I recently accepted a new position within our company. The first two weeks of this change found me running nonstop, working from early in the morning to late at night. I have been reminded during this time that it is so important to live a balanced life. For me, taking time to slow down and enjoy life makes me so much more productive when I am in the office.
One of the ways that I escape is to get on my bike. Riding in a pack of 20-30 riders at speeds of 20-25 miles per hour is an amazaing rush. Pedaling alone on a country road and seeing the Texas wild flowers and cows grazing also brings me to a place of solitude.
I am not sugessting everyone take up biking. That's just one of the things that works for me. What I am saying is this- all work and no play makes Johnny a very dull and unproductive boy.
In today's market, everyone is working harder, trying to positioin themselves in a ways to grow their business and fighting harder to keep the business that they have. In doing so, those who are able to maintain balance in their lives will be more successful.
Take time this week to spend time with friends and family, exercise and stop to enjoy the little things in life. The benefits will be great on more levels than you will realize.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Where are you, technically speaking?
As I look around our industry these days, I am really taken with how technology continues to change and evolve. Personally, I struggle to keep up, but I try to learn something new as often as I can. The hard part for me is taking time to learn. However, I fear being one of these people who wake up some day to realize I am out of touch.
Do you know how to download a podcast whether you own an mp3 player or not? Do you know how to send automated text messages? Do you know how to set up an RSS feed to your homepage so that you can have the latest industry headlines right at your fingertips? These are just a few of the many, many ways that you can put technology to work for you.
Many agents today are turning to social networking sites to market themselves. Webpages such as postlets.com, youtube.com and craigslist.com are reinventing the way homes are being marketed. These sites are easy to use and can get you more free marketing for your listings.
I don't pretend to know everything there is to know about technology. It really is an effort for me to keep up with things and to learn new skills. The fact that you are reading this blog tells me that you are probably more tech savvy than most.
The challenge is this- Don't let the world pass you by. Don't wake up some day and regret that you didn't continue to learn new skills. Take time to learn something new each day, week or month. Put it in your business plan and hold yourself accountable.
The best example of an agent who exemplifies this is a gentleman who I have in my office. He has been licensed in the state of Texas for over 50 years and is nearly 80 years old. He has a laptop with a wireless card and a gps system and is constantly learning new technology! He is an inspiration to me and on top of all of that, he is a great agent!
Do you know how to download a podcast whether you own an mp3 player or not? Do you know how to send automated text messages? Do you know how to set up an RSS feed to your homepage so that you can have the latest industry headlines right at your fingertips? These are just a few of the many, many ways that you can put technology to work for you.
Many agents today are turning to social networking sites to market themselves. Webpages such as postlets.com, youtube.com and craigslist.com are reinventing the way homes are being marketed. These sites are easy to use and can get you more free marketing for your listings.
I don't pretend to know everything there is to know about technology. It really is an effort for me to keep up with things and to learn new skills. The fact that you are reading this blog tells me that you are probably more tech savvy than most.
The challenge is this- Don't let the world pass you by. Don't wake up some day and regret that you didn't continue to learn new skills. Take time to learn something new each day, week or month. Put it in your business plan and hold yourself accountable.
The best example of an agent who exemplifies this is a gentleman who I have in my office. He has been licensed in the state of Texas for over 50 years and is nearly 80 years old. He has a laptop with a wireless card and a gps system and is constantly learning new technology! He is an inspiration to me and on top of all of that, he is a great agent!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Being successful in 2008
The new year is well underway and most of us have already failed at some new year's resolution, but it is not too late to make changes in your business that will lead to a successful year.
One of the people who I work for, Jim Fite, says that if you do the same thing this year that you did last year, you will NOT get the same results. Rather, you are likely to get worse results if you do not make changes to keep up with changing times.
I believe that 2008 will be a year of tremendous opportunity. I believe that investors will start coming back into the market to take advantage of some bargins that exist in our market today. I also believe that agents who make the right canges to their business will be tremendously successful. I further believe that new agents who succeed in this business will be in the business for a long time to come.
So, what are some of the changes that agents need to make to be successfull in 2008? First, I believe that there are more opportunities now with For Sale By Owner properties and expired listings than there has been in a long time. It seems that more FSBO properties are not selling and that more quality expired listings are available each day. In a future blog entry, I will address more thoughts on how to get in the door to these sellers, but let's just say that you have to look for something that will make you stand out in the crowd.
The biggest thing that you have to change in 2008 in order to be more successful is attitude. DON"T BUY THE HYPE! The real estate sky is not falling in the Dallas-Fort Worth markets. Recent trends show that home prices continue to make increases across the area, job growth continues to be strong and the overall local economy seems to be surpassing the national economy in many ways.
Wake up each day in 2008 and believe that you have the ability get out there in the world, work your plan, and be successful!
One of the people who I work for, Jim Fite, says that if you do the same thing this year that you did last year, you will NOT get the same results. Rather, you are likely to get worse results if you do not make changes to keep up with changing times.
I believe that 2008 will be a year of tremendous opportunity. I believe that investors will start coming back into the market to take advantage of some bargins that exist in our market today. I also believe that agents who make the right canges to their business will be tremendously successful. I further believe that new agents who succeed in this business will be in the business for a long time to come.
So, what are some of the changes that agents need to make to be successfull in 2008? First, I believe that there are more opportunities now with For Sale By Owner properties and expired listings than there has been in a long time. It seems that more FSBO properties are not selling and that more quality expired listings are available each day. In a future blog entry, I will address more thoughts on how to get in the door to these sellers, but let's just say that you have to look for something that will make you stand out in the crowd.
The biggest thing that you have to change in 2008 in order to be more successful is attitude. DON"T BUY THE HYPE! The real estate sky is not falling in the Dallas-Fort Worth markets. Recent trends show that home prices continue to make increases across the area, job growth continues to be strong and the overall local economy seems to be surpassing the national economy in many ways.
Wake up each day in 2008 and believe that you have the ability get out there in the world, work your plan, and be successful!
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