My husband, Mike, has decided to take up Golf again. He used to play, but got frustrated with it, but now he's falling apart (38 years old) so he gets more frustrated with the Wakeboarding (knee, wrist, ankle, shoulder, and back injuries) and has decided Golf would be good again. So, he's gotten new clubs (several times over so he could find ones he likes), new clothes, new bag, and he's probably going to ask for new golf shoes for the Holidays.
TiVo has been very busy recording Golf. Each infomercial says you must have this or you must have that to be successful. Hmmm, each seminar I go to about real estate does the same thing.
The thing that really hit home was when Mike was watching the Pro Lessons last night. He's been watching a lot of the professionals give lessons so he can take bits and pieces and see what works for him. All of a sudden he says, "Each Pro does something completely different than the other and I'm more confused than ever!"
With that comment, I related it to Real Estate. Take a new agent, for example. A new agent comes into your office and asks to pick your brain. If you're online reading this, you're probably telling this new agent about all the online presence you have and how you are going to concentrate your efforts on marketing and advertising online since you know the latest reports show that over 80% of buyers are looking online for properties before contacting an agent. You're telling them about creating their website and SEO and how to drive traffic to their own site in order to pick up leads.
However, that new agent, trying to gather as much information as possible, then sits down with an agent who has been in the business 30+ years, because we all know that agent should know how to get business in his/her sleep. Well, that agent then tells the new agent about his/her experience with door knocking and cold calling (even with the Do Not Call rules, eliminating those not to call) and farming a particular neighborhood for the same 30+ years.
As our new agent finds another agent to talk with, this other agent just talks about taking as many phone-duty shifts at the office as possible and holding Open Houses every weekend in the hopes of getting new buyers to walk through the doors.
Which agent do you want to be like? I know which one I am, and I know which ones need to get into the 21st century. However, different things work for different agents. Is there a wrong way to do real estate if you're successful with it? I would only say you're way is wrong if you can't show any production.
As a new agent in a weird market, you need to look at all the information given and try each way and see what will work for you. Maybe you like sitting inside a house by yourself and a good book for a few hours on the weekend while you wait for buyers to approach you. Maybe you've been in your neighborhood for years, and knocking on doors makes sense for you for the face to face contact. Maybe you like to make contact with as many people as possible within a short amount of time, so you find the internet is the way to go for you. Whatever you chose, make it your own.
Back to Golf, my husband has tried to take tips from several different pros to see what will work for him. However, a friend of his is a golf pro himself and he doesn't know how to teach anyone how to swing a club who doesn't swing it the way he wants. So, Mike is left with the dilemma with learning how to swing a swing that is productive and works well for him, or with learning a swing that works well for someone else, and not feeling comfortable with the swing himself.
Which way should he go?? I'm sure more advice will only help him!!
Donna,
Great post. Thanks for the comparison. You're precisely right.
You're welcome.
And there's nothing wrong with prospecting to connected consumers. Within what way you run your business, you should always be networking.
Hi Donna, You are so right there is no wrong or right way to get business. I try to scatter my ads about, Internet, paper, mailers, letters and so forth. I still think the key is. to do something. Some folks spend so much time trying to figure out what to do they don't do anything. Also, if you try something you have to give it time. Any thing new I try, I give 12 months. That gives you enough time to see if it really works or not. You have to commit to it.
Good job on the post Donna. Very well written and presented.
Hi Donna! Sorry I haven't emailed back, it's been crazy.
Great post! I like a mix of things. I want a HUGE online presence and yet I love to meet people face to face, so I'm into networking. BTW-your husband is ancient!!!
Chris, he really IS ancient, isn't he!! He's been falling apart since I met him at age 34, and though we've only been married a year, I might need a younger model! I hope your son finds a contact!
Thanks Brian. I agree about giving it some time whenever you try something new. Not everything takes 12 months to know, but many things do.
Stefan, it's funny you mention having him videotaped. I had never heard of someone going to the driving range and taping themselves, but every time he goes, he sets up his camera and analyzes the swing with different pros he found on the internet. He has a program that can play the two segments side by side, or he can actually overlay the images. The overlay looks really cool.
Sue, Yes, the saying is something like that. Which is also why if people want to door knock and cold call because it works for them and they're happy with those results, if it ain't broke, don't fix it... but if you're looking for new ways to increase your business, I think you need to go where the buyers are, and in my market, the buyers aren't at open houses.
Donna.... great post and you are correct in regards to different techniques for different people. Even though I am in the mortgage industry, I would say online is the way to go.
But Bryant makes a great point... he does it all. Besides, it doesn't hurt for the fact that he has been doing ads each month for the last 10 yrs? in his farm area. And that others have fallen out of the paper/ads.
In regards to your husband... Stefan brings up a good point about video taping. When I got my new clubs last year, I got fitted to new clubs. They watched my swing, video taped me, and then fitted me for new clubs. Besides... I am 6'3", so this helped also. If he buys clubs next time, maybe he should think about getting fitted first.