I have a theory, which is conveyed in one form or another, at every team meeting, mastermind, one-on-one etc., with our agent partners. That is "If you can speak English and type on a computer, you can sell real estate."

It really is that simple. So why do 87% of agents not make it past their first year in the business? Why are so many of us constantly riding an emotional roller coaster that inevitably ends with us exiting stage left? More importantly, what is it that separates successful agents from those that can't quite make it happen?

Simple doesn't mean easy. Perhaps no distinction is more important in entrepreneurship. The fact is, simple things can hurt. They can be tough. they can require seemingly inhuman amounts of...

The geographic location of your business is likely directly correlated to your outlook on the current market. As states begin to reopen, buyers and sellers have come back to the table unevenly across the nation. In areas like North Texas, the market has become flooded with willing buyers ready to pay more than asking for homes they feel they're still getting at a bargain going forward. Sellers, however, are still relatively hesitant to pull the trigger.

Whether it's concerns over safety, or just general outlook on the future of the housing sector, sellers are much less motivated to pull the trigger. Having a safe asset is appealing in times of uncertainty and so it's understandable that sellers are less willing to make a move until...

Two months ago the real estate industry came to a grinding halt. Not really, but that's what a good portion of industry pros believed, and how many of us acted as we drew the curtains, contracted into the fetal position, and prayed for better days ahead. Reality is, there's been plenty of business to be had these last eight weeks. Yes, statistically things are down across the board, but so are non-quantifiable metrics like the amount of agents doubling down on their efforts and rising to the occasion while others look for the exit signs. So there have been few, if any, excuses not to step up our proverbial games. What's better, for most of the country, agents are now being rewarded for that perseverance.

The pinch has come and gone....

Building a real estate business is simple. You meet new people (lead gen), nurture them until they're ready to make a purchase or sell an asset (follow-up) and then assist them in the process (conversion). It really isn't any more complicated than that. 

So why is it such a grind? Why do we spend so many  of our waking  hours agonizing over how to attract more clients, close more deals, and find some time in there somewhere to live some semblance of a normal life? The truth is, just because something is simple, doesn't make it easy. 

Of course we need to put those hours in. No matter where our business is currently at, it takes constant, focused effort to continue growing, moving towards whatever vision we have for...

Seven weeks. That's where we're at. It flies by, doesn't it?

Nearly two months into a global shutdown, how have you used your time? Have you pressed hard each and every day to continue growing your business? Have you spent time on yourself and personal growth routines? Or have you simply gotten in some much needed R&R? 

There are no wrong answers - except of course doing nothing, but for most of the country there is an undeniable feeling that sentiment is beginning to shift. With some states pushing to reopen, it's becoming more and more obvious that people are growing weary and ready to get back to some form of normal life. For real estate pros, that means it's time to get back to the  grind.

No matter how far off we are...

Well, we're officially in week five, at least in my neck of the woods. And after over a month of shutdowns it's become obvious that we're really fighting two different battles as real estate professionals. One is the battle against limited resources, a smaller pool of buyers and sellers, government regulation etc. The other is against ourselves. Let's face it, it's difficult to maintain our habits, our work ethic, our drive. It's hard to stay focused, to keep pushing forward, in the face of uncertainty, against the urge to pull the sheets over our heads and give in to the voices telling us to ease up. Telling us to lean into our own laziness. Telling us to stop working and just relax, watch more TV,  eat worse food, let our business...

It feels like the days are bleeding together. I guess that's normal when you remove the spontaneity from daily life. We're still working - still living, still moving forward, but each day is oddly reflective of the last, at least aesthetically. It's this redundancy that's become our worst enemy.

The reality is this: a good portion of real estate professionals are struggling through this. They can't find it in themselves to keep putting in the work to make deals happen when world around them seems to be crumbling  in slow motion. But it's not for lack of resources. Real estate sales is a mental game. You have to find resilience when it feels like there's no point. You have to pivot when the market moves. Fortunately the adjacent...

Creating consistent content can be one of  the most challenging endeavors for the  modern real estate professional. For most of us, it's just not something we're used to or, in a lot of cases, comfortable with. We tell ourselves we need to be visible, we understand that 8 out of 10 search results will be video within a half decade, yet we keep kicking the can down the road, telling ourselves that we're focusing on more  important things.

Here's a healthy dose of reality. If you're legitimately concerned that creating video content on a consistent basis will somehow have an adverse effect on your life or business then you're either wrong or a truly unlikeable person. And since you're reading this awesome blog, I doubt it's...

I was a groomsman at a wedding over the weekend. Standing by the alter I scanned  the pews, trying not to lock my knees as I waited for the officiant to finish so we could all clap and cheer and scramble to the bar. I started picking out people in the crowd that I had done a transaction with. I was shocked by the amount of money I had made just from the people in that room. I've always considered my sphere to be the largest opportunity for improvement in my business. Even still, it was amazing how much real estate I had sold to a room full of people gathered for a single particular occasion. It put the shear scale  of opportunity that's out there for us on full display.

I, like most realtors, have always struggled to get...