"It’s never too late to be what you might have been."
~ George Eliot
The May Contest Charges Us With: Now Imagine This...
You could rewind time and start your real estate career all over again, but this time with every tool available today, every lesson you’ve learned, every mistake you’ve made (and survived), and every marketing strategy you’ve tested.
What would my real estate do-over look like?
Well, my career has few regrets because it was kind of a do-over—already being my second career. I entered real estate after already owning and operating four businesses, as well as making many mistakes. So, my real estate do-over would mirror most of my current career: I joined Ninja Selling in month three and Buffini & Company in month six. Maybe I should have joined sooner? I know I should have moved to San Diego sooner! 😂
I started my career at Cashin Company Realtors in San Mateo, CA and I wouldn't have changed that either, I met my bride Ailina Nelson there! And, given that I still stay in touch with my managing broker 26 years later—he taught me this business very well (26 years using the Buyer Broker Agreement is a testament to his foresight—talk about predicting the future)!
What tools would you incorporate from the start?
Technology of 2025 in 1999
I did buy a website—for $5,000 in 1999 (yikes!) - it had five-pages, and was a non-interactive site (cringe). But, I have owned www.ThomasJNelsonREALTOR.com for 26 years.
But, I suppose I’d be more savvy about purchasing a better website. I’d have started blogging sooner and kept it as localized as possible.
Here’s more tech I would change, since we now have 2025 tools available back in 1999:
I would own an iPhone, get into video content faster, and incorporate QR codes and interactive features everywhere in my marketing. I'd use the Google calendar daily too.
I would have created my
Referral Maker Database more quickly, avoiding clunkers like Top Producer and Goldmine. I’d have worked the database earlier, instead of relying on purchased leads and magazine ads.
What marketing strategies would you use right away?
The strategies I use now—only sooner and more consistently—definitely include Corefact postcards to my sphere and geo-farming with those QR code-enabled materials! Blogging, website, Youtube, social media and video.
How would you manage your time to maintain a better balance between work and life?
It took me 12-13 years to establish my non-negotiable Sundays off and to develop enough discipline to close by 6 PM on weekdays and be appointment-only on Saturdays. I would have started that sooner.
And, just as important, what would you NOT do again?
I’m tempted to say I’d never buy leads, but I wouldn’t have known how much of a scam that is unless I tried it myself—glad I did early on. I wouldn’t work for anyone just for the money if they were disrespectful. I would maintain my integrity and only work with people who respect me. They don’t need to like me, but they do need to respect me. We tend to work with whomever in the beginning...and it steals your joy.
Ultimately, I believe I have navigated my career as authentically and intentionally as I possibly could, and I hold no regrets—only gratitude. The various cycles of prosperity, crashes, and even pandemics have served as profound teachers, offering opportunities for growth and expansion. Each client I encountered was not just a transaction, but a lesson—an experience; sometimes a relationship I cherish deeply. I would definitely use the tech tools as they mostly do simplify my processes, but I'm fortunate to say: I truly wouldn't change much else. I did it right and continue to do so.
In the realm of real estate, I consider myself truly fortunate. For in the end, the greatest reward one can receive is a sense of fulfillment—being genuinely gratified by a life lived with purpose and integrity.
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