emotional intelligence: Are We Having Conversations or Dialogues?
- 05/22/26 08:06 AM
A recent blog post here on Active Rain focused on conversations and how those conversations are related to income. For me, years ago I realized that I prefer to have dialogues instead of conversations.
Socrates is well known for his Socratic Dialogues. The goal was to educate with logic. However, diving deeper into the origin of this word dialogue there is an emphasis on both listening and understanding. In other words, dialogue means to build a relationship and probably was one of the first types of communication with infused emotional intelligence.
We can all have conversations about the weather, the market and yet … (10 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: We Are the Champions, Yes We Are!
- 01/04/26 07:42 AM
Reading about the real estate industry to the real estate market to the public’s opinions of real estate agents, there is a lot of doom and gloom. Yet, those individuals who embrace being professional real estate agents are the champions of this market. Many of those agents are here on Active Rain.
What does being a real estate champion look like?
Champion real estate agents are:
Knowledgeable and are always seeking to increase their knowledge base, to be the best informed and to share that knowledge Aware first about their own attitudes, talents and then to the market, to other agents, to local … (5 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: Your Real Estate Marketing Goal Is…?
- 01/04/26 05:09 AM
With the New Year now in its third day, some real estate agents may be reviewing their 2025 wins, losses and missed opportunities . Much of this focus may be on real estate marketing. Any given day agents get texts about sales leads, firms that will post social media content to possibly even reading some marketing guru book or blog posting.
Yet, when asked this question “What is the goal of marketing?”, some may stubble responding or answer with attracting attention, making a friend, etc. However, if we accept the premise people buy from people they know and trust, should not the … (8 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: Time to Let It Go
- 12/28/25 06:45 AM
As the December challenge co-hosted by Lew Corcoran and Patricia Feager is coming to end, here is my fourth and final entry about my Ah Ha Moment.
Often being a high problem solver (DISC “D”), I continued to ruminate on experiences. During my early years as an executive leadership and strategic sales coach, I was exposed to three circles of life or what some called the Three Spheres of Control. This exposure created a huge “Ah Ha” Moment for me and has since guided most of my thoughts as our thoughts drive our actions, our behaviors.
The innermost circle and smallest circle … (10 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: Reflection and Renewal Are Partners
- 12/05/25 05:45 AM
Years ago when I was active in executive consulting and coaching, I had the opportunity to meet some incredible people. From each I reflected and found a renewed attitude within me.
Probably the individual who created the most reflection and renewal was Laura Novakowski. She was a RN nurse and transitioned into helping health care and not for profit organizations improve their results by starting with executive leadership and strategic planning.
Laura and I for whatever the reason “clicked” and we quickly became friends and colleagues. She awakened me to “emotional intelligence” (EQ), For me this created a lot of reflection being a … (7 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: My Most Significant Professional Change
- 07/27/25 12:49 PM
We all face significant professional changes over the years whether we are active in the B to C or the B to B Worlds. Upon reflection I realized this one, significant professional change has had the most lasing impact on my various career paths.
Over 25 years ago I met a woman named Laura Novakowski. Laura was a retired nurse, held a MBA and was like me working with a training and development licensing firm. We quickly bonded and shared rooms during annual conferences, worked together on strategic planning and leadership consultations and even wrote a book though the book was never … (11 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: A Twist Upon James Carville’s Word for Real Estate Agents
- 05/25/25 08:45 AM
James Carville who was behind the successful election of William Jefferson Clinton shared these four simple words that were not only truthful, but resonated with middle class America:
It’s the economy stupid!
Today with all the emphasis on AI being the future success tool for professional real estate agents, I have put a twist on Carville’s words:
It’s the relationship stupid!
AI will, in my opinion, never be able to develop authentic relationships. Additionally, AI will not know all the nuances within in local real estate market. This is the primary reason professional real estate agents need to stay within their area or areas of … (6 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: Motivational Monday – Balance
- 04/21/25 08:39 AM
For busy professionals regardless of role or industry, balance between personal and professional lives is important. Years ago, I read Buddha was the first person who discussed balance and use a wheel in this discussion.
Balance also extends to our thoughts as Bruce Lee noted in these words:
"Balance your thoughts with action."
When I read Lee’s words, my philosophical brain traveled down several paths including emotional intelligence. For those who demonstrate emotional intelligence, how we respond, our actions, must be balanced between the other individual and ourselves. This balance often includes our own moral code or ethics.
Others have similar thoughts about balance … (3 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: Motivational Monday – Doing Things Differently
- 04/04/25 10:01 AM
In any role be it professional or personal, doing things differently matters especially when achieving positive desired results. Years ago, I read this quote by Marcel Proust:
"The true voyage of discovery is not seeing new landscapes, but seeing with new eyes."
How do you see things differently for yourself as a parent, sibling, friend or one of the many roles within the real estate industry?
In my personal roles, I believe consistency beyond being ethical is one attribute that shows I do things differently.
For me, being old school in real estate is definitely being different. I want to:
Meet face to face with … (15 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: Wordless Wednesday – Brevity Equals Success
- 04/02/25 08:26 AM
After reading Richard Alan Naggar posting “The Challenge (listen more talk less) Test," I was reminded of this quote by William Shakespeare in his play “Hamlet:”
“Brevity is the soul of wit.”
How often in our goal to make a friend, earn a seller’s listing, secure a buyer’s sales lead, do we talk way too much about what we do, what we know, who we know, you get the idea?
In sales, this is called a “sales pitch,” and has morphed into “values proposition statement.” Sometimes the other person turns a deaf hear or he or she may just hear “blah, blah, blah.”
