Does your spouse confidently and cheerfully refer you to everyone he knows who has a real estate need? Yes? Good for you! You can move onto the next article on your list. You don't need me today!

But if you answered "no," do you know why he or she doesn't? Do you know the real reason?

Neither do I. But I'm going to throw something out there that you are free to accept or reject.

Do you come home every night complaining about your real estate career? Do you ... um... whine about how awful the market is, or about how little training you're getting from your broker? Do you bemoan the fact that the last 10 FSBOs you contacted hung up on you before you could even begin your sales pitch?

Or, conversely, do you bounce in the door at night, bubbling with enthusiasm, ready to share your latest success story or lesson learned?

In my SOI (Sphere of Influence) writings, I urge agents to prove to their friends that they are an RCHB, which stands for a "Reasonably Competent Human Being." If your friends perceive you as an RCHB, they'll be happy to hire you, or to refer business your way. If they don't perceive you as such, they probably won't. Makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, referring business to a friend is a risky thing to do - no one wants to be responsible for a referral that goes badly, so we're all a little circumspect about who we have on our personal referral lists.

Here's the thing ... the cold hard fact is that your spouse is no different. He has a social network that is important to him. She doesn't want to jeopardize her friendships and business relationships with a referral that goes sour. Neither does he want to be seen as "that pesky real estate agent's husband" to be avoided at parties!

So, what's the answer?

It's up to you to prove to your husband or wife that you are an RCHB who loves selling real estate and is darn good at it. And you don't "prove" this by telling him or her how great you are, you have to demonstrate it in your attitude and your enthusiasm.

Am I asking you to fake it? Not really, but ... .

Frankly, if you aren't an RCHB and you don't have a fair amount of enthusiasm about your career, you'll probably fail, with or without your spouse's referred business. The question really isn't, "Should I fake it?" but rather, "How can I change my attitude?"

Now, if you don't need or want your spouse's support in your real estate career, then feel free to use him or her as your nightly sounding board to vent your frustrations on. It's okay, really! We all need someone to cry to. Just know that doing this puts your spouse in a difficult position when it comes to drumming up business for his beloved...

Published: February 23, 2012

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn was a top producing real estate broker in Denver, Colorado before writing her first book in 2007. Since then, she has written several more books about the business of selling real estate including her flagship book: Sell with Soul: Creating an Extraordinary Career in Real Estate without Losing Your Friends, Your Principles or Your Self-Respect, the sequel, If You're Not Having Fun Selling Real Estate, You're Not Doing it Right and her latest, to be released in Spring 2011, Prospect with Soul for Real Estate Agents. Jennifer believes that the secret of success for real estate agents is not in aggressive marketing techniques or hard-core sales pitches, but rather in being competent in one's craft. Competence begets Confidence. And in today's world of increasingly suspicious and ad-weary consumers, having an air of self-assurance and enthusiasm will be far more effective than a slick sales campaign. Jennifer writes and speaks with this philosophy in mind. She preaches that salespeople should follow the Golden Rule in their day-to-day practice of business - treating clients and prospects respectfully, as the salesperson him or herself would like to be treated. Being competent, reliable and fair, and motivated by a true desire to earn a paycheck, not just show up at closing with hand outstretched. She is a regular contributor to several real estate newsletters and magazines, a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame and one of the industry's most popular bloggers. You can learn more about Jennifer's "soulful" philosophies at www.SellWithSoul.com. Subscribe Below to Enroll in the Daily Seduction Newsletter Mini-Clinic - Tips and Strategies to Generate Business and Referrals From Your Sphere of Influence! Your Full Name Your Email Address