Doug Spak
The Ups and Downs of a Fluctuating Real Estate Market
One of the earliest truisms in life we all learn is that what goes up must inevitably come down, and that includes real estate market fluctuations. Every boom is followed by bust, every bull market by a bearish one. It’s much easier to be successful when the market is riding high, so we suggest all…
Read MoreGetting Real With Your Clients
Honesty, sharing the brutal truth with clients, isn’t always easy. As real estate professionals, we typically think of ourselves as going above and beyond the minimum requirements to ensure our clients are satisfied, because without happy clients, we have no business. Then this tricky thing called honesty gets in the way. However, suppose that, in…
Read MoreTime Is On Your Side-If You Use It Effectively
Real estate professionals and jazz musicians appear to have little in common, but the great jazz trumpet player Miles Davis found synergy with his quote on time management: “Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.” Davis was far from the only famous person with sage advice about the efficient use of time, and…
Read MoreNegotiating: The Path to Real Estate Success
For many agents – particularly those early in their careers – the thought of negotiating across the table with a customer or another agent causes hands to sweat and sleepless nights. One of the reasons is that we are afraid of failure, of not living up to the expectations we’ve set for ourselves. In this…
Read MoreLead Generation-Build Momentum as Summer Wanes
As August winds down and our school year routines take shape, it might be nice to think about taking a break, putting our feet up and enjoying the last days of warm weather. But it may also be the perfect time to hit the refresh button on our lead generation strategies. To be a top…
Read MoreA Few Customer Service Basics
Customer service is the latest in a series of posting in which we review some basics of the trade. We are more than halfway through the year and in the traditionally high point of the sales cycles, and there’s no better time to reassess the essentials that can make or break an agent. As you…
Read MoreDelegation: The Key to Running a Successful Business
Real Estate Business Planning and Delegation While many of us may long for an assistant to which we can offload tasks, the reality is that effective delegation is a learned skill. For perfectionists, handing off even small chores can be hard, as they don’t believe anyone can do them better. On the other hand, delegation…
Read MoreReal Estate Technology: Are You Up To Date?
It’s a good idea to constantly reassess the progress of your business, from the success of your real estate sales efforts to staffing needs to your office’s use real estate technology. Today we address real estate technology. With new platforms developing constantly, it’s key for you to know technology is changing the industry and what…
Read MoreProductivity And Real Estate Success
Real estate productivity is today’s topic. ‘Productivity’ is a word in business jargon that gets thrown around a lot, and surely, we all want to be productive. But, how real estate productivity is defined and how we maintain productivity can be a challenge. Puzzle no more! Follow our guidance for achieving maximum productivity in the…
Read MoreHabits of Highly Effective Agents
Writer Stephen Covey wrote the self-help book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” in 1989, and since then the book has spawned spin-offs (“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens,” by Covey’s son, Sean) and sold more than 25 million copies in 40 languages. The obvious conclusion is that many people are seeking guidance…
Read MoreGetting Real With Clients
As real estate professionals, we typically think of ourselves as going above and beyond the minimum requirements to ensure our clients are satisfied, because without happy clients, we have no business. But: Suppose that, in order to ensure your client gets the best deal, you find yourself in the uncomfortable position of having to approach…
Read MoreFree Yourself of Distractions
Real estate professionals and jazz musicians appear to have little in common, but the great jazz trumpet player Miles Davis found synergy with his quote on time management: “Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.” Davis was far from the only famous person with sage advice about the efficient use of time, and…
Read MoreHoning Your Negotiating Skills
Negotiating is defined as ‘a discussion aimed at reaching an agreement.’ But, for many agents – particularly those early in their careers – the thought of negotiating across the table with a customer or another agent causes hands to sweat and sleepless nights. One of the reasons is that we are afraid of failure, of…
Read MoreAI and the Future of Real Estate
Artificial intelligence. The term conjures up images of scenes from “Mission Impossible” with its futuristic tone, but in fact, those of us with smartphones are already familiar with the technology. When Siri responds to our iPhone questions or Facebook shows us an ad for a product we just searched, we are using artificial intelligence (AI),…
Read MoreThink Success
Regardless of how good you are with the fundamentals (i.e. calling, lead generation, customer relationships), it’s critical that you remember it’s the mental intangibles that keep you balanced and focused on success. Here are six strategies for maintaining your psychological, emotional and physical equilibrium on the way to closing more deals. Real Estate Success 1.…
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