Time machine needed....

Things I wish that my Broker (or someone) would have told me!

Is there anyone out there that wished they could go back in time and change something, edit something, redo something or just tweak something?  Do you wish that what you know now - you knew then??   

1. EDUCATION; I am not talking about just classroom continuing Ed.  I am talking about the real life, nitty gritty facts that you learn as you stumble upon your way.  Classroom education is good, but nothing beats hands on training.  I take the optional courses offered, even if they are not for credit, but I take them because I can circulate with other agents and brokers.  I get to see them in an outside setting.  Having my designations helped me – don’t get me wrong, and there is something to be said of have your certifications, but the actual learning I feel comes from talking with others. 
2. YOU HAVE ABOUT 10 SECONDS TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION:  Personal Profiling, Mirroring, good listening skills and connection.  Understanding and listening to your prospect creates a deeper connection.  When you go on an appointment it is important to LISTEN to what the prospect is saying and rephrase what they are saying back to them. 
3. SOME DEALS WILL FALL APART:  Even the most seasoned real estate professionals have had deal that gone south.  Sometimes you can do everything right and it just does not matter.  Just remember don’t work on a hope – work on certainty. 
4. EXPERIENCE AND SKILL: are not the same thing:  You can gain experience in an everyday situation, but SKILL is not taught you have to condition yourself.  A lot of agents can list and sell a home, but a skilled agent knows how to get return clients and referrals, which is the heart of real estate. 
5. YOUR SELLING YOURSELF AS WELL AS THE HOME:  You have to understand that customers and clients need to “buy” you.  They need to build a rapport with you and trust you. 
6. SMALL DOSE:  Take everything in a little by little.  Don’t get into the frenzy that you have to know everything NOW.  If you don’t know an answer to something it is OK to answer with “I Don’t Know, but I will find out the facts for you and get back to you”.  Don’t bombard yourself everyday, take it day by day. 
7. BE ORGANIZED:  To have deal going is easy, but when you have multiple deals going I advise anyone to get a calendar or a daily planner and write in reminders.  Better yet, a good investment is Top Producer.  If you use it correctly you can load your database in there and set up reminders to stay in touch.  You have to remember little details that make you a big time agent. 
8. DON’T BE GULIBLE:  Lead generators don’t work for everyone – don’t spend money on something that you will not profit from.  Don’t overspend on gadgets and hard to use technology. Keep things simple for yourself.  Sometimes going back to the basics is good. 
9. SET GOALS;  This really should have been at the top of my list, but its not.  In anything in life you should set goals for yourself – WRITE them down.  Set dates that you want to achieve them.  Don’t get upset when one or two items don’t get reached – just set them at the top and work on those first. 
10. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO USE YOUR GUT:  If you think something is not right, go with it.  If you know that a homeowner wants to list their home for way over what you think it should be listed at – don’t take the listing.  Don’t fall into letting the homeowner set the price when YOU KNOW IT WON’T SELL.  Its better to walk away than taking the listing that expires. 

**BONUS:  Take value in yourself.  When you have a high sense of worth, people tend to flock to you.  You are the most valuable item out there, stand tall and be proud of all you do!

Comments

[Larry Cragun]

Hi, This reminds me Dave Liniger founder of ReMax scoffed at agents who try Real Estate. His comment is agents don't try Real Estate, Real Estate try's agents. Larry Cragun.

[Larry Cragun]

PS: I made a typo on the last post, been at it all day. Sure is fun, both readin and postin. Lar

[rudolph d. bachraty III]

great list christine. this would be a great list to provde new agents.

i'm working this list into a post.

thanks,

-rdb.sellsius°

[Christine]

Thank you Sellsius, I LOVE it when I make it into your blog, it is always such a big thrill for me to see my name mentioned. :>

[Dan]

Your 10 points above are good advice. One wonders if the real estate industry will ever learn from its mistakes.

Check out some of the blogs at RealBlogging.com that discuss REMAX, franchise brands and other general real estate trends. Many provide interesting reading about the history of where many brokers and concepts originated from.

[Christine]

You know its funny - whenever you do a post like this - you can always find other things to add onto the list!