real estate career: Our Gift to You - 11/29/15 02:32 AM
TEAM Hughes Real Estate School would like to wish you the happiest holiday season.  Even though it may be politically incorrect to wish you specifics, we’d like to say Merry Christmas and/or Happy Hanukkah anyway because sometimes we just cannot be politically correct. No matter what your religious affiliation may be, this time of the year is special to most Americans.
 
We have blessed this year in many ways.  Not only were we able to exercise our passion of teaching real estate, but we were also able to begin our own real estate school and were able to partner with Keller Williams … (0 comments)

real estate career: A Quick Thanksgiving - 11/22/15 09:11 PM
A quick Thanksgiving always occurs when you are a working adult with many responsibilities.  As a child, Thanksgiving seemed to come and go at an inordinate speed, and it seemed as though Christmas would never get here!
 
A quick Thanksgiving is a sign that we have matured, that we have undertaken adult-like obligations, and that we are an integral part of the working society of our country.  If you practice real estate, it is a benchmark of your year.  Christmas is right around the corner, and with that comes last minute closings, a rush to meet monetary goals, and a huge realization … (6 comments)

real estate career: Thankful For Your Career - 11/20/15 09:39 PM
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  TEAM Hughes is thankful for so many things.  I hope you, like us, are thankful for your career.  We are one of the few industries that offer unlimited success to each and every member, whether you have a graduate degree or whether you are a high school dropout.
 
Be thankful for your career because you are limited only by yourself.  Even when the market is not in the best condition, if you are one who has positioned yourself with a good listing inventory, you will sustain the rough ride.  At the very peak of our financial woes after the … (1 comments)

real estate career: A Week Investment in Your Career - 11/20/15 08:32 PM
TEAM Hughes Real Estate School offers something that no other real estate school in the area offers.  Our One-Week Fast Track real estate course is highly unique because a course that takes some schools a month to present is offered in one week. 
 
A week investment in your career doesn’t seem like very much over the long haul, and we hear people sometimes say they’d rather take the month so that they can absorb everything.  It’s been our experience, however, that all students share in one major area.  Whether you take the course at night, during the day, for a month, … (1 comments)

real estate career: Truth or Myth - 11/18/15 07:48 AM
As a former seasoned REALTOR®, I’ve seen a lot, I’ve heard a lot, I’ve experienced a lot.  As a real estate instructor, I get to teach a lot, advise a lot, and squelch a lot of myths.  Many consumers have some rather interesting misunderstandings about real estate agents, and then some of those consumers decide to practice real estate, and they end up bringing their myths into the arena.
 
The difference between a truth and myth can sometimes be perspective.  For example, is it truth or is it myth that real estate agents get kickbacks or referrals from the lenders, the lawyers, … (1 comments)

real estate career: Memories From the 1980’s - 11/11/15 09:03 PM
Let me share some memories from the 1980’s.  My first real estate license was effective June 3, 1983, and I was living in Ocala, FL at the time.  A rather unpleasant divorce had been looming, and as the mother of two young daughters, I was faced with having to raise them without child support or financial help from anyone.  Living in New England became increasingly more difficult, and the decision was made to take my two children, rent a U-Haul trailer that I could pull, and head back to the safety of home, which was in Northern Florida.  I ended up … (1 comments)

real estate career: Dear Person Who Wants to Practice Real Estate: - 11/11/15 09:01 PM
Dear Person who wants to practice real estate: 
 
You don’t know me, but I know you.  You’re the person who had a tiny idea one time about selling real estate.  You’re the person who commented once that you were sure you could do it better than that Bozo who sold you the house.  You’re the one who loves looking at houses, wishes you could do more than just look, and has a passion that hasn’t burned out yet.
 
Now you think it’s too late to practice real estate.  You may be thinking it costs too much money to get started.  Another thought … (3 comments)

real estate career: The One-Week Fast Track Real Estate Class is Scary - 11/08/15 10:16 PM
The one-week fast track real estate class is scary and can be pretty intimidating to some.  Many prospective students comment to me, "I just don't think I can go that fast."  Believe me, a fast track real estate class is the only way to go!
Anyone interested in a career in real estate has an array of different ways the required 63 hours can be achieved.  There are month long classes, there are semester long classes, there are internet classes, there are 2-3 days classroom orientation before internet classes, there are daytime classes, and there are nighttime classes.  The one-week fast track … (0 comments)

real estate career: Blogs From Another Time - 11/08/15 10:09 PM
I’ve been reading several blogs from another time that were written by real estate agents, Moms of small children, divorced women, school teachers, and the best of all, people who fashion themselves to be comedians. Now, I’m no comedian, although I do find humor in many forms. Sometimes I read a blog that reduces me to tears! True stories are much more effective to me, and I usually can commiserate on a certain level with most real estate bloggers.
 
I recall one of the first real estate blogs I had read. It was written by an agent several years ago who was … (0 comments)

real estate career: You Were in Their Shoes Once - 11/08/15 01:25 AM
As a productivity coach, a real estate instructor and a broker, many times seasoned agents complain about new agents not knowing how to do something properly.  You were in their shoes once.  Has it been so long that you cannot remember that time in your career?
 
There is no doubt that new agents often do things less than perfect.  There is no doubt that new agents often say the wrong things, either to other agents or to the general public.  Remember, though, you were in their shoes once. 
 
I recently posted a blog recollecting a major error I had made early in … (1 comments)

real estate career: A Mistake I’ll Never Forget! - 11/02/15 08:53 PM
Our IT guy tells us regular blogging is good for business, so I do it. Today’s blog, however, is a bit different. I want to tell you about a mistake I’ll never forget!
 
