The Fundamentals Are Always In Style!

In our fast-paced world these days, it is beyond easy to get distracted, side tracked, sent down a rabbit hole, and simply taken off of the task at hand, and before you know it you are putting detergent in the washing machine and thinking to yourself (MAYBE) how in the heck did I just get here?

I'm meeting up with a colleague today to provide some pointers on how to be successful in the residential real estate business. I had great mentors in the business, John Pope/Katie Minor/Maureen Barker, and to this day I owe them an immense amount of gratitude and thanks. And I communicate with each of them on a regular basis today. My brother once said to me, "When you find people that believe in you, you stick with them." In my 54 years of life so far, and all of the personal and professional hurdles I have overcome, and grown beyond, this much I can tell you is true. If you have people that support you...pour into them like they pour into you.

So fundamentals...thinking about my meeting today I prepped some materials to get my colleague thinking about residential real estate sales as a long game, and a very fulfilling career, so long as you work it. And even still, it is one of those businesses where you can do EVERYTHING correctly and end up with your pockets empty and inside out. My only caveat is (and I can prove it) you cannot work with intent every day and not be successful. Experience shows that effort pays off every time. It does not mean that one's business cannot get skinny from time-to-time. It can and it does.

Here is what I wrote down to get our conversation going today:

The fundamentals are always important.

- Mindset...how you see yourself and think about yourself. What you THINK about you become.

- Keep a calendar on Google...answer/confirm meeting requests promptly. It shows you care and you are on top of your business.

- Plan your week on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning at the latest...be sure to time block what you are doing when each day...and stick to it. These include professional AND personal appointments. All of it.

- Educate your clients how you work...preferred ways of communication, business hours, and the days that you work and do not work.

Doing these fundamentals mentioned so far breeds confidence in YOU!

SHOW PEOPLE THAT YOU CARE! If there is one thing only to take away from this it is THIS! SHOW PEOPLE THAT YOU CARE.

- Condition yourself to follow-up with everyone that gets in contact with you until they say "No!" or "Stop calling me jerk." Joking not joking.

- Use database management software (CRM) to keep your customers in and track your interactions with them. The best CRM is the one you use.

- Always have business cards in your pocket OR an ability to provide people with your contact information easily, digitally.

- Listen to people talking with you and give them your full attention...and confirm back with them what they are saying so they KNOW you are listening. AGAIN it shows people you care.

- Be consistent with staying in touch with clients and new people that may enter into your business. It is a learned skill. None of us are born with it, naturally.

Always ask the people that know you, love you, trust you to keep YOU in mind when they hear of people wanting to buy or sell residential real estate, or even commercial.

PROBABLY THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT POINT: LEAD WITH REVENUE. Which simply means DO NOT spend money on marketing until you make money.

These are the conversation starters today. I have been running my real estate business here in the great Sacramento, CA region for more than 19 years. I have spent multiple thousands of dollars on coaching, and even more time with all kinds of people, mentors, leaders, heads of businesses, sports athletes, comedians, physicians, world class attorneys and so many more. The fundamentals are always the key to success. ALWAYS. It's human instinct with technology and perceived efficiency (and maybe now AI) that there is a way to fast-track many things. And no doubt there will be some great uses for tech. However, I will always hang on the basic fundamentals as the foundation for any success. Success demands dedication, habits, consistency and a ton of effort. Make it a great week this week!

- Paul