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Agents in the Business of Thinking Long Term Will Have the Best Careers

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with HouseHunt.com DRE# 01297932

Get a job! Say what? Most real estate agents would be offended if someone yelled that sentiment at them. But the statement is true because when you pursue a career in real estate, you’re not getting a job, you’re opening a business. And to prosper, you must think along those lines.

The dictionary defines employee as “a person employed by another for wages or salary.” Employees work scheduled hours and perform tasks determined by others. They have limited responsibility and their ability to prosper is in the hands of others.

These are difficult times in the real estate industry, but agents still can control the important things by thinking like a business owner and treating the profession as a career. When things slow down it’s time to invest a greater percentage of your time and income back into the business. If other agents pull back or pull out of the industry altogether, that’s a greater opportunity for you to increase your market share.

In every market atmosphere there are going to be people who have to sell and others who want to buy. Because the number of existing buyers, hopefully for the time being, is shrinking, you need to get a greater percentage of those who are still in the marketplace. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, but following this blueprint is a good place to start. As a business owner, you must:

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Comments (5)

Janis Borgueta
Newburgh, NY
Retired RE Salesperson

Jamie~~ This is so true!! Long term is beyond to many people these days.. the here and now becomes a problem. Realtors need to have a plan!

Feb 25, 2012 11:13 PM
Mark Delgado
houses for rent, Solano County & Glen Cove - Benicia, CA
Benicia and Vallejo, Property Management, rental h

I love your list and I'm coming from the perspective of a small business owner in that I am the broker for an up and coming property management company whose needs extend beyond that of a single agent.  I like your approach for an agent to think like a business owner. 

Jaime, you clearly speak from experience and I would advise anyone reading this post to take it to heart.

Feb 26, 2012 01:01 AM
Adrian Willanger
206 909-7536 AdrianWillanger-broker.com - Seattle, WA
Profit from my two decades of experience

Jamie-As a seasoned agent I've had the opportunity to go through several different up and down markets, all uniquely different, your tips apply to any market and are excellent tips to follow. 

Feb 26, 2012 01:31 AM
Michelle Francis
Tim Francis Realty LLC - Atlanta, GA
Realtor, Buckhead Atlanta Homes for Sale & Lease

Jaime, 

Great thought.  We have just celebrated 10 years in business.  We are literally booming this year with a lot of fruit of our long term business mentality!  We do the right thing for clients even when it means no money for us.  This year we are seeing a lot of great results from those planted seeds.  

I love your graphic, too!

All the best, Michelle

Feb 26, 2012 09:27 AM
House Hunt
HouseHunt.com - Huntington Beach, CA

 

Janis- I am so happy you have a long term vision for your business. That’s what will keep you in business for years to come, no matter what kind of market conditions we are in

 

 

 

Thank you Mark. When you become a Realtor, even though you hang your license with a Broker, you are your own business owner. YOU are your product.People buy you before buying a home. If you want to make Real Estate a true career,  you have to take the time to create a plan of action on how you are going to nurture immediate business and long term business, as well as your past clients.  The problem is so many agents focus on the money they need to make today.They do not realize they can build a steady and predictable flow of business by nurturing the clients that have long term needs.  You really can work smarter, not harder, when it is done right!

 

 

 

Adrian, Thank you, it sounds like you have seen a few markets and I bet you can tell us all that each one has their challenges. If you stay focused on helping people and truly caring about their needs, even if they are not immediate, you can build a great business that will feed you for many years to come.

 

 

 

Michelle- GREAT JOB!! That is so good to hear! What is nice is we still have a long year ahead and even in this market, it might just be your best year yet! J

 

Feb 27, 2012 03:24 AM