I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my career. A mistake I’ll never forget, though, bears repeating with the hope it will help someone else who is fairly new.
 
I was privileged to sit under the tutelage of a really fine broker in my early days. He trained me as much as possible, and I took advantage of all the systems available to me back in 80’s, although they were nothing … (1 comments)

real estate career: Is The Glass Half Full or Is It Half Empty? - 11/02/15 08:42 PM
The question, “Is the glass half full or is it half empty?” is an idiom commonly used to explain how some people perceive situations differently.
 
In the practice of real estate, “Is the glass half full or is it half empty?” is more than just a philosophical question. It’s a question about attitude, about how one agent perceives the market versus another agent’s perception. Years ago, a broker cautioned me to never ask more than one agent a question whose answer garnered a personal opinion. He believed if you were to ask three different agents a question, you’d surely get three different … (3 comments)

real estate career: This Can Be Your Day! - 10/29/15 10:11 PM
This can be your day if you only let it!  Imagine the alarm goes off and you stumble out of bed knowing that you absolutely cannot be late for work today.  Even though the sun is shining, birds are singing, the coffee aroma is floating around you, your immediate thought is that you dread going into a meaningless job one more day. 
 
This can be your day!  There are dreams of entrepreneurship in your heart; you’ve always wanted to own your own business, but you’ve never been quite sure what business that might be.  You’ve saved a little and you’ve wait … (0 comments)

real estate career: Dreaming Helps You Achieve Goals - 10/27/15 11:08 PM
Are you a dreamer?  Do you ever dream about being more than you are?  Do you ever dream of living a life that allows you to follow your passions?
 
I believe in dreams.  I believe dreaming helps you achieve your goals.  I believe if we don’t have dreams, we aren’t motivated to do more.  Where do these dreams come from?
 
I’m hardly an analyst, but for myself, I can recall my mother telling me she wanted me to be better than her.  She wanted me to have an education she didn’t have, and she wanted me to make more money than she and … (1 comments)

real estate career: TEAM Hughes Real Estate School Students - They Were Awesome! - 10/16/15 04:27 AM
The TEAM Hughes Real Estate School September Fast Track Class finished up about three weeks ago, and we’re into the October Class. In September we had 12 students, all of whom were thinkers, seekers, asking questions and learning concepts rather than just memorizing. They were awesome!
As I write this blog, I am amazed that 8 out of the 12 TEAM Hughes Real Estate School students have passed their State of Florida Real Estate Exam and are license-carrying real estate agents. That’s only in just short of a month! That’s a 67% pass rate for first-time test takers, whereas Florida’s pass rate … (1 comments)

real estate career: Let Me Introduce You to Some Agents I Know - 10/12/15 02:08 AM
Laura has been a REALTOR® for about two years.  Her first career is at a local bank and she is a people person.  Through her many contacts from her first career, Laura has been able to make as a high an income in her second career of real estate, as most other agents who profess to be “full time” agents.  We don’t call Laura a part time agent because the proof is in her production.  Laura has no children, but does have a partner, so there are some family responsibilities in her life.
 
Let’s talk about Candy now.  Candy is entering her … (0 comments)

real estate career: Yes, Even Though I Teach, I’m Human! - 10/09/15 09:58 PM
Licensed in 1983 at the age of 10 (okay, so that would make me 42 – yerright!!!).  Okay, let me start over with a bit of honesty here.  Licensed in 1983 at the age of 34, I experienced a bit of arrogance, a bit of excitement, some anticipation, and a whole lot of fear!  Prior to that, I had worked in the legal field since 1966, but I knew money was on the other side of the desk.  Someone convinced me that I could do it, so as a single mother of two, with no child support in sight, I thought, … (0 comments)

real estate career: Our October Class is Forming - 10/09/15 09:54 PM
Every third week of each month (except December when it’s the second week) TEAM Hughes Real Estate School presents a One-Week Fast Track Real Estate Class, which is an accelerated version of the required 63-Hr. Pre License Salesman Class.  We have calculated the number of minutes required by the State of Florida and have inserted them into a one-week long curriculum.  This one-week class has been extremely successful; however, it leaves many people scratching their heads in wonder. 
 
TEAM Hughes Real Estate School does not advertise its success rate; we would rather let the students do that for us by word … (2 comments)

real estate career: What Do You Have To Do? - 10/04/15 10:47 PM
What do you have to do is one of the first questions someone will ask me when it comes to practicing real estate.  The next question I usually get is something to the effect of wondering who will pay his or her salary.  Laymen seldom understand that most real estate agents pretty much pay most of their own expenses and are considered to be self-employed.  We quickly quash the notion that a typical real estate agent is an employee!
 
To become a licensed real estate agent in the State of Florida, you must first complete and pass a 63-Hr. Pre License course.  … (0 comments)

real estate career: You've succeeded in your Real Estate Career - 09/27/15 09:58 PM
You know you've succeeded in your Real Estate Career if you don't get up in the morning worried about paying the bills.  You know you've succeeded if another bill coming in doesn't bother you because you know you can pay for it.
 
You know you've succeeded if the weather is gloomy, it's been raining for days, and yet you can't wait to get to work.
 
You know you've succeeded if you smile at people you don't care for, you laugh at everyone's corny jokes, you don't try to be the center of attention, and you feel pretty good about yourself.
 
You know you've succeeded in … (0 comments)