We all know that business has been slow, so what is an agent to do? MORE BPO's! I was out last week doing an interior BPO for a valuation company. It happened to be out at a small farm in Lincoln County. While there, I said hello to this youngster who was very insistant that he have his picture taken. I was feeling a little sad about the circumstances of the owners of the house, but to my surprise, they greeted me with big smiles. In fact, they did not seem too concerned about the fact that the property was in the final stages of foreclosure and they they would soon be moving out. I decided to take a stroll about the place to get the exterior photos, and I realized that whether or not these people were in denial, at least they were having a good day today, a happier day than I was having while digesting the true reality of their situation.
I thought to myself, "Why should I let this ruin my day?" I looked at the cow and the little guy changed my attitude immediately. Here I was, I was out in the open air, enjoying the sights and smells of springtime, and I was feeling slightly guity about having to do this BPO. I was also feeling the strain of knowing the market is slow and that the number of buyers for this house are limited as it is out in country, far from shopping and schools.
I resolved to do the most accurate job on the BPO as possible. Comps were near impossible to find, but find them I did, I worked hard at adjusting them as needed and delivered the best work I could. This resolve made me think about my attitude and my fellow Realtors attitudes in general......
I recently read a blog entry about an agent who has run through his savings and was complaining about wasting his gas money and two days time showing buyers who decided they were "Not going to buy at this time." I am pleased to be one of the lucky ones who has been too busy to post very many blog entries of late. I expect a successful closing day in escrow tomorrow. I hope that my next blog entry will share how I am weathering through the slow times by concentrating on an attitude of success rather than feelings of foreboding.
Hey, I could be trapped in an office but I have the freedom to come and go as I please, be my own boss, keep my own schedule without punching a timeclock and actually smell the roses in the air outside while showing homes in springtime. Yes, there are buyers who waste gas and time, but without that "A" list activity, you are sitting around waiting for nothing to happen. Maybe my "non-buyers" (I do not want to call them time wasters..) will recommend me to a friend looking for an attentive agent. There is no such thing as a wasted buyer trip. I can get to know my inventory and learn to identify the non-buyers even more quickly next time. Real Estate is the best job in the world. I happen to love running my own show, and I wouldn't dream of changing careers at this point.
Please let me know your thoughts about surviving in the current market.
Comments(2)