Help

It is sometimes very difficult for me to ask for help. I know I am not alone in this issue. There are lots of reasons someone might be reluctant to ask for help. They might not think someone could do it as well as they can. They might be too prideful to admit they can't handle something. They may not realize that they actually need help in the first place. They may think no one would be willing to help. For me, it is two issues simultaneously: 1) I don't want to be a burden on someone and 2) I tend to think that taking the time to explain something will take more time than just doing it myself.

I have to get better at this. I took a big step in the past few weeks. I brought on a business partner. Her name is Taylore Massa. She is new to Weichert and is energetic and eager to learn. Also, Cindy was able to get her license back and now there are 3 of us. It's pretty cool to have two reliable people ready to help. I just have to get better at getting them stuff to do!

For those of you that have people working for you, how do you choose what to delegate? How do you train people to do it the way you want? Share some stories of good experiences and bad experiences with assistants/employees.

For those of you that are directly under someone else in your job (i.e. you are a secretary/administrative assistant/personal assistant), how do you help your boss be better at delegating? How did you learn to be effective for the person above you? What are some techniques you can share to be more of a mind reader?

Stress-- Promotes Growth or Kills It?

So this is a post asking for your opinion and discussion. For you, does stress promote personal growth or kill it?

I know it can vary from person to person and I know it depends on the source of the stress (is it a terrible boss or just the demands of the job) but in general, what is your reaction to stressors?

For me, in general, stress makes me grow and learn. If there is a particular source of stress that I can cut--I cut it. If there is a source of stress that I cannot cut, I learn how to adapt around it and try to either accept it and make the most of it or figure out a way to minimize the stress it produces. There are times when stress can become almost debilitating. I can relate to times when stress becomes so overwhelming the motivation to act is greatly diminished. Typically in those situations, I just "suck it up" and push through.

I don't really have a magic formula for dealing with stress. If it gets to be very strong I might go outside for a few minutes or might hide for a few minutes just to collect my thoughts but, in general, I just push through it. I would love to hear some actual tricks for "dealing" with stress better. What are your tried and true methods for coping with job stress, kid stress, life stress or any other type?

How Can I Make Your Life Easier?

This question is the number one question a service provider should answer for you. A polished professional may answer this without you even asking it. If you walk away from your meeting with someone soliciting your business and they haven't given you a satisfactory answer, you probably need to move on. Why is this question so important? I will give you some anecdotes to make it relevant.

I can follow directions. I can watch a YouTube video on how to rebuild an engine. I can learn how to build a deck. I am capable of these things. You are too. That said, it would take me a very, very long time to do this. I would, no doubt, have a "learning curve" where I would screw some stuff up and have to re-do it. Once finished, it might not work quite as well as if a pro did it. I certainly wouldn't give myself a warranty and some of the parts might not be under warranty because they weren't professionally installed. A good mechanic makes my life easier with fast service, honest diagnosis, fair pricing, guarantees that the repair will operate precisely and free repair if something isn't right. I also expect them to know whats wrong with it even if I don't.

When you think about buying a new vacuum, do you want one that is more bulky, awkward and hard to clean out? No! You look for one that will make your life easier. You want one without a bag that is easier to steer, lighter and does a good enough job that you don't have to go over the same spot three times. You shop with your subconscious saying, "how does this vacuum make my life easier?"

Real Estate is the Same as The Vacuum Purchase!!

You could educate yourself and get the licenses and whatnot that are required to sell a house. You can do it as a For Sale By Owner. You are capable of that. You could probably advertise your home in such a way that you would get prospective buyers in to look at it. You could host open houses, field phone calls from prospective buyers and real estate agents. You could put together a contract and you might even be able to get the transaction to close without a hitch and not get sued later for improper disclosure. You might even carry a liability policy that covers that. You will most likely spend more money, more time and probably not get the price or results you want though. That's what I do. I have a track record that says I will make your life easier by taking care of all that stuff I listed above and much, much more.

On the home buying side there are even more pitfalls. You can find a lender, home inspector, pest control company for inspection, attorney to handle contracts, title company and possibly contractors for repair work. You might even find the "generally accepted" contract forms for your state online. Do you know how to negotiate repairs? Do you know how to identify the repair work that your FHA loan is going to require? Do you know that the order in which you do inspections matters? Do you know how to get out of a contract when termites are found and still get your earnest money back? Did you know that I can represent you when buying a For Sale By Owner or any other property, no matter who has it listed, and that, except for very unusual circumstances, you don't pay me, the seller does? Did you know that in 3 years I've done more transactions than 10 "typical" individuals or families will do in their combined lifetimes?  I make your life easier by recognizing pitfalls before they happen. I see blemishes in homes that you might not have ever even thought were possible. I know the correct order and hold tight to the contract for your protection. I received the Certified Negotiation Expert designation a few months ago. That's how I make your life easier.

