ARE WE PLAYING TO OURSELVES.....? ARE WE PLAYING TO OUR OWN SPECIAL TUNE, or are we actually doing what we are supposed to be doing: HELPING OTHERS BUY AND SELL REAL ESTATE.

This post can be a bit hypocritical as I tend to catch myself also playing to my own tune.  I, at times, focus way too much on me.  How am I doing in the market relative to others? Am I still number one?  Who did I pass this week in the race to be the top group in Keller Williams internationally? Really, who the heck cares?

Mind you, this attitude can be healthy if kept in check, but in the long run can be very unhealthy.  So I become number one.  So what?  Then what in the world do I do?  Is being number one really a healthy goal?  I know it is not true.

I know that the times that I am HONESTLY HAPPY is when I am helping others.  This can be helping a buyer find a home, helping a seller sell a home, or help an agent make a deal happen.  This is the most gratifying experience that I ever get in real estate. 

I never care about the money in this business as it comes as long as I do what I am supposed to do.  I totally focus on helping a given number of people each year.  I truly never ever think about any one commission on any given deal....never.  The reason why is that it does not matter.  I know that if 100 homes are sold this year, our volume will be $42,500,000.  That is because our average price home has dropped from $500k to $425k during these lovely times.  This will come back in time....but at this point let focus on what this post is all about, helping others.

So that merely means that I have to focus more on increasing the amount of people that I help.  Last year sales were dead stagnant at 111 homes, though income went down as expenses stayed roughly the same.  After a complete restructuring of our marketing plan, I decided to substantially increase what has worked forever, getting in front of people.  See there I go again...tooting my own horn....

So my plan is to increase the networking of my farm 50% this year while reducing expenses 20%.  This really was not tough to due as I deleted $20k in post card expenses.  I hate postcards.....I love meeting with people.  So why not do what I have a passion for.....meet people in my farm.  Why?  Because I have been taking the lazy approach over the past few years and backing off of what brought me here. 

So I am getting off the chair and getting back out and doing what has been done for ever.  Getting out there and talking to people and getting off my high horse about how high my ranking will be this year.  My goal this year is to merely be happy with what I accomplished with others.  Let's see if I can pull it off.

LET'S HOPE MY FOCUS STAYS WITH HELPING OTHERS AND NOT PLAYING FOR MYSELF.....