During the past few years, I would talk with agents across North America, and I could tell there were going to be some bumps in the road. I would ask the agents to be just a little bit more careful. I would ask them not to get the 95% interest only loan. I would ask them to save a little money and not buy so many toys. I would ask them to watch their overhead and initiate new lead generation systems that would supply a fuller pipeline.
Some listened and are doing just fine right now in the midst of our challenging market. Others are scratching their head and wondering what their new plan should look like. In fact, they want to make up for lost time. These are the agents who are reading the articles about how the government used the social security trust fund for general spending. These are the agents who forgot to put money in their 5-2-9 for their kid’s education, and they haven’t been funding their SEP IRA. On top of that, some of their real estate nest egg has “cracked,” and it is now time for them to start getting serious about real estate again.
There is a plan that works just fine in this market. I worked the plan through two tough markets, and it’s the same plan my coaching clients and thousands of others follow today. It’s time for a reality break. The market isn’t changing soon…so you’d better change!
There are many success stories in this market. If you are not one of them, you are not doing hard core prospecting for at least four hours a day. You also need to overcome today’s client objections, make a listing presentation that wins, and quit wasting time on stupid business.
If you aren’t a “success” story (yet!), it’s time to get to work! What kind of work? Prospecting. I know – that’s the second time I have talked about it. You need to talk to ten “warm” seller leads before you get one listing presentation. Stop your feng shui class. Quit your staging instruction.
Announce to your Facebook, ActiveRain, and Twitter followers that you are going to back to work, and you’ll keep them updated on the value you are providing your new demographically proper sellers! Don’t spend a lot of time announcing it to your Facebook friends, if they don’t really care; in fact, if they don’t care, are they really your friends?
Time block your prospecting, your listing leads, your current listings, your buyers, your pendings, your communication (email and phone), your database follow up, and your goal planning.
Wait, goal planning? Yes! Do you have a plan for every day, week, month, and year? What about five year and ten year plans? At Sanford Systems, we work the plans, work them again, and then compare results against what we want.
Some of you already do what I have explained. If you are in trouble for the future, then do THE PLAN. Some of you cannot. I can, I have, and I teach others how to do it. One-on-one coaching is expensive but attending a seminar isn’t. I’m sure there is someone in your area who hires real estate speakers. The next time you hear about the continuing education class on something that makes you no money – you might speak up to say, “Hey, get someone here who can help me make more money! I need to make up for lost time!”
An oil and gas lease lottery millionaire by age 16, Walter S. Sanford was in massive debt by the time he was 22. Taking his winnings, he invested in over 400 units and found that high leverage real estate can be detrimental to your financial health.
Obtaining his real estate brokerage license during the 80s, Walter went on to become what some believe to be one of the top agents in North America. He built his career on systems that are in demand by virtually ever major franchise and top producing agent in the world. 1995 was Walter’s best year, in the midst of a real estate depression in Southern California, where he personally closed 316 transactions.
Walter Sanford now coaches some of the top agents and travels internationally to deliver his seminars based upon systems with velocity increased by technology. He is the author of 10 ground-breaking books and software that assist top real estate producers in not only beating the competition but also providing lasting estates for their future. Systems are his passion.
Walter has been buying or selling real estate for the past 35 years. It took a long time for Walter to find balance, but today, he runs a successful coaching and training business. He enjoys life in “small town America” with his wonderful wife and two darling daughters.
Many speakers and trainers have never been involved in real estate brokerage aspects and none have ever been involved to Walter’s extent. If you would like to know more about Walter, please visit www.waltersanford.com. You’ll find more information about how to hire Walter as a speaker or coach and how to obtain his ground-breaking products for your library. Walter can also be reached at 800.792.5837 or walter@waltersanford.com.
Walter,
Great direction from you as always. Getting back to “work” is really the magic pill to solve lack of business in this environment.
Thanks!