Do you have the desire to receive recognition from your peers; to be recognized as one of the top Agents in the country?  If you do, you need to start by taking dead aim daily.  It is the disciplines we do each day that mean the difference between being on top or being part of the crowd.   
Start each day focused on the success of your business.  You want to begin each day by reviewing your business plan.  Focus in on the activities that will lead you to the successful result …

I started writing this article a couple days ago when I was on a tangent regarding the blatant, in-office solicitation of our agents (and myself) to join network marketing companies. I decided to sit on it to see if my feelings simmered… they haven’t and since today is the day we launch our 2009 Business Planning Coaching Course, I feel it is a very good time to let everyone know just what business we are in.
What business are we in?  I don’t know about you, but I am in Real …

Many of you are a lot like me.  Entrepreneurial.  We’re constantly looking for opportunity, and when we see it, we often just naturally go for it.  Some of us more than others, depending on our place in life, our risk tolerance, financial ability, and the other things on our plate, but all of us, to some degree, learn to spot opportunity and react.  Such is the life of an entrepreneur.
I thought that some of you might find it enjoyable or even possibly instructive, if I were to walk you through …

Prospecting is one of the easiest but most misunderstood concepts in the field of sales.   Sales trainers are always trying to sell their “prospecting-free systems” on worldwide speaking circuits by saying, basically, “You will never have to prospect again if you use my system.” And, because salespeople secretly don’t want to prospect, they readily buy into the too-good-to-be-true, no-prospecting philosophy. 
Our readiness to take the easy bait makes us like the wolves that are hunted above the Arctic Circle. The wolf hunter dips a sharp knife in blood and freezes it.  …

The Holidays are in full swing and I am reminded of a post I made last year between Christmas and New Years as I struggled to work from my home office with 2 of my children just outside my office door.  So many agents are moving home and vacating their bricks and mortar offices to save money but is it really the right decision for their financial and personal goals???  Not everyone can work from home and I am seeing actual signs of depression in some of these agents who …

As someone who spends a large part of my life training agents to succeed in this new age of real estate, I’m often amazed at the general lack of understanding on the topic of advertising in our industry.  I’m not talking about understanding the nuances of Madison Avenue or even being a student of David Ogilvy, Al Ries, or Jack Trout (some of the giants in the advertising industry).  I’m simply talking about having a good working understanding of the fundamentals of advertising, since as working agents, advertising is our …

Everywhere you look the news is grim.  Today there are record numbers of foreclosures.  Huge inventories of new and existing homes are being reported by nearly every media outlet.  The mortgage industry is in a state of chaos.  Many real estate agents are experiencing their toughest times ever in the business.  It is a very difficult time, and it is hard not to be discouraged.

I realize that this goes against what everyone is saying, but there IS good news!  Lots of good news!  First let me give you some numbers:

As I travel the country giving seminars on how to overcome prospecting and lead generation reluctance (see www.yourcalltosuccess.com), I hear a common theme from agents. Many agents believe that their market is different, that they are facing unique challenges and that selling real estate is easier or better

There are many real estate website solution providers out there today.  And of course there’s also the option of going with a custom website.  This is an expensive options, but if you can afford it, I say do it - right.  Make sure you take the time to check references and google results for this person or company that says they can build you your dream site.  If all the sites in their portfolio are doing not so well on Google, why would you want them involved with your site?  You wouldn’t.  That said, if you cannot afford a custom site, which most agents cannot, I suggest you go with Advanced Access.  I have nothing to gain by recommending them…no affiliate code or anything.  And I know they have had their issues in the past as all growing solut

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