On January 6, 2010 I started a 90-day program If I Could Start Over Again by Walter Sanford. Today is day 90 and I have completed the course. The amount of information I have been given these last 3 months is a career’s worth. I can go back and re-mine this book for all kinds of support as I move forward with my career. While I will go back to use some of the promotional and marketing efforts I couldn’t afford during these first three months, I will also move on to other guru’s and systems. My desire is to get a full flavor of all the real estate guru’s programs out there in the first year so that I can fully develop my own personal style based on what I have taken from all the rest. There is no reinvention here just a mining of the nuggets of their knowledge and wisdom.
Real Estate is a singular business. Meaning you may work for a company that provides a level of support, but the bottom line is that you have to create your own production, no one else can do that for you. I know there are internet lead generation companies out there that some ill-informed agents believe is their easiest way to a good career, but an internet lead is really not something to center your career efforts on, it is barely the beginning of capturing and retaining a client for life. Keep in mind that the internet travels the ethernet and we know how easy it is to capture ether. 
While some companies promote their empathy driven system versus the ego driven, top down systems of other companies, the reality is that once in the industry, it is up to you alone to build your career. Books and programs like Sanford’s go a long way in showing you the skills and systems that you must build for yourself. I am sure your agency has tapes and programs from their senior people that are available to you. I suggest you do take some time each month to challenge and grow your knowledge base. I am not yet richer for this work, but I am far wealthier.
In these 90 days I have learned how to build my own database, and how to put my leads into categories so that I can systematically stay in touch with them providing them valuable information as I move them towards a transaction of some sort. I have learned some scripts to use after I take them out of Walter’s speech patterns and filter them through my own ways of communicating. I have learned some systems that other agents don’t use to attract and capture listings from FSBO’s. There are so many quirky great ideas that Walter has produced that can add some more transactions to your year. I understand power farming and the value of being in the neighborhoods in a physical way. Most importantly I am learning how to Time Block my days. Time Blocking is Sanford’s way for saying have a schedule with all your important activities to complete in a day, and then go complete them. 
I think, for me, this is the most important part of any learning experience. It is not a matter of reading, or learning, or going to a seminar…it is all about what you do with that information.
I want to thank those who have contributed their thoughts and support along the way. You have made me feel welcome and not alone as I work here in my office to build a career. Over the next 90 days I am starting to focus on all my personal lead generation systems as well as developing expertise in the Short Sales. Tomorrow is the beginning of my second quarter of my first year. Today I take the time to reflect on what has already been accomplished. All of these photos were taken in the last several months. I keep looking to see if I have changed.
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