Random Thoughts For The New Year

by Jeff Brown

Real Estate Investments Broker

Author website

Thought:

The only folks I know who can multitask without dumbing down the results are stay at home moms, God bless ’em. They’re seemingly capable of doing a dozen tasks simultaneously while being asked to kiss the booboo on Suzie’s knee, or laugh at the faces being made by Suzie’s big brother. The rest of the population? Multitasking for them is an ongoing disaster generating mediocre results at best, and shamefully embarrassing results at worst.

Go ahead, tell me you haven’t victimized yourself via multitasking, I dare ya. ‘Course I’m uh, challenged when it comes to doing too many things at once. It’s only been a recent victory — talking on the cell while pacing. Little steps I guess.

For 30 days, consciously eschew multitasking when it comes to your professional life. Focus like a laser beam on the task at hand. Produce the best of which you’re capable. Just 30 days. Try it and you should find out what I did. Everything I did improved in an easily measurable way.

Thought:

My favorite Two and a Half Men episode is ‘Call the Guy’. Because one brother refuses to get a pro to fix the satellite dish, he ends up with several painful injuries. He abhors calling the guy. Of Course, the running joke then becomes, ‘Hey, why didn’t you just call the guy?’

I bring this up because I’ve come close to tossing my cookies more than once after reading or hearing someone talk about their website woes. Seems they do everything themselves, but I’m thinkin’ they didn’t get the memo — they’re not web guys.

Yeah, I know, the proprietor of this site does everything himself. Well duh. If I had his ‘puter programming background I’d consider doing mine myself too. Probably not, but I’d consider it. But since most folks adopting the do-it-yourself approach could study what Greg knows on the subject for a year, and still not know what he’s forgotten, why bother?

Not convinced? Look, I get it if it’s because of the additional cost a pro brings to the party. If that’s the case, it is what it is. More power to you. If not? The time you’re wasting pretending to be website/blog/SEO/whatever guy isn’t being spent doing that voodoo you do so well — real estate. Even if it only results in an extra transaction every couple months, that’s some real coin, isn’t it? At $200,000 a deal, a side is worth anywhere from $5-6,000. An extra six deals puts another $30,000 or more in your bank account. My website geek doesn’t charge me $2,500 a month, not even, and he’s one of the best around. Is he the Lone Ranger?

Call the damn guy and make a lot more money. That still begs the question — isn’t the guy gonna produce better results than you have? Be serious. Now add even more deals to your production. This ain’t rocket science, is it?

A quick word to all you Einsteins out there who’re gonna tell me how much money they make, and without calling any guy. Good for you tough guy. How many hours a year do you spend on all that genius work? Does it pay as well as listing and selling property? Really? Can’t find anyone as talented and knowledgeable as you?

Give me a break.

Stop doing everything yourself. Most of the time, at least in my own experience, it’s proven to be stoopid. Just sayin’.

Thought:

I’ll let folks sort out how they make it happen, I’m not a marketing guy, but if you’re in the throes of planning for next year, allow me just one itty bitty suggestion. Go through your records, if you have them, finding out how many belly to belly meetings you had this year. You know, meetings with folks who met with you via their free will, and who also had pulses to boot. Now increase those meetings by just one per week, minus vacation time. Let’s say that’s 48 weeks, OK?

How much extra volume would you produce with 48 additional encounters of the belly to belly persuasion? Even if you’re crap on a cracker when it comes to conversion, you’d do maybe 10 deals if you didn’t cuss or proposition the wife. If they agreed to come a talk with you, they’ve already shown a modicum of serious intent. Failing 80% of the time at these added meetings gets you a pay raise of $50-200,000, depending upon the prices in your neck of the woods.

Figure a way. There’s always a way.

Thought:

So many lenders will look you right in the eye and tell you they can do whatever it is you’re needing. Then at some point, thankfully early in the game for us usually, they’ll come to you with the news they can’t do the deed. In the current lending atmosphere, especially for those of us who specialize in investment properties, this is kinda sorta irritating. I finally snapped the other day, telling the president of a portfolio lender he couldn’t organize a one man picnic with Martha Stewart as his consultant. I hardly ever do that these days, as I’ve had the policy to simply live and let live. Sometimes though, Darth BawldGuy takes charge and the words spew forth. Mea culpa moron.

Lenders who say what they mean and mean what they say, win in the end. The rest are forced to waste chunks of time making excuses for their preordained failures to perform. Please, I beg you, get a clue. Lenders who under promise, over deliver, and spice that recipe with actual demonstrable expertise? They get loyalty second only to The Boss. Lenders who speak truth, know what they’re doing, and admit mistakes are worth thrice their weight in gold.

Final Thought:

You’re in Minnesota in January, and the local lakes are frozen thick and solid. Time for a little ice fishing. So you grab your gear and head out. Once at the lake you toss your line gently on the ice, waitin’ for your first bite.

Are you ice fishing? Fast forward to your normal work routine at We Be Home Sellers Inc.

80-98% of your time is spent doing everything under the sun but what you know you should be doing — prospecting. Reaching out to new people. Creating belly to belly encounters of the ‘I’m actually in real estate’ kind. How’s that any different than the guy above, laying his line on solid ice, pretending to be ice fishing?

The following is said with a good spirit, a song in my heart, and sincere wishes for your best year ever. It’s what Dad told me the morning I was to begin my real estate career.

Shut yer pie hole, don’t make excuses, start talkin’ to folks who own real estate and might tell you to go to hell. Don’t make me sorry we have the same last name. (He winked when he finished, by the way.)

You might be surprised and discover what being in the real estate business actually feels like.

Just a thought.