Convention

Hello all,

"Convention"

I am a big fan of going to the annual RE/MAX convention. You always come away with a couple of things that will make your business stronger and the amount of energy you come away with is amazing. There is nothing like being around 4,000 of your peers to get you going. We did not push convention hard this year for a couple of reasons. First, we understand there is a cost involved and the last couple of years we have not necessarily been saving a lot of money. Second, the 2012 convention had the feel of the 2011 convention. Most of the classes were the same, same venue... However I am planting the seed early for 2013! Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of RE/MAX and the convention should be over the top. From what we are told they are moving it to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, this will also be the last year in Vegas for a while. It should alternate between Orlando and Toronto after that for a while. Anyway, it is always in early March so if you can take a couple of pennies from each settlement for the cookie jar we would love to have as many of you as possible join us next year.

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."

- Father James Keller (1900-1977)

GOT A LIGHT?

We all love a compliment.  Your manager says to you, "I noticed that your last sale was handled very smoothly.  Thanks for offering your customer such excellent service!"  Your wife or husband tells you, "I'm so proud of the way you encourage our children!"  Your grown child returns home for a visit and says, "Thanks for making it possible for me to get my degree!"  Those are "feel good" times, aren't they?

If you live a more or less normal day-to-day sort of life, compliments are always welcome, but aren't absolutely critical to your sense of well-being.  You don't have to get them to make it through the day.  If you are fortunate enough to enjoy high self-esteem, why not consider becoming a "candle" to others?

There are many around us each day, both children and adults, who suffer from mild to extreme "compliment" deficiencies.  They may have never been told that they are good, or attractive, or intelligent.  As children, they may have never experienced the exhilaration of getting a base hit, or making an "A" on a test, or receiving an "Honorable Mention" in art class. As adults, they may have lost a job, a spouse, or their health.  In short, many around us have never even had their "candle" lighted once.

You can become the greatest philanthropist of all time without giving away a dime.  All it takes to make a life-changing difference in someone's life is to share the light from your candle.  Each day, look for opportunities to encourage, compliment, or offer your knowledge to those who are "candle deprived."  Think back to when you were a child.  Was there some special person who took that time with you - someone you've never forgotten?

Sharing your candle by lighting many others can warm both hearts and souls.  Make a difference - starting today!

The Golden Rule

Hello all,

"The Golden Rule"

Apologies to my Mother, Carol in Germantown and Margaret in Potomac. I will not be talking about "THE GOLDEN RULE" but the one that applies to Real Estate. For the last 5-6 years we have been dealing with many challenges representing our sellers, pricing, price reductions, condition, days on market... it was a price war and a beauty contest. When we finally got a contract in that was acceptable to both parties the real work began, negotiations, appraisal issues, home inspection items... We did everything in our power to keep the deal alive. Convincing a seller that we could not lose the contract was no easy task, because if and when we got another one it would not be as good. Many of us left a lot of money on the table because we gave some of our commissions away to close the deal. We have talked about this a great deal, the market has and is changing right in front of us. We are shifting from a buyers market to a sellers market quickly because of the tremendous lack of inventory. When the time is right we should consider sticking up for our sellers and ourselves more in negotiations. If it takes 90 days to get a contract you might not be there yet, however if you were on for 7 days and got full price it might be time to suggest to your sellers to dig their heels in a bit on the home inspection or other negotiable items.  More then likely you will get another contract in quickly if you have to go back on the market. So the golden rule of real estate is coming back into play, "Whoever has the gold makes the rules". 

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe  

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"First of all, you must find the right track, so you can start right away and not be held back.  But which track is yours? Well, that all depends on which way it's going, and where it might end."

- Craig Dorfman in "I Knew I Could!"

THINK YOU CAN?

Regardless of your age, you were probably introduced as a child to a wonderful book entitled "The Little Engine That Could."  If you will recall, it was the story of a small red locomotive personality who believed it was possible to pull a very heavy load uphill - a task that was shunned by other larger locomotives.  The little engine huffed and puffed up the hill, all the while repeating the mantra, "I think I can!  I think I can!  I think I can!"

It was a cute story that contained a very powerful message about persistence and the ability to overcome adversity.  Now there's a sequel entitled "I Knew I Could!"  A quick ten-minute read, it clearly outlines our ability to make our own choices in life.  Using illustrations of train tracks and those cute little locomotives, you are easily led to the understanding that we choose the life "tracks" upon which we travel.

The book suggests that before picking one of those tracks, we should determine the direction it might take us, and the destination we might reach by so choosing.  Sounds like real life, doesn't it?  How many times, and in how many ways, must we be taught this lesson?  If we fail to make our choices wisely, we have consciously made the choice to live at the mercy of happenstance - as did Alice in the following excerpt from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland":

"Cheshire-Puss...," said Alice, "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.  "I don't much care where -" said Alice.  "Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.  "... so long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.  "Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

Life - it's your choice.  Toot! Toot!

