Introducing my selected Heir Apparent (HA) but I'm not gone by a long shot!!

A few months ago I asked what we should look for if we select an heir apparent. My blog was sorta high-jacked by two friends named Nutsy and Raven but I had some feedback. My requirements were.....

• Honesty......this certainly would be a must.
• Energy......if I get tired, they shouldn't!
• Intelligence......street smarts wouldn't hurt.
• Education.....must know proper communication in writing and in person.
• Computer literate......know their way around for emailing, scanning and actually be better at this than I am!
• Personable.....get along well with people.
• Ambitious.....aims for success but not by stepping on people.

After careful thought, I called up this gentleman who'd done lots of work for me as a contractor or handyman while he was working to become a Nutritionist. He already had a degree in Engineering but was not practicing.

I stunned him by saying, "Mark, I think you should become a real estate agent. I've got lots of foreclosure properties and you've helped me with a lot of them by making repairs for me. You could probably serve in two capacities." He even bought one of the foreclosures, fixed it up and flipped it.

Then I gave him the sales talk.

• I know that you are honest and anyone who works with me or for me has to be honest.
• You have energy that is never-ending and my HA (heir apparent) has to have more energy than I have.
• Intelligence is a requirement and you have a university degree plus that nutritionist award.
• Computer literacy is a requirement and you understand the computer. (Later on I learned he has a son who is an expert!)
• I know you're personable because every time I recommended you for a job, they called you back to do more and more so you have repeat business.
• You're wife has a great job that supplies you with the all-important health insurance needed to survive.

He was absolutely surprised. He'd never thought of real estate as a career. He talked it over with his wife and they decided I'd made good points. He then started with all the training that was required. Within weeks he WAS a real estate agent.

I fought to get him an office right across the hall from mine. He bought his computer equipment, traded vehicles, and started working immediately. It has now been about 4 or 5 months since he began and he works diligently and learns so fast! He promptly masters whatever I put out for him.

He has also closed several transactions already. His eagerness and ambition are apparent. For a while he made my work load harder because of working and training at the same time. But I feel confident that he is competent as my backup if I want to go on vacation.

So, drum-roll please!!

HERE HE IS!! Mark Lercher, new RE/MAX Advantage agent from Searcy Arkansas.

P. S. He does have one bad flaw. He does not read my blogs so he may not even know he's here.