Here we go again!

As we finish out 2008 alot or Realtors are going to question their ability to stay in the business. You know the saying 20% of the Realtors do 80% of the business. The question then becomes ....are you one of the 20%? Having been in the business over 26 years I have seen more than than one cycle. With the current economy we are going to see more Realtors go inactive which has its good and bad aspects. The high side is that there will be more business for those Realtors that stay active and the negative aspect is that costs will go up as we have less members of our Realtor Boards. As always there are trade offs. One thing I have noticed is that in the down market we seem to obtain a higher level of professionalism...this is a good thing. It is a great time to try out new marketing ideas, further your education and my personal favorite...travel. NAR as well as CRS, ABR and other designation programs are so extensive that we can pretty much go anywhere in the United States and find a class to attend. Not only does this give us an opportunity to perfect our skills but it also provides a great opportunity to network. I look forward to a stregthening market and in the meantime I will enjoy the calm before the storm and do all those things I have not had time for. See you out in the world...let's do some business together and raise the standards of professionalism while we are at it. A hui ho from the Big Island, the home of aloha!