Vegas

Hello all,

"Vegas"

Quick coffee this week. Lisa and I are in Vegas for the convention, we will be picking up some good information about the market, technology... that we will be talking about at the sales meetings. Also, we will be giving out the 2011 awards for the agents at the meetings as well.

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend seven sharpening my axe."

- Abraham Lincoln

HOW MANY TREES IN '12?

OK, OK, - you've heard all the New Year Resolution stuff before.  I'll try to steer clear of that topic today.

Going back to "Honest Abe's" quote, how many trees do you plan to chop down in 2012?  24? 48? 96? 300?  The higher you plan to go, the sharper your axe had better be.  What's more, most axe blades lose their edge after only a few trees.  That means it will be necessary to step back from the hard work of chopping, and hone the blade numerous times throughout the year.  Here are a few suggestions to keep your "edge" in 2012:

Planning is a necessary first step.  If you don't know how many trees you want to chop, how will you know when you're finished?  Will you be chopping small, medium or large trees?  Apple, maple or pine?  Will you take long powerful swings, or just hack away 'till they fall?  Make some important chopping decisions before you begin.

Education is the next step.  It comes in many forms, like books, recordings, videos, seminars, professional courses, and so on.  Vary your approach to education to avoid boredom.  Seminars and courses are an excellent way to boost your attitude by sharing ideas and strategies with colleagues and associates.

A positive attitude is critical too.  It is the magnet that brings trees to your doorstep.  Recreation is vital to maintaining that attitude.  When you find yourself working 60 and 70-hour weeks, you'll also notice your energy level and attitude begin to dull very quickly.  Learn to schedule time off for yourself and family members.  Choose activities that leave no room for thoughts about work.  You'll notice an immediate improvement in your tree chopping.  Soon you'll be off to a flying start with a very sharp axe!  Best wishes for the New Year!

Compound Interest

Hello all,

"Compound Interest"

When we were growing up we were taught the importance of saving our money because of the effect of compound interest. In it's simplest form the definition of compound interest is "earning interest on your interest". Getting out of the box for a moment if we really think about it building a real estate business is very similar to building a bank account for the long term so we can earn compound interest. When we we first got our license and started our business we made the initial deposit into the bank. Then we started doing money making activities, open houses, floor duty, client meetings, marketing, newsletters... Each activity was like putting a small deposit into the bank to help build our account. The activities led to clients, clients led to referrals then the cycle started. Activities (deposits) led to more clients which led to more referrals... our businesses started to grow and we were "earning interest on our interest", our business started growing exponentially.  The reason I bring this up and make the analogy is because of what we have seen happen with agents through this challenging market. On one end we have seen agents who have completely stopped doing activities (making deposits) to the point where their business have dried up. Metaphorically and in realistic terms they have gone to the bank to take all of their interest back out, they have been and will be leaving the business. Most agents let their activities (deposits) slip a little or maintain the level they were at, they kept working and their money stayed in the bank. The upper end and a good portion of you saw the need to make more deposits (activities) to keep your business going through the bad times. Coming into a new market it is so wonderful to see those of you on the upper end who have kept working through everything reap the rewards of your efforts, you are "earning interest on your interest" and your businesses are going to new heights. Everyday we wake up we have one simple decision to make, do we want to make a deposit or be forced to take a withdraw.

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe    

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Every conquered temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before."

- James Buckham

YOU'RE NOT DONE YET!

Ever noticed how great leaders often come from humble beginnings?  From the devastating depths of silence and inability to speak, Helen Keller inspired the world once she had overcome great adversity. 

Diagnosed with amyontrophic lateral sclerosis and standing before a full-house crowd in Yankee Stadium on July 4th 1939, Lou Gehrig proclaimed, "I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth!  I might have been given a bad break, but I 've got an awful lot to live for."  He spent the last two years of his life as Parole Commissioner for New York City, hoping to make a difference in the lives of young people in trouble.

Today, we use more contemporary quotes to explain the same concept.  We say, "No pain - no gain!" or, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."  No matter how we verbalize it, it is true that through adversity comes strength. 

Think back to the toughest times you've faced during your life.  Chances are you'll have to agree that you grew and became a better person for the experience.  As for temptations, they are more easily given in to than conquered.  Nevertheless, the value system to which you subscribe today probably evolved from temptations overcome.

