36-1/2 Rules for CORE Agents
Rules for CORE Agents #27: Important Things Go On a Schedule, Not a "To Do" List
I love making “to do” lists. Take out a piece of paper, write a bunch of tasks on them, and then feel that ecstasy of accomplishment when I get to cross something off. So satisfying! Bu to do lists should only be used for small things, not big things. They’re great for keeping tack of…
Read MoreRules for CORE Agents #26: Buildings Built Without Blueprints Fall Down a Lot
You wouldn’t want to hire a surgeon who was just “winging it” when he performed your operation. You wouldn’t feel safe with a pilot who chucked his flight plan out the window and literally decided to fly your plane by the seat of his pants. You wouldn’t be comfortable moving into an apartment building whose…
Read MoreRules for CORE Agents #25: All the Stuff You Don't Like to Do is Why People Pay You
I used to live on the fourth floor of a walkup brownstone on the upper west side of Manhattan. Lots of stairs. I hated walking up those stairs every day, and I particularly hated carrying heavy things up the stairs. So when we bought stuff like furniture or groceries, we would usually get them delivered.…
Read MoreRules for CORE Agents #24: When Someone Asks You How You're Doing, Say "I'm GREAT!"
When you become an entrepreneur, you can’t afford to be in a bad mood. Bad moods bring bad results. It’s tough to get hard things done when you’re walking around like a mope all day. And it’s also tough to generate new business, since people don’t want to talk to someone with a permanent scowl…
Read MoreRules for CORE Agents #23: Don't be Afraid to be Called "Pushy," at Least Once
Most of the great real estate agents I’ve worked with have one thing in common: they’re a little, sometimes a lot, pushy. They’re not afraid to ask tough questions, or make aggressive demands, or put people on the spot. Simply put, they’re comfortable making other people uncomfortable. Most of us aren’t built that way. We…
Read MoreRules for CORE Agents #22: When You're Afraid of the Answer to a Question, Ask it!
We all know people whose lives would be immensely better if they would just ask a tough question. Maybe you know a woman who is eager to get married and start a family, but she’s in a long-term relationship with a guy whom you suspect is just stringing her along with no long-term intentions. And…
Read MoreRules for CORE Agents #21: No News is Still News
You know what the weather is like right now in San Diego? It’s 85 degrees and sunny. You know what it’s going to be like tomorrow? 85 degrees and sunny. Next week? 85 degrees and sunny. The funny thing is, they still do the weather report every day. Turn on the news, and at some…
Read MoreRules for CORE Agents #20: If a Client Calls You With a Question, You've Probably Already Failed
Your phone rings. It’s a seller whose home you’ve listed, and they want to know if that buyer over the weekend had any feedback. Or it’s a buyer you’re working with, wondering if anything new came on the market this week. Guess what? You just failed. Why? Because they felt that they had to call…
Read MoreRules for CORE Agents #19: Never Argue With a Client, Or, Really, Anyone.
I deal with angry clients all the time. I’m the lawyer for my company, and if I’m talking to a real estate client, it’s usually because they’re so unhappy that they want to break a contract or sue me or something. I don’t get to talk to the happy clients. So I talk to these…
Read MoreRules for CORE Agents #18: If You're Not Good at Something, Get Good or Have Someone Else Do it.
It’s staggering how many things real estate agents need to know how to do. They need to be market analysts, appraisers, negotiators, counselors, photographers, videographers, writers, lead generators, stagers, transaction specialists, communicators, marketers — everything that goes into helping people buy and sell homes. But it’s tough to be good at everything. We all have…
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