real estate: SOAR WITH THE EAGLES! - 12/28/16 10:04 AM
Now that 2016 is practically behind us, it’s time to think about the direction you want to go in your career.  You can either soar with the eagles or you can keep on groveling with the turkeys!
 
That sounds direct, but in this case, it needs to be.  The practice of real estate has many levels.  Just because you may not be a super-agent producing more money than ten agents put together, that doesn’t mean you are not successful.  Success is in the eye of the beholder, and sometimes it may not be about money.
 
To soar with the eagles is all about … (1 comments)

real estate: Moving Into the New Year - 12/18/16 04:07 AM
We at TEAM Hughes Real Estate School hope you had the most wonderful Christmas ever!  Now, we are moving into the new year with great expectations.  This week may find people still celebrating or recuperating from celebrating.  We were in Illinois for the holiday and hated to leave so quickly, but this week is a banner week for us!
 
Although our classes are done for the year, TEAM Hughes is moving into the new year in style!  We are announcing another campus opening, and are thrilled about it.  If you are in Crestview, Navarre, Destin, Niceville, Ft. Walton Beach, Shalimar, Niceville or … (3 comments)

real estate: Your “One Thing” - 12/17/16 11:25 AM
Our Daphne, AL campus is in a Keller Williams office, and as my class was taking their final exam last week, I set up in the training room to grade them.  There was plenty of time to kill, so I began reading the different posters on the wall, and one caught my eye.  Gary Keller was asking, “What’s your one thing you can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary.”
 
I don’t know much about Keller Williams’ training and I certainly don’t know the context within which Gary Keller made this quote.  I do know, however, … (17 comments)

real estate: Give Yourself a Present - 12/16/16 04:26 AM
Christmas trees with pretty lights, lovely Menorahs laid out for Hanukkah, nippy cold weather ahead of us and lots of food and drink at parties all set us up for the holiday spirit.  Regardless of your religious affiliation, you must admit the last month of each year comes in with much anticipation.  You don’t have to be a kid to appreciate the warm feelings December brings.  Even more exciting is that this year could be even better and you could give yourself a present.
 
I know children want toys, video games, books and lots of cool things in December.  Moms and Dads … (2 comments)

real estate: Resolutions Are Not for Me! - 12/14/16 04:24 AM
It’s that time of the year when people begin looking back and contemplating the new year that’s right around the corner.  Many are thinking about their new year resolutions, but quite frankly, resolutions are not for me!  Years ago, I used to make tons of new year resolutions, but became frustrated when I was unable to carry even one of them all the way out to fruition.  A few years ago, I “resolved” to never make another resolution!
 
Resolutions are fine for people who can really stick to their guns, but resolutions are not for me.  The frustration that follows the inevitable … (2 comments)

real estate: Wandering in the Desert - 12/13/16 04:24 AM
Today’s world of technology makes life easier, but many people seem to be wandering in the desert.  Things have gotten so hectic that they don’t know how to slow down and enjoy their career.  Working and getting a paycheck is their first priority, rather than happiness or passions.  Wandering in the desert can take different forms for different people.  For some, wandering is being generally unhappy with life.  For others, they are wandering because they don’t feel the flames of excitement or anticipation.
 
Wandering in the desert can be a dangerous place to be.  It can put off decisions being made that … (1 comments)

real estate: Dancing With Your Past - 12/10/16 03:17 PM
I’ve found dancing with your past can be debilitating.  Most people don’t even realize that they’ve allowed their past to lead them through the present.  Dancing with your past can determine the choices you make and can affect the roads you travel throughout life.
 
As a woman of faith, I try to lay my past aside.  Sometimes it’s not a very easy chore and I begin dancing with my past once again.  We’ve all made mistakes, we’ve all had our own dysfunctions, and sometimes we’ve all allowed our past to dictate how we react to life’s situations.  I’ve heard people say they … (2 comments)

real estate: Mondays Need Not be That Way - 12/07/16 04:39 AM
Here it is again, the dreaded Monday.  Recently I’ve discovered that Mondays need not be that way.  You know which way I’m talking about.  We all seem to hate Monday, we all seem to dread its weekly arrival.  Let’s face it:  having a weekend off naturally makes us wish for more.  We’re kind of a lazy bunch when it comes to time off because it’s so darned enjoyable to not have to go in to work.
 
Mondays need not be that way anymore.  We can mix it up a little, making Monday a day we look forward to.  It may not be … (2 comments)

real estate: A Trend in my Blogging - 12/03/16 04:54 PM
Lately, I’ve noticed a trend in my blogging.  I guess it’s because we are in the last month of 2016.  Years ago, as a newly licensed REALTOR®, I was taught by a wonderful broker, and one of his passions was to teach his agents about goals and planning for the future.  Almost 30 years have passed since he last taught me, and I can truthfully tell you that I’ve never lost sight of his teachings.
 
There is a trend in my blogging because I am a planner.  When I am not instructing, I am planning.  I have visions, I have goals and … (1 comments)

real estate: Define Your Objectives - 12/03/16 05:03 AM
This is the time of year when we begin preparing for the upcoming new year.  One of the first things I ask a student needing help is to, “Define your objectives.”  How can you possibly prepare a map showing how to get somewhere without first knowing where you want to go? 
 
