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Surviving the Real Estate Rip Current!

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with RE/MAX Town Center 658501

Surviving the Real Estate Rip Current!

The key to surviving a rip current is to swim out of it, not against it.

Most swimmers REALTORS ® will panic and try to swim against the current.

They will tire quickly and soon go under.

 

 Stop trying to fight the market, change the market or pray that it turns around. No matter how good you are, how influential you are or how good looking you are.....you cannot change the market.! It would be like trying to reverse the course of a river, an impossible task and more importantly why would you invest the effort.

  

GO with the flow!

  

Focus only on the things that you can effect. Create your desired results by identifying what this market offers and taking full advantage of it.

If the market is an irresistible force, then you need to stop being an immovable object! Swim with the current until you can get free of it. Look inside for solutions and focus on yourself.

  

Your Attitude

Your Amplitude

And your Aptitude

 

These are the things that you control and that you can effectively use to create change. Positive results begin with having a positive attitude. This is a market designed for the real estate professional. Your value to your clients is at an all time high. You are the information source for your clients and real estate consumers and their reaction to this market is dictated by how you present the situation and your analysis of market. The market is suffering from indecision and a lack of confidence. Don't feed the problem with a negative attitude, get behind a solution by pursuing the advantages the market offers. Interest rates are at or near historic lows, for people with good credit and a reasonable down payment loan money is readily available, inventory is abundant and prices are finally within reason. Sounds like the description of a great real estate market. Most of clients are well positioned to take advantage of what the market offers and of those that are disadvantaged by this market, need to sell for reasons that are not market driven and will sell regardless of whether it's a good time or bad time for them to sell. They still need your help to determine the best available solution.

  

If working hard in 2008 did not yield you sufficient results , then consider doing more of the things that got you positive results and stop doing the non productive activities. Focus on your amplitude, turn it up a little and work harder. It's not an easy solution and it shouldn't be, just working a little harder than you have should produce better results if you go into it with your attitude in place. What other choice do you have? Either get busy working hard to make yourself a success or look for another profession.

 

You also have the option to get better at what you do. Do the same amount and do it smarter, faster more effectively and your results will improve. Take a training class to improve your skill set. Add to your skill set and increase your value to your clients. Your aptitude may need a little fine tuning, skills you haven't needed in years need to be brought out and dusted off.

Tim and Pam Cash
Crye-Leike (Sango) - Clarksville, TN
Real Estate Professionals - Clarksville TN

Mark, great post.  Welcome to Active Rain.  I keep telling my wife that my good looks just aint cutting it - see - I was right!

Jan 12, 2009 11:34 AM
Charles Stallions
Charles Stallions Real Estate Services - Pensacola, FL
850-476-4494 - Pensacola, Pace or Gulf Breeze, Fl.

Great Post, I like your perspective and analogy of the market Mark. Just watch the signs and they will show you the way. There is certain indicators that can always perdict to a degree where the market is headed.

Jan 12, 2009 12:00 PM
Ellie McIntire
Ellicott City Clarksville Howard County Maryland Real Estate - Ellicott City, MD
Luxury service in Central Maryland

Congratulations on your feature post. Great content and endorsed by the great Lenn Harley. A recipe for success.

Jan 12, 2009 12:00 PM
Craig W. Barrett
RE/MAX 100 - Hughesville, MD
Hughesville MD Real Estate

Excellent analogy. I found you by the way of Lenn Harley, I'm glad she pointed you out.

Jan 12, 2009 12:10 PM
Terry & Bonnie Westbrook
Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner - Grand Rapids, MI
Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re

Good suggestions we all need to make sure we are working with the right attitude. Thanks for the reminder.

Jan 12, 2009 12:31 PM
Gayle Balaban
The Best Spot Realty/Waterfront Real Estate/Ooltewah Real E - Chattanooga, TN
E. TN Waterfront Real Estate

Excellent post and I agree totally.  I am recomending a feature on this!  Great job.

Jan 12, 2009 12:43 PM
Leslie Stewart
Oregon Licensed Broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Professionals - Stayton, OR
Realtor, ABR, CRS, Oregon Licensed Broker

Great point, All!  Thanks for the insight and keep up the nice work.  Leslie

Jan 12, 2009 01:19 PM
Sharon Alters
Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty - 904-673-2308 - Fleming Island, FL
Realtor - Homes for Sale Fleming Island FL

Mark, welcome to Active Rain. You have the positive attitude that I have found in abundance here. Adjusting to the market this is instead of the market we wish, is a lot easier when you have the support of all the great people here who are constantly giving us the best they have to offer in tips, tutorials, and wisdom about real estate.

Jan 12, 2009 01:21 PM
Diane Bell, Hilton Head Real Estate, Bluffton
Charter 1 Real Estate, Hilton Head, Bluffton, SC - Hilton Head Island, SC

Thank you for the "sage" advice for 2009.  We can sure use it.

Jan 12, 2009 01:27 PM
Jacque Applegate
Elite Realtors of Georgia - Warner Robins, GA

Enjoyed your post, I actually needed to read it about the attitude. I am embracing new arenas and new avenues. Active rain has been a great help in learning what is working for other agents.

Jan 12, 2009 01:53 PM
Linda Jandura
Raleigh Cary Realty - Apex, NC
Realtor, North Carolina Buyer & Seller Specialist

Love your analogy. You can float out of the riptide better than swimmng against it. It takes too much energy to swim upstream, time to go with the flow.

Jan 12, 2009 02:00 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Mark, Congratulations on you featured well deserved post! How nice to see another Maryland agent. Thanks to Lenn for pointing me to your blog.

Jan 12, 2009 02:12 PM
AMBER NOBLE GARLAND - Top Real Estate Expert, Property Tax Appeal Specialist & Author
Strategic Marketing Expert & Relocation Specialist Serving New Jersey and nationwide! - Marlboro, NJ
- The Agent You Can Trust To Deliver REAL Results!

Nice post Mark. I especially like this line about not being able to change the market no matter "how good looking you are" :)

Jan 12, 2009 03:15 PM
Anonymous
Cathy

Great Post! I agree totally.

Jan 12, 2009 03:42 PM
#31
Jason Neumann
Century 21 Assurance Realty Ltd. - Kelowna, BC
Realtor - www.KelownaRealEstateNews.com

Mark, a huge congrats on your featured post and my motto in this business is...BELIEVE IT, ACHIEVE IT!!!  Take care and happy blogging!

Jan 12, 2009 05:07 PM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland
Linda Breeding
Keller Williams Realty - Pinehurst, NC

I agree 100%! Go with the flow and learn keep the attitude in check and things will be fine. Great post!

Jan 13, 2009 01:20 AM
Sonja Adams
Keller Williams Realty - Purcellville, VA

Great Post!  And yes, you have to move with your market and adjust accordingly...

Jan 13, 2009 01:41 AM
TIM MONCRIEF
Tim Monciref - Austin, TX
Over 2,000 homes sold…..

It is all about mindset.  If we believe it is the end of the world....it probably is.  It a simple switch we all can turn off...turn on....turn up....turn down....  A simple switch..a simple mindset.

Jan 13, 2009 12:33 PM
Esko Kiuru
Bethesda, MD

Mark,

When the market is as challenging as it is today one of the ways to stay busy is to learn new marketing methods and implement them pronto. What doesn't work, drop it.

Jan 13, 2009 01:40 PM