Bottom line, you want a Realtor that will simplify your life. They will assist you in decision making. They will always, ALWAYS work in YOUR best interest. They will not overburden you with the tasks they should accomplish. They will make it look easy because they make it easy for you. It's a great compliment to a Realtor (or any service provider) that they make the task look easy. That means they have not burdened you with the hard parts and have made your life easier.

Consider the people you pay for a service. Do they make your life easier? If not, why in the world do you still pay them?

Special Edition! New Year's Resolution

It's been a while since I have written an overtly Real Estate related blog. This is only sort of one.

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about my job, my work, my source of income. This is the time of year to evaluate performance over the last year and to plan and strategize for next year. I've done some of that, identifying markets I want to be in, planning some new marketing strategies, etc. One thing has been bugging me though and I finally made a little headway (so to speak) today in pinpointing it. The phrase, "work as ministry" has been in my head. After several days of this thought, I've decided to work it out by writing it down. I also decided to share that writing with you in hopes that you can implement the same kind of strategy.

Work as Ministry

For most of my more mature Christian life I have heard various people espouse the virtues of treating your work as ministry. Be a witness wherever you go. Treat people as you want to be treated. What would Jesus do. All those phrases that we all know and have used to the point that they are almost cliche. The problem is that they are not very specific and don't give a guy like me some concrete things to DO to accomplish those noble goals. What I am writing now is my gameplan on how to put those cliches into practice as a Realtor. I hope that you will read these and be inspired to do the same wherever you work. I believe God expects it of us and I know that our coworkers/clients/customers/employees/employers (Christian and non-Christian) need it from us. So here goes:

How can I make my job as a Realtor into ministry?

• Implement the golden rule--I know it is one of the cliches but it is a good one. I truly need to treat others as I would want to be treated. Even more, I need to treat people as God would want me to treat them. This means I just naturally go the extra mile. I provide more than they expect, all the time, without them asking. EVEN moreso, I need to do it with a really joyous, thankful, genuine disposition. Do it because I love them as people.
• Understand that I am helping them with something far more important and noble than just buying some product. A house is (for the VAST majority of people) the largest single investment they will ever make. A house is something they dream about, somewhere to raise their family, somewhere to build memories and somewhere to turn into HOME--a concept almost everyone longs for. It can be a complicated task and I am honored when someone trusts me to help.
• Delight in the small points of this process. People make decisions about their home based on ALL KINDS of reasons. For some it is simply the schools, the square footage, the condition and the overall layout of the house. Others go by "the feeling" the home gives. I need to be open to all of those deciding factors. I need to tune into those factors. I need to fight the urge to become frustrated when someone takes a long time to decide and seems to be too picky. I need to delight in the meticulousness some people exercise--after all, this is where they will call home.
• I need to be 100% honest and up front with people. I am an honest person but even so, I will sometimes sugar coat things. No one benefits from that in the long run. This policy may cost me some listings but in the long run, it will help. More Realtors need to do this. You help no one if you have a listing for 6 months with no showings. If the house smells, tell them. If the house needs work, tell them. If their price is WAY out of line, tell them. Set the expectations. I know there are some reasons for listing an overpriced property but don't give false hope that it will actually sell
• Humility, honor, integrity and thankfulness--These are the words that should govern my actions.
• I can only do so much and God does the rest--this gives humility.
• Honor is a 2 way street--I am honored that my clients trust me and I honor them, my family and my God by treating people well
• Integrity--goes without saying
• Thankfulness--again, thankful for my clients' trust and thankful for God's blessings. Also thankful that I live in a place where I can help people in this fashion.
• NEVER give less than my full effort. Again, this is someone's home that I am being trusted with. Less than 100% is not acceptable--even if I am tired or grouchy or whatever. Remember that this is a SERVICE job. It is my opportunity to serve my fellow man. This is a super important point of emphasis for me.
• Focus on the family--including my own. I cannot do this without my family and I need to keep telling myself that, no matter how busy I am, I owe it to Cindy, Jonas and Maggie to put them first. When I do this and still get the "job" done with efficiency, I set a great example for my clients.
• Value the relationship that is being forged. When people step into my path and we work on their largest asset, there is a natural relationship planted. There are no accidents and I HAVE to put value on the relationship that results from helping with a business transaction. It is an emotional process to buy and sell the home. Don't be closed off and just get to know people on a superficial level. If they are open to it, take the opportunity to actually build a relationship--even if the person is a little weird.
• Finally, to really see this as ministry, I need to keep God in it. So many people are afraid to talk about God because it might offend someone. I don't need to preach but I don't see any reason why it can't be woven into the conversation. If that conversation is rejected, then leave it alone but I should always try.

These bullet points are my outline for treating my "job" as ministry. This is real, rubber hits the road kind of stuff. I would love to see your thoughts on this. I would also challenge my brothers and sisters out there to think about this goal and set specific objectives on how you might do the same. Let me know if I can be of service to you.