The Real Estate Personality

The real estate market is VERY busy right now, folks. Lots of home purchases going on here in the midwest. The market is very good. About 50% of what we're selling as an office right now is first time home buyers. They are looking to capture this $8,000 tax credit. It has spurred the market and I listen to commentators talking about the housing market is on the road to recovery. I chuckle a bit, because I think about "spin". Spin is good. It can help spur or spark. My only concern as a broker and business owner is December 1 of this year. That's when the $8,000 tax credit goes away and that is the middle of winter. The winter could be long and cold when folks stop buying because they won't get the tax credit anymore. There is more that needs to be done to this industry to fix it, and less than the knee jerk that is in effect which is supposed to be fixing it. Common sense is a very good thing. All of which is a great topic for another blog.

But for now, the last time I wrote I hinted about personalities that make for successful Realtors. Yep, there are those who are great and those who you wish you'd never run into. But, isn't that the case with any career? To be successful in real estate, I think it takes several qualities. And you may be surprised to hear some of them.

You have to care about people

You have to be organized

You have to be a self-starter

You have to have a sixth sense about the law

You have to try your hardest every single time

I've seen so many people fall by the wayside. They start off all enthused and then find out just how hard it is to be a Realtor. Getting business means being disciplined and organized. You need a plan..and you have to stick to it every single day. If that means giving out 5 business cards every day, then you don't go to bed at night until you have. You run your own business in real estate. You are an independent contractor, so you can do whatever you think, legally, you need to do in order to attract business.

You have to care about people. Believe it or not, I run into Realtors all the time who seem to HATE people. They care more about the money to line their pocket than they do about the People they work for. And that will backfire. You have to care about your clients first and the money will follow. You have to trust that.

There will be times you want to go home and pull a blanket over your head. Things are going so badly. But, you pull that blanket over, have a good sleep and get back up the next day and give another 150%. You do it because you care and because you can't do anything BUT give 150%. It won't get done without you.

You have to be organized. That means a system: Franklin-Covery planner, Outlook, Top Producer. Whatever it takes to remind you of what you have to do on a daily basis. In the middle of juggling 8 contracts, you'll wish you had a system to help you out. Some folks hire an assistant, but many do not. If you have an assistant, you'll have to take the time to train them to do business the way you want it done. And that's why my assistant is doing detail work for me, I know I do what I do differently than anyone else would do it for me.

Just got an accepted contract yesterday for a young man who is buying his first house. It took a little negotiating, but that's a skill you learn in this business. The longer you're in it, the better you get. And it helps to have clients who can teach you how they negotiate. I ran into a master negotiator in California several months ago. As many years as I've been in this business, he taught me even more.

Which is another thing about real estate, you are continually learning new things.

Again, I thank all of my past clients who have given me the ability to serve them and have placed their trust in me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you all.

That's it for now. St. Louis is a lovely place this time of year. Come out and visit us! It's a season of festivals for us: Japanese Festival, Blues Festival, International Festival.