Many real estate agents get their license, get trained and start working.  They take floor time, they sit on model homes, they talk to everyone they know and they wear their name badge wherever they go.  Yet, if you ask them to define their objectives, they would most likely say … (2 comments)

real estate: Change Doesn’t Have to Scare Us - 12/02/16 04:59 AM
We are creatures of habit and many of us fear changes that come about in life.  Change doesn’t have to scare us, however, and we can embrace the changes as they arise.  Not all change is bad and not all change is good.  If we can face change with a positive attitude, it will make transitions in our lives a whole lot easier.
 
Change doesn’t have to scare us if we understand the change and as long as we can implement it without disrupting our entire life.  For example, in 2015 everyone was dreading the changes that were coming about with how … (1 comments)

real estate: The Weather Affects Your Market - 11/20/16 07:22 PM
Sitting in Maine as I write this blog, feeling the draft around my feet, I am reminded how the weather affects your market.  You practice in Florida and Alabama, so there is no way to relate to real estate agents practicing in New England.  The weather affects their market in such a way that they must plan their strategies around snow, ice and cold.
 
The weather affects your market because even in the most bitter temperatures, you are still able to practice real estate.  We seldom see a shut-down in south because of winter weather albeit things do slow down a bit.  … (1 comments)

real estate: Exercise by Walking - 11/16/16 08:26 PM
I know a guy who lost tons of weight and got his exercise by walking.  He looks great and can eat pretty much anything he wants because every day he walks his allotted miles and it seems to be keeping him healthy. 
 
Real estate agents sometimes don’t get enough exercise, especially when they spend hours at the computer.  If they could get exercise by walking, it could serve a two-fold purpose.  In today’s technologically advanced real estate industry, you don’t hear as much about walking neighborhoods, knocking on doors and getting to know people.  This is part of the process they … (3 comments)

real estate: You Should be Thankful - 11/15/16 07:42 PM
If you are currently licensed to practice real estate, you should be thankful.  We live in a country that allows us to do what we enjoy doing and yet, we get paid to do it.  We chose a career field that does not require a college degree, a huge capital investment and a monthly overhead that is impossible to meet.
 
If you not only practice real estate, but if you support a family through your practice of real estate, you should be thankful.  Statistics show that the average real estate agent doesn’t earn what we typically consider “big bucks.”  The interesting thing … (1 comments)

real estate: Sometimes It Gets Crazy! - 11/13/16 06:01 AM
TEAM Hughes Real Estate School now has two campuses, runs three pre licensing classes that overlap, is expanding further, and sometimes it gets crazy!  When we have three separate pre licensing classes going at the same time, things get a little hectic.  We try hard to remember students’ names and which classes they are attending, but we’re not always successful.
 
Sometimes it gets crazy when registrations come in at the same time.  We get lots of credit card registrations, and it’s easy to forget a step in the process of registering and posting payments.  When that happens, it can take a long … (1 comments)

real estate: A Checklist Will Remind You - 11/13/16 05:04 AM
We recently heard a sermon in church that discussed “divine checklists,” which gave me an idea for this blog.  As the preacher went through the checklist of things God gave us to do, I began to relate the sermon to the practice of real estate.  Recalling the many times I would go on an appointment only to discover I had forgotten an important document or didn’t mention something I thought would be instrumental in the consumer choosing me to help them.  A checklist will remind you – if and when you use the checklist.
 
Life is a collection of checklists as far … (0 comments)

real estate: Fishing - 11/12/16 05:55 AM
Today is Saturday and we just got back from fishing.  The weather was perfect, we took the boat and we settled in for the duration.  Fishing is a little of a science and a little of an art.  Fishing helps clear the mind and offers excitement, anticipation, fun and sometimes boredom.  Today was not boring.  Fishing today was great fun because we caught fish.
 
My Dad taught me that fishing requires patience.  Sometimes that patience isn’t easily found and is difficult to sustain.  Today wasn’t so bad in the patience department.  We were lucky enough to find an area where the fish … (2 comments)

real estate: What Makes a Good Real Estate Agent? - 11/07/16 07:45 PM
Real estate agents come in all shapes and sizes, all ages, all political and religious persuasions and all types of morals and character.  The question at hand, then, would be what makes a good real estate agent?  Regardless of all the differences between them, is there some similar trait that you should look for if you need a good real estate agent?
 
Some consumers want a real estate agent who is outgoing, gregarious, can sell anything; while others aren’t concerned about personality and would rather have a real estate agent who studies the market, does lots of research and knows the inventory.  … (1 comments)

real estate: Integrity Will Win! - 11/02/16 11:12 PM
TEAM Hughes Real Estate School has a policy to assist students with their tuition.  We try to make it as painless as possible for them because we know that there are many more expenses they will be facing as they get further into the process of getting a real estate license.  We also do this because even though money is necessary to pay the bills, our first priority is passing on the knowledge we have attained over the years.  We believe integrity will win out every time even though some students appear to lack it.
 
The other day a student asked us … (1 comments)

real estate: The Modern Student - 10/30/16 06:27 AM
TEAM Hughes offers a one-week fast track real estate class in Florida and a two-week fast track real estate class in Alabama.  The modern student of today doesn’t always want to sit in a classroom four days a week or four nights a month or even have to attend class for a couple of months.  We looked at the modern student demographics and found some interesting information.  Google research suggests that demographics is not as important as consumer intent, and for a real estate school, we are trying to attract the person who intends to get a real estate license.  Another … (0 comments)