Weather Report

I'm fortunate to have an office with a window looking out to a wooded area along a creek that runs by our building. We are in the city, but we get an amazing array of wildlife stopping by. Deer are regular visitors as are racoons, possums, coyotes, an ocassional fox. The birds run the gamut from Chickadees to very large hawks. I'm looking out my now at a beautiful snowscape, bright sunshine and blue skies.

When I went to the "Y" at noon (I try to go 3 x a week) it felt brisk and not too uncomfortable, that is until I looked at the thermometer in the car and saw the outside temperature was -2. Immediately I felt colder and that led me to think how much we are influenced by information and how often that information can lead to negative feelings.

I know information is important and it's silly to go around totally oblivious to what's going on. That being said, however, If I had looked at the thermometer before going out, I probably would have decided it was too cold and stayed in the office. I'd have missed the brisk air. the sunshine, the opportunity to network with others at the "Y" and ommitted a workout that burned around 400 calories.

We are constantly bombarded with negaive information about our industry, much of it from analysts who have never been in the real estate brokerage business. We hear that housing sales have hit new lows, median prices are tanking, buyers can't get financing and "blah, blah, blah." It's easy to listen to all that and think I need to stop doing anything until things turn around. "Maybe I'm wasting my time." Yet, the productive agents in our office are showing houses, taking listings and continuing to do all the things they woud be doing if business was great. The gal in the next office to mine has been a top agent for over 20 years and she had her second best year ever in 2008.

I'm going to keep watching the weather so I can prepare accordingly, but I'm going to quit listening to the analysts that tell me how bad things are going to be. In the same vein, I watch market statistics closely, but I'm not going to be influenced by some "expert." Buyers and sellers are out there and they need help, perhaps more than ever. I'm not going to let the "gloom & doom" folks keep me from reaching out to them and enjoying the sunshine and exhilaration that our business provides for a successful transaction.