they loved the cover design.

 The reality is that you knew what you wanted and you're a quick decision maker so my part was easy! It was a blast to work with a fan and a friend! You, Peg and I make a great team so I know this is just the first of many books for us. How well we worked together is a long story for another post. ;-) Thanks again Margaret... for everything!

 

 

 

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