Thomas Carlyle … (5 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: Reading My Never Ending Story
- 03/27/25 09:43 AM
Reading has always been part of me since my earliest years. I remember my father who was a salesman coming home, sitting down in his favorite chair and picking up a book. My little rocking chair was next to his chair and I had my children’s books next to me. As I grew up, Sunday afternoons became a ritual of reading, watching TV and conversing about the Cubs baseball games or the Bear football games on the television.
During my school summer vacations, my friend next door and I would walk or bike a mile to the library and sign up for … (9 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: Strategic Thinking Countdown – Your Leadership Goals Are? Day 12
- 12/24/24 05:28 AM
The first strategic thinking critical goal in Leadership and Management is Communication. From my experience this is the greatest obstacle next to human capital development facing small business owners who wish to increase sales.
How often have we as professional real estate agents heard a sales lead state he or she called this or that agent and never heard back from him or her? I am often reminded of the line from the movie "Cool Hand Luke" when I hear sales leads tell me of their frustration by calls or emails not being returned.
"What we have here is a failure to communicate."
Communication … (2 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: Trust Is the Crucial Capital in Real Estate
- 11/01/24 11:48 AM
Trust is essential in all relationships. In real estate, trust is the crucial capital. Stephen Covey wrote:
"Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships."
Given so much in real estate is communication, trust happens with that first phone call or contact. To be able to develop begins my understanding how does one define trust? The Oxford Online Dictionary defines trust as:
“firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone.”
Merrian-Webster adds an additional word to define trust:
“firm belief in the character, ability, strength of truth of someone.”
From … (6 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: It’s The Results, Not the Early or Late Hours
- 07/26/24 07:46 AM
Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. For many real estate agents including myself, Sunday can be another work day. This past Sunday I started working around 5am to organized four (4) rejected vacant land multiple offers, mailed the rejected offers to the potential buyers, the seller as well as to update internal office procedures. NOTE: Late Saturday afternoon I received the signed rejected offers from the seller and we had plans for the evening.
Upon e-mailing out copies of the signed rejection offers by the seller, I received an email from one of the unsuccessful buyer who wrote … (6 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: The Ongoing Desire for Crystal Balls or Magic Blue Rocks
- 07/24/24 08:05 AM
For years, mankind has looked for a way to tell the future as in crystal balls. My sense is the reasons for this include the lack of being prepared, fear and internal insecurities.
Then from my executive leadership and sales coaching practice, I observed many individuals seeking what I called the magic blue rocks or what others would called the quick fix.
In either case, the ongoing desire for crystal balls or magic blue rocks appears to be also present within the real estate industry by both real estate agents as well as sellers and buyers.
For example, all the changes in real … (10 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: Taking Time For Coffee
- 07/20/24 08:50 AM
With the emphasis on social media, so much is lost making those in person, authentic connections. Whether you are a real estate agent, a REALTOR®, a buyer or a seller, sitting down and taking time for a cup of coffee, “Joe,” with another reaffirms who we are.
When we take time for coffee, we can make that necessary eye to eye contact. We begin to know if we can trust the person across the table.
People buy from people they know and trust.
In sales, that being the transference of feelings (Zig Ziglar), many are able through telephone calls and/or Zoom meetings to bring … (11 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: A Recurring Daily Thought
- 04/13/24 09:45 AM
Yesterday, I not only had this recurring daily thought not once, but three times. In a matter of 15 minutes, I received three (3) calls for last minute showing requests for properties located in Kingman, AZ, Mohave County. Thankfully I was aware of all three properties and upon conversation with the potential buyers I was able to share all my knowledge.
So often I have received last minute requests for showing requests. My recurring thought is something like:
“Sure I am sitting at my desk, just waiting for your phone call because I have nothing else to do and you are my only … (8 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: A Good Read – Courage Does Not Always Roar
- 03/31/24 09:05 AM
With today, March 31, 2024 being a significant religious holiday for Christians around the world, I thought this book by Bobi Seredich entitled Courage Does Not Always Roar: Ordinary Women with Extraordinary Courage captures much of what happened thousands of years ago.
The two women who came to the tomb and found it empty along with a stranger in a white robe had courage. Yes they were probably frightened given the circumstances and still they stayed and listened to the stranger.
In this relatively short read, the author describes the attributes through various selections about courage. Even though the book focuses on women, … (3 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: Leverage Your Opportunities to Make a Positive Impression
- 03/15/24 04:01 PM
Some recent data from NAR suggested 81% of the sellers and 71% of the buyer’s only interviewed one agent whom they subsequently hired. Possibly the reasons are several such as referrals from family and friends, a property down the street just sold or a for sale sign caught the consumer’s attention or they met the real estate agent at a local event.
With these staggering statistics, how do you leverage your opportunities to make a positive impression with potential clients during your first interaction? And that is the question to be answered.
First, do not spew what you do. People buy from people … (4 comments)
|
emotional intelligence: The Baker’s Dozen of Missteps to Sidetrack One’s Reputation
- 03/09/24 05:25 AM
To be successful in sales and yes the roles of real estate agents are salespeople first and foremost one must have a solid reputation. Over the last eight years, I have witnessed this baker’s dozen of missteps that create cracks in the reputations of licensed real estate agents.
Many of these missteps can be traced back to the Code of Ethics that REALTORS® swear to uphold and abide. These missteps are not in any code of priority except for first one I have listed. Any one of these missteps can sidetrack a real estate's reputation as well as a successful close of … (6 comments)
|
|
|
|
A recent blog post here on Active Rain focused on conversations and how those conversations are related to income. For me, years ago I realized that I prefer to have dialogues instead of conversations.
;)
;)
;)