As Richard Bach put it in his wonderful book "Illusions," "There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.  You seek problems because you need their gifts."  Whether it be a physical or moral challenge you face, suffer if you must, but look also for its gift.  And remember another Richard Bach quote, "Here is a test to find out whether your mission here on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't."

Golf Tournament

Hello all,

"Golf Tournament"

As many of you know Childrens Miracle Network is the main charitable organization that RE/MAX supports. Offices are asked to participate in a variety of ways if they can, since 1992 the Company as a whole has raised over 100 Million Dollars for the cause. We do one big event a year that I ask everyone to participate in one way or another. It is our annual golf tournament which will be held this year on June 4th at Montgomery Country Club. For all of you that just gasped "Oh no but I don't golf" have no worries there are several different ways to participate. You can golf, get a foursome together or just join us for dinner after. This year we are also adding a party bus day for all of the non golfers who need a day to relax and blow off some Realtor steam. To make all of this happen smoothly while raising as much money as we can we need to form the committee for this year. We will meet 3-4 times before the tournament to discuss details, golfers, sponsors, raffle prizes... The first meeting will be March 11th at 11:00 in Germantown. Need as much participation in the tournament as possible but only looking for about four people from each office to be on the committee. Email me directly if you would like to participate on the committee and please save the June 4th date for a nice day away from the office with your colleagues. 

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY!

"You will be what you will to be."

- James Allen

START SOWING!

You say to yourself, "I think I'll go shopping," - and you do.  You say, "I think I'll buy that new CD," - and you do.  You say, "I think I'll put it on my credit card," - and you do.

James Allen lived from 1864 until 1912.  As was popular in the early 1900's, he wrote a series of short essays known as pamphlets.  The best known, "As A Man
Thinketh," was his most famous work.  In it, he provided timeless inspiration on the value of thought as it motivates us to action.

In his pamphlet, Allen states that, "All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts."  Speaking of mankind, he continues with, "They themselves are makers of themselves."  Thought precedes all action; thus, he reasons that by controlling our thoughts, we also control our destiny.

Notice in the first paragraph above that the "I think" part always seems to lead to the action of "doing."  Rarely do we hop in the car, drive aimlessly around, accidentally arrive at a music store, plunk down our credit card, and then say to yourself, "I think I'll go shopping."

If we are the sole controller of our thoughts, it stands to reason that we can also control our actions - and our outcomes in life.    Our mind and our thoughts are the seedbed of our futures.  What a novel thought.  Plant some great thoughts in your mind.  Do it today!

Good Story

Hello all,

"Good Story"

We heard this story at the Germantown sales meeting this week and it is such a good story to the state of the market I wanted to pass it along to everyone. Al & Mary Cardany got a listing in Potomac not to far from the office, brick rambler in the low 600's. Being good agents they did all of the proper marketing but also took an extra step for the first open house. They took the time to print invitations for 60 of the neighbors to a private showing between 12-1, hand wrote the addresses and sent them out. So the property hit the market Friday morning at 10, they had 5 showings by the end of the day. Saturday more showings with a couple of second showings. On Sunday between the neighbors private showing and the open house they had over 120 people come through. On Monday they received 3 offers and ratified that evening. As a result of their efforts and where the market is they also got 2 listing appointments and one future buyer from the transaction. They say every sign in the ground should replace itself with another sign in the ground through proper marketing. It looks like those days are coming back.

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe 

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY!

"There's nothing as constant as change."

- Unknown

FEELING WIRED?

Feel on edge?  Not sure what to expect next? Nerves frayed?  Feeling overwhelmed by today's complex world situation?  How is it that some people are calm, fearless, and content, while others are frightful, worried, overwhelmed, and uncertain about the future? 

In the 1950's there were only three models of Chevrolet, about four dry cereals, two or three types of soap, etc.  Mom went grocery shopping weekly. There were no shopping malls, computers, cell phones, portable CD players (or CD's), 401(k)s, Internet, or co-ed dorms.  Life was simple and calm - and revolved around the family.  Technology didn't dominate daily life. 

Today, our choices have expanded exponentially.  There are hundreds of vehicle models, 50 different cereals on the shelf, software for every occasion, hundreds of cable channels, and millions of pages on the World Wide Web.  Think that might clog your thinking just a little?  Want to get back to simplicity, peace, and security?

Try a few of the following suggestions. Begin limiting your choices.  Spend less than you earn. Limit trips to the store. Spend the evening at home - with your family - with the television OFF.  Go directly home after work. Identify your principles - and live them. Count your blessings daily by entering them in a journal. Read. Treat yourself to a hot bath.

Think of your life as an extension cord with too many appliances plugged-in.  Each vies for the limited energy you have available until a short-circuit or fire occurs.  Start unplugging all those peripherals now, and you'll notice your life-light begin to shine.