Richard Barbee

Have you smiled today? I mean, have you really smiled in the way you smile when you find money?

Margaret Bonnano said, "It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day to day basis." Funny and Poignant!!!

For many of us, reality seems oppressive, mundane, boring, stressful, or bleak. We may feel compelled to seek out fantasy or escape as a means of coping with a reality over which we feel little or no control.

Given the state of the housing market and the overall economy, many are feeling despair and mild depression. Where did all those easy closings go? Where are all the buyers? Why is no one listing?

There are two ways of living life: 1. Internal Locus of Control or 2. External Locus of Control. If we have an external locus of control, we feel that life dominates us, that we have little or no control over circumstances, thoughts, or emotions. Those with a external locus of control are highly dependent on the opinions and actions of others. They seek to please and placate other.

If we have an internal locus of control, we feel that we have sufficient power to choose our thoughts and feelings. Those with internal locus of control are not overwhelmed with fear or anxiety, feel stable, act as though they are worth something and are in control. An internal locus of control gives one an empowered mindset that leads to self-determination and progress.

The market does not have the power to determine your mood, unless you allow it. Only you control your thoughts and feelings and actions. If the market is down, respond!! Work smarter and harder in order to achieve the results you need.

If you have to take a temporary part-time job in this process, why not do it? If you have to re-invest in marketing, why not do it? If you need to write articles or meet more people or dress more professionally, why not do it?

You have the power!

As complicated as we may try to make it, there are only a few basic thoughts and behaviors that produce health, energy, creativity, and success. In football, we focused on basic strength, quickness / stamina, knowledge of the offensive/defensive scheme, and self-care / nutritional intake. When we become excellent in the foundational skills, we will find results come easily.

I think these four football qualities may come in handy in the real estate arena as well.

1. Basic Strength - The core of any business is strategy and execution. Your strength is in having a pragmatic, functional system and working it as planned. Maintaining focus on a well-designed plan is one of the hardest and one of the easiest things to do in business. Your core strength in business is your direction and your determination.

2. Quickness / Stamina - Are you utilizing technology and pre-planning to maximize your response time to clients and a consistently productive mindset? Technology allows you to respond quickly, with relevant information. A productive mindset keeps you in the game when others slack off.

3. Knowledge of the Scheme - We all know that we must KNOW the market (Kinetics of the Market, Net Values of the Market, Opportunities in the Market, and Waves of the Future in the Market). However, to what degree are we experts on the current market in our local region? Do you perform market research at least once per month? Have you asked your broker or a colleague to mentor you in market research? Do you read on real estate issues? Do you review the local MLS often? Can you describe your business plan in detail to another Realtor?

4. Self-care / Nutrition - Obviously, if we don't take care of the body and mind that make business possible, we will not enjoy long-term satisfaction or success. Get the sleep you need. Exercise daily (yes, daily). Eat reasonably well. Maintain good, solid, meaningful relationships outside of real estate.

Take care of yourself. Help a few others take care of themselves. Work your business with a plan in mind. I wish you success.

"Hello Brother, name of Daniel Teague, Dan to those who know me, Big Dan to those who don't. I couldn't help but hear that you, like myself, have the gift of gab." - from "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Do you remember this scene from that great movie. There are so many great one-liners from this feature.

"Gopher Everett?"

"No thanks, I fear that gopher would merely rouse my appetite without bedding her back down."

"Only a fool looks for wisdom in the chambers of the human heart."

"We're the Soggy Bottom Boys. Uhhh, songs of salvation to salve the soul."

And so on.....

Anyway, Ulysses Everett McGill and Daniel Teague were two of a kind. There were hucksters and manipulators. However, it would seam that McGill's hubris was overshadowed by his penchant for goodness when all was said and done.

I just wonder which we are. And, I wonder how young, new agents are experiencing this career, the market, and more experienced agents. We need to feed the pipeline with new, qualified, professional agents.

Are we taking enough time to encourage young, new agents? Are we taking them to lunch? Have you dared take a quality newby under your wing, buy them lunch, offer them guidance? What we do for ourselves last for a moment, what we do for others may live forever.

Take time to offer kindness and encouragement to agents that are newer, that are struggling, that are learning. Let them know that you are with them.

It would be a great tragedy to lose a few sales but lose even more valuable salespeople that could have been great.

I work hard and I work "SMART". As a former family therapist, I think of my business as I thought of the treatment process and success planning in therapy. Our plans and daily conduct must by SMART.

1. Specific - A written plan, a written focus, a written mission, and a written journal of past activities is crucial to create a business system. I have met many Realtors that are not interested in building a business. That's unfortunate. They could multiply their efforts many times over by doing so. We must have a plan in order to work a plan. A written plan mitigates the shifting, impulsive nature of daily business conduct.

2. Measured or Meaningful - The ability to measure the effectiveness of our efforts is fundamental to building a successful business. If I have a target of mailing 5 hand-written notes per week, at least 90% of the time, I can measure this and track my discipline. If I want to increase buyer referrals by 1 per month via networking, at least 80% of the time, I can measure this goal. Meaningful refers to choosing behaviors and habits that build my business rather than spin my wheels or waste my time. Acting deliberately and forwardly is a discipline to develop. It is easy, easy, easy to get off track in fun, interesting, urgent, or lazy activities.

3. Achievable - The tendency may be to set the bar too low or too high. If we set the bar too low, we will underachieve. However, if we set the bar too high, we will burn out and get discouraged quickly. If you find that your goals are too high, be willing to adjust them down. Finding the right balance in each area of goals is a work in progress. Make sure you are in the middle to middle-high range.

4. Realistic or Referral-oriented - Thinking realistically is about pragmatism and rational thought. If there are far fewer buyers and sellers, your numbers will be down. However, you can diversify or improve your skill set to offset that. Expecting the same results in a competitive market without doing the necessary work or education is irrational. Do someting different. Do something novel. Try something creative. Referral-oriented regards making your business activities to include a referral-generating component. Do all of your real estate related activities involve a reach for referrals. Are you generating enough referrals? Do you ask for business in every area of your life?

5. Time-restricted - Put appropriate pressure on yourself? Do you push yourself? Do you have an accountability partner? Do you review your activities and habits often? Put a time limit on your goals.

I get it - Commercial Realtors and Residential Realtos live in different worlds. The residential real estate field is less technical, busier, less profitable, marketing heavy, etc. The commercial real estate field is highly technical, very professional, more profitble, strategic, etc.

But, like Catholics and Protestants, there is much more that unites us than divides us. Where's the love?

I have trained extensively in both fields. I have taken over 500 class hours in residential and over 200 class hours in commercial. I have done deals in both fields. I have to be honest.....I use 90% of the same skills in both systems. I have to admit that I enjoy the personal nature of residential and the analytical nature of commercial.

However, let me make the case that becoming great in one field makes me better in the other field. I am highly focused on customer service, follow up, and referral marketing as a result of my residential work. I am highly focused on objectivity, professionalism, and statistical analysis as a result of my commercial work. Buying a home is a business decision as much as it is a personal decision (emotional). I really believe that.

By an office building may feel less personal than buying a home, but the success of the cash flow on that building may have huge personal implications. In other words, we cannot compartmentalize our business decisions and personal decisions. They are not mutually exclusive.

If you are a residential Realtor, get to know a few commercial Realtors. You'll thank yourself for doing it. If you are a commercial Realtor, take a residential Realtor to lunch and listen to how they run their business.

It's all love.