Doug Spak
The Power of Knowledge
The 18th century British poet, Alexander Pope, coined the phrase, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, “which is largely interpreted to mean that having just a bit of learning on a subject can lead to overconfidence. In the highly competitive field of real estate, a little knowledge is indeed dangerous to those seeking success.…
Read MoreEfficiency Rules for Greater Success
As defined by Webster’s Dictionary, efficiency is the ability to do something or produce something without wasting materials, time, or energy, a technique that sounds like a sure-fired way to close more sales. But, how, exactly, does being efficient translate into everyday work habits and productive routines? Many of the steps to becoming more efficient…
Read MoreMid-Year Check-Up: Is Your Business Plan Working?
Each new year, we have the opportunity to start fresh, setting goals and business plans for the coming year with the intention of being organized, efficient and posting a record-setting number of transactions for the year. Then all of a sudden it’s May! One quarter is down, and we are halfway through the second. How’s…
Read MoreBetter Habits, Better Business
There are no quick fixes or shortcuts to becoming successful; no such thing as ‘get rich quick’ or overnight successes. Achieving success and establishing a flourishing business comes through a series of goals and steps by which to achieve them. The path to a strong career and business is filled with personal and professional choices,…
Read MoreMindfulness Strategies for Success
Are you driven, Type A personality? Highly competitive? Always battling the clock? Often impatient? These may be the very characteristics that contribute to your success. But they can also be qualities that drain your energy and make you susceptible to stress-related illnesses. We obviously can’t change who we are. We can’t alter our personality type,…
Read MoreCustomer Loyalty RULES!
We often hear it’s easier to keep an existing client than develop a new one, and it’s for good reason. But, particularly in a field as competitive as real estate, it’s crucial to develop a sense of loyalty to you among your client base so when they make referrals, you get the call. While loyalty…
Read MoreHow to Avoid Burnout
As the old adage goes, ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.’ It can also make Jack (and Jill) a burned-out boy. Burnout is defined as ‘physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress.’ Many successful real estate agents put in long hours – if you want to succeed, it comes…
Read MoreDevelop Your Unique Brand
You already know the real estate industry is one of the most competitive businesses in the consumer marketplace. Couple that with the amount of information potential clients receive across innumerable platforms, and it can be easy for your message to be overlooked. To build a strong personal brand, you’ve got to find ways to be…
Read MoreGet the Most Out of Your Next Networking Event
The term ‘networking’ may conjure up queasy sensations of glad-handing used car salesmen, but it’s necessary for growing our pipeline and it doesn’t have to be unpleasant. In fact, networking events can – and should – be enjoyable, as they give you a chance to add to our pipeline and present your best self to…
Read MoreAre You a Driven Pro?
Highly successful real estate professionals, no matter the geographic market in which they operate, be they in commercial or residential real estate, tend to share many of the same qualities. To a lucky few, these qualities are innate, but most achieve success by carefully analyzing these qualities and cultivating them. We’ve identified six qualities/personality characteristics…
Read MoreTime is Money
Benjamin Franklin, inventor, author, politician, and one of America’s founders, is credited with coining the phrase, ‘time is money,’ in the advice he gave to a young tradesman. Boy, if only he’d lived long enough to see how many ways technology gives us to waste time in a 24-hour day. Old Ben was onto something:…
Read More4 Steps to Help You Nail the Close
Whether you are a listing agent or buyer’s agent, selling luxury properties or rentals, the time inevitably comes that you must close a deal. There’s no time during the sales process more fraught with the possibility of flop sweat than the close. But, follow our advice and practice these techniques at each stage of the…
Read MoreBuilding the “Big Mo(mentum)”
Physics and real estate may at first glance appear to lack much in common, but Newton’s Third Law of Motion is something we can all relate to. Formally stated, Newton’s third law says, ‘for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction,’ but in layman’s terms, that translates to ‘what goes up must come…
Read MoreIt’s Time to Get Organized!
A successful career in real estate requires the ability to adeptly spin plates and juggle tasks, but if you are a chronically disorganized person with dreams of becoming a titan of real estate, have no fear. While there are naturally organized people, anyone can master simple steps to install some order into their lives since…
Read MoreWork-Life Balance for New Parents
In today’s hyper-technical age, few of us are immune to the challenges of finding a balance in our work life and personal life. In the real estate industry, the challenge may be more pervasive because at the most basic level, every agent and every broker is an entrepreneur, and entrepreneurs aren’t known for the ability…
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