Ok folks let's get real...2008 was a tough year, 2009 will be even more difficult. Are you mentally and physically prepared for another 12 months of battling the media, the mental fatigue of buyer and sellers, and your dwindling self esteem?
I have two words for you..."Game On" You know the expression kids use in a bragging way, that's right "game on". It is time to separate yourself from the competition. No more Mr. Nice Guy. The days of showing buyer property after after property until they view every single home on the market are over. The days of accepting any list price just so you go back to your office and say Whooo Hooo another listing, those days are over.
Here is a sure fire way for you to succeed in 2009:
- Know your numbers and know your inventory. You need to become an expert, the real estate expert in your market. You must become proactive in gathering the information necessary to be the most informed Realtor possible. You must intimately know your farm.
- Prospect, Prospect, Prospect. Until you have enough leads in your pipeline to live the lifestyle of your dreams, nothing else is important. Never allow any distractions during your lead generating time. I will even go as far as saying that you must lead generate each working day from 9am till noon. No text messaging, no emailing, no talking to friends or colleagues, and no playing with myspace. You have to master the art of becoming a lead generation machine
- Pre-qualify, qualify, and then re-qualify your buyer leads. No one gets in your car unless you absolutely know they are qualified to purchase a home. You are not a taxi service. You do not get paid to drive people from home to home if they do not have the ability to close an escrow. You will also make sure that anyone who gets in your car is ready, willing and able to purchase. You do not have the luxury to work with non-motivated clients. My favorite expression is, "As a Realtor you can not be the most motivated person in the deal"
- Be real with sellers. You are being hired to sell their home not just list their home. You have to present the honest truth with them. 2009 is not the year to have a pipeline of pverpriced listings. Present options to these sellers;make sure they are completely motivated to sell their homes.
- Start thinking like a business owner. Understand your budget and adhere to it. Evaluate your spending and income weekly. Avoid debt at all costs. Cut expenses to the bone. Run lean and mean.
- Invest in yourself. Expand your education. Take classes to improve your skills. Invest more in yourself than your car
If you take your career seriously you will have a serious career. You do not have to obey this market, this market can be made to obey you. Many Realtors will not work this hard. You must work smarter and harder than everyone around you. You must have a standard of excellence. You can and win in 2009.
Game On
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