Doug Spak

Look up the definition of professional and you’ll find the following: “A person engaged or qualified in a profession,” and “relating to or connecting with a profession.” With all due respect to Meriam-Webster’s Dictionary, those phrases don’t tell us much. As a young adult starting in business, the word ‘professional’ may have conjured thoughts of…

Another year draws to a close, and in the last couple of months, you’ve doubtless been focused on closing transactions and, hopefully, writing your 2020 business plan. But, developing an attainable plan for the coming year means reflecting on the past year, and not just on the numbers side. Successful entrepreneurs analyze their accomplishments and…

In a serious world, humor does a great deal to defuse tense situations and lighten conversations with people we have just met, as demonstrated by countless common phrases referring to it. Laughter is the best medicine, we are often told.  A poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox begins, “Laugh and the world laughs with you; weep…

A couple of months ago, we addressed the need for solid year end planning. With November here and the holidays around the corner, we take another look at how you plan to finish the year strongly. Real estate is a cyclical business and traditionally, this time of year is a high point for retail sales…

To be able to adapt is to recognize that the only thing we can count on in life is change. Markets change and the economy changes. Our colleagues change firms, technology evolves and of course, clients can – and do – change their minds. We often have little to no control over these changes, but…

Boy, if there’s one thing we don’t like to think about, much less speak of aloud, it’s failure. Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of ambitious and outgoing agents like the ‘F’ word. As much as it pains us to think of it, failure is an inevitable part of life. Even the world’s greatest successes…

The late comedian Mort Sahl had an expression he employed most frequently to poke fun at President Richard Nixon: “Would you be a used car from this man?” The implication was that Nixon wasn’t likable or trustworthy enough to buy a car from, despite his two elections to the Presidency. Take the politics out, look…