People are creatures of routines, habits, day to day ritual.
A real estate broker can get in to the same REALTOR rut. And so can insurance agents, lawyers, etc involved in the real estate sale process. Had a store we were selling needing insurance coverage. And when I mentioned it to an agent I bumped in to, his first reaction was "Oh that buyer will probably go with so and so for coverage". Gave up and without even a phone call. First reaction was don't bother and a failure prediction. Why raise the white flag and surrender so easy? What if the buyer and brand "X" had a falling out, or there is dissatisfaction with them as an agent behind the scenes? The point is how much effort to make a call, pay a visit when a lead is dropped in your lap? Do you shoot yourself in the foot like
this without even knowing it?
As New Year's business resolutions ink dries on the list gracing your mental refrigerator door, is the way to increase your business to simply broaden the shots you are not taking at the real estate targets right in front of you that you avoid, don't hunt or are scared of? And also, the shots you miss you never take because you keep your hand on the safety? Are you timid, holding back, laying low and assuming a postion you put yourself in over and over?Determine to crank up your ferocity factor and play each real estate day as if you are in the world series. Chasing a pennant to get there.
Especially the follow up leads that drop in your lap but need immediate attention if you plan to turn them in to pay dirt. Real estate sales are a numbers game. For every so many listings you have a sale. Your total listings divided by your sales will give you this average. But if you don't get the listings, you don't have the property to sell. The expression "you can't sell meat from an empty wagon" applies now more than ever. You need supply.If you have ever said "he or she will probably not list with me" give yourself a good looking over from head to toe? Do you see any reasons or defects of why that would be so? Is it an insecurity, past event misunderstanding, or just being overwhelmed with someone else that is aggressively hitting lots of real estate targets consistently in your local market? Some times we are our own worse enemies. Make it a point to go after any and all real estate listings, sales leads. Shoot at anything that moves in the real estate jungle. You don't hit targets, prospects your don't think you have the personal artillery "inside" to land and drag out of that jungle.
Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers 207.532.6573
Great question!
I enjoyed this article- thank you!
Excellent advice Andrew. It is easy to fall into a rut. Thanks for pointing it out.
Andrew, thanks for the shot in the arm!
Hi, Andy. Good post! It's true; sometimes you do think, "Oh, they probably won't list with me." You won't know if you don't try and, if you don't try, you really are shooting yourself in the foot. GREAT GRAPHIC!
Is Kathryn's comment a play on words?
Good advice. It doesn't hurt to ask as long as your nice. Thanks for reminding us to shoot for the mark, not our foot!
If you roll over and die, ask yourself why? Not hungry? Don't care and apathetic? Of never get to the real estate listing henhouse quick enough because some other agent beat you to it over and over? The more people you make contact, "touch" the better. Law of averages says you will get business you were surprised about. Maybe someone else who was suppose to call them, get back to them from the outfit you figured would get the business did not bother. They just assumed they had the business like you did. Sellers and buyers don't like the cold shoulder from a secret agent that does undercover, AWOL.
Andrew: The answer is ALWAYS no unless you ask.
Yhe other day, I drove a buyer away cuz I was "busy". That's too bad cuz i"m not busy today. OW! My foot hurts.
I was taught through the Floyd Wickman Sweathog program, you have to get through all of your "No's" to get to that "yes". And you never know, you may get a "yes" when you least expect it, Nice post.
I have shot myself in the foot more then I would like to think about. Thanks for putting the issue right out there as a reminder to get it going! Make the calls and dig harder!
Kicking yourself later happens too..have to make a graphic of that.
Sitting back and waiting for something to happen seams to be a great hobby for many agents now days.
Get to work. That is the secret...stop global whining. Wasting time at the water fountain.
Andrew -
Thank you for the kick in the pants. Aggressively going after listings is not my strong suit. After reading this, I vow to do one brave thing a day to get a listing. Today my brave thing is to call a FSBO whose flyer is on my counter. Wish me luck!
Motivation, motivation, motivation! finding that one (or many)thing that drives you to treat everyday like a sprint. "Live like you'll die today, dream as if you'll live forever". James Dean
"Fire in your belly" is not apathy about a job that feels like fun when you are matched correctly and just plain know how to be, like to be, industrious Richard! Hard work is the secret underlying anything you do.
Andrew:
It is so easy to give up, so why not try harder!
Ty
The war on real estate is a series of battles. Ups and downs. And learning where you shine, where you don't. Your victories are the passionate part of your job that do not feel like work and why you are in real estate. It is not just the faux pas made with a buyer, seller. It is something in your real estate repertoire that is not just weak..but may be missing altogether. For example, videos on your local area to reinforce the ones on your property...still just talking about how you are going to do them? (Gunshot to the right foot, again, smell of powden, blue smoke fills lap top screen.) That video camera and software Santa jettisoned down the chimney has three layers of dust on them...not doing you much good on line if you don't weave them in to your marketing. Look for better ways to market. Shots in the foot are not just how you deal with one by one buyer/seller communications and where you drop the ball.
Andrew, I don't know how many times that I have shot myself in the foot but I checked today and all of my toes are missing.
The day I put magnetic signs on my vehicle, my phone rang. The caller said he wanted to buy a home, and asked if I could help him. It was late on Friday, and I had appointments on Saturday working with another client. I followed up with the caller on Monday. He had called another realtor and put in an offer, which was accepted over the weekend. Ouch! The client I was showing properties on Saturday did not buy in our area.....
Lesson learned; follow up immediately and often, sometimes they really are serious about buying or selling NOW!
Negative thinking is not good in the sales game. It helps to become an "actor" when the negative thinking is taking over. Fake a good attitude if you don't have one.