We talk from time to time about relationships. How do we do this business at a higher level—and a higher fee? My answer is twofold: “build better relationships” and, of course, be a better professional. Both pieces are important, yet we have all seen real estate agents who sell lots of homes who are...

The Background Story

My wife was working late this past Wednesday night. Her shift that day/night required her to be the last anesthesiologist to leave (big hospital with over 20 operating rooms). So she is working this almost-last-case, and it is well past 7 pm. There is a surgeon (let’s call him ...

Real Estate Is Too Simple

In an industry constantly chasing the next shiny marketing tool, social media strategy, or lead generation system, the foundation of real estate success remains shockingly simple: consistent human connection.

I'm not sure how this keeps evading people, but real estate is ...

This week, I was in New York City talking to a high-producing real estate agent (>$40mm). We were talking about “how hard it is” to charge a full fee under certain circumstances. It takes courage to charge a full fee.

Being Courageous is one of The Thirteen Virtues of Being a Trusted Advisor.

Cou...

Proving you’re a great agent is a rough go.

We work so hard to show people how great we are. If only they knew all the stuff we know, all the stuff we do, how much we care, etc. We also are doing this, sometimes, to prove to ourselves that we are worthy. It’s exhausting.

Actor Jason Bateman was o...

This past week I led a session called, “50 Ways to Make Effortless Calls.”  Wht people saw that there are actually way more ways to make calls! We went over almost 100 prompts! 

Consider that for most agents - and maybe you - while having some extra prompts does assist in making calls, most agents ...

What are those feelings of ‘I don’t want to’, ‘I’m not in the mood’, or ‘I don’t feel like it’?

It’s called Resistance - with a capital R. Resistance was coined by Stephen Pressfield, most notably in his book The War of Art. Last week I mentioned mood congruent attentional bias - which is that mood...

“We are social animals to the core. Our survival and happiness depend on the bonds we form with others.”
- Robert Greene, The Laws of Human Nature

What is the one thing most real estate agents avoid doing every week? Being with others!

We go to the drive-thru for our coffee.
We go to the drive-th...

“The truth is like poetry, and most people f$%ing hate poetry.”
  — from the opening scene in The Big Short - Overheard at a Washington DC bar

Real estate is very, very, very, very, very, simple: talk to people.

Everyone wants to do anything else but that.

If you talk to more people and get bette...

There is a very prominent and successful speaker and author who built a business by telling people what to say. He told a large group of mortgage professionals last year, “No one wants you calling them. Stop going around saying, ‘I gotta make my calls.’”

Yes, that is what he said. 

I am taking it ...

...yet doing it remains illusive.

I ask people all the time, “What is the one thing you need to do to ensure you are successful over the next 12 months?”

I get a lot of answers! Most of them will make no difference.

However, I do get some really good ones. Here are a few I received recently (thes...