Women's Wisdom Network (826)
Today’s buzz is all about the “new” real estate market. Given the rise in interest rates, the recent and ongoing scarcity of housing inventory and the skyrocketing costs for new construction impacted by the pandemic, for most of the industry this is a “new” and changing market When the market tightens up, it’s the perfect time to refresh and replace old, tired tools with exciting new options that allow immediate service connections with simplicity and effectiveness And with change comes opportunity! These new resources and platforms that connect are now seamlessly directed to provide the ultimate customer connection and are far easier, faster and economical than the historically useful but dated platforms that give smart agents the competitive edge. So, what’s old that is now new? Let’s review a few oldies that have been “kicked up a notch” to better serve your customers and clients: Video Connection – Remember in…
Third-party perspective and comparing one’s self to others is how we as human beings maintain a frame of reference regarding a goal we are working toward. Also known as “benchmarking,” this process of comparative analysis may benefit you as a Formula 1 race car driver or a marathon runner, but it in no way helps you reach the significance many business leaders or entrepreneurs hope to achieve. What I have come to find in the decades I have helped business leaders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs is that the act of benchmarking in business is a hindrance, as it does not give you and your organization that motivation to push harder. Instead, what happens time and again is a business leader looks at their competitor’s product, service, or process and consciously or often unconsciously ends up mimicking it!
Why does this happen, and how can you as a leader resist the urge to benchmark…
It appears that cold calling Realtors is back front and center with those mortgage people who never learned how to establish and build relationships. The ads and clips on social media hyping the possible rewards of making “100 calls a day” to agents in your market trying to establish a contact and a potential relationship are enough to give anyone pause to ask a few questions, like: 1. Are there even 100 Realtors in your market worth talking too? 2. Do you know who these people are and what their production is? 3. Do they control any business you would be interested in? 4. Are they more focused on listings or buyers? 5. Do they have a team or are they part of a team? 6. Does their company or branch already have a committed relationship? 7. How many other lenders are doing the exact same thing? 8. What are…
Hard Trends have three distinct categories — demographics, regulation, and technology — each of which help you find certainty in an uncertain world. While all are vital, demographics are quickly taking precedence, and one in specific will greatly impact business in the near future. In my recent Opportunity Hour: Conversations with the Masters, I interviewed Jason Dorsey, a behavioral researcher and Anticipatory Leader who has led more than a hundred groundbreaking behavioral research studies globally. His passion is uncovering hidden behavioral trends that other Anticipatory Leaders can use to drive measurable results. In authoring his newest bestselling book, titled Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business — and What to Do About It, Jason reveals the ways in which business leaders can adapt to the dynamic nature of a generation that is unlike all the others currently in the workforce. Together, he and I unboxed common characteristics of Gen Z…
December can be very exciting as well as frustrating; it’s really a choice. With all the holiday celebrations, completing the old year while preparing for the new one can get very complicated if you don’t take time to prepare and prioritize! We deal with an overcrowded social schedule, serious demands placed on our professional obligations, the end of year for our numbers, our referral partner’s numbers, and all the emotions that go with them. One of the keys to help manage and actually enjoy these last days of 2022 is at your fingertips; just prioritize and schedule the things you want and need to get done in advance, and don’t fall victim to “slipping in” additional commitments of your time and energy! First list is the list of family and friend commitments. Parties and gathering Concerts Traditions both old and new Undivided attention Celebrations Now comes the professional obligations Professional…
It was nice to see both rates and applications rebound this past week. Contrary to what many in the mainstream media would have you believe, the housing market isn’t collapsing, and mortgage applications have improved. I expect that this trend will continue in the weeks to come, but we are far from a stable market, so if your clients are tight on the payment, it’s always best to lock and protect the deal because we can always refinance later. For those of you that are working this weekend, it is important to be visible! Get out to every open house you can find, stop in at real estate offices, go live on social media, and just be certain that you maintain personal contact with your people. Now more than ever, personal connections generate opportunities! Last thought for this week is to be sure you start sharing with everyone the last…
Uncertainty. Anxiety. Fear. To say you have never once felt these emotions in either your professional or personal life is a fallacy. This basic human instinct is a primordial survival technique implemented unconsciously in direct response to the unknown. In an individual’s personal life, it may come in situations where you take a physical risk, like riding a motorcycle for the first time or going on a roller coaster at a theme park. You know you will likely walk away unscathed from your experience, but your unconscious mind does not know that.
But in one’s professional life, those general triggers of fear all go back to survival in two ways different from the aforementioned adrenaline-filled entertainment experiences. They are money and fulfillment, adding up to what one perceives as success. When you do something professionally, you do it for monetary exchange that the industry places value on, and…
We are a week away from Thanksgiving and that means it’s time to prepare for the final countdown of 2022 and the birth of 2023. With recent improvement in the bond market pushing rates lower, we are seeing improvement in those coming in to start the home buying process, as well as those who went to the sidelines and are re-engaging the process again now. A few things you might want to consider taking advantage of these opportunities are: Listen carefully to the client’s expectations and provide information and set priorities. Talk in terms of payments and how monthly payments are calculated. Program eligibility and the benefits and drawbacks of each. Update and confirm all documentation for quick turnaround. Be VERY clear as to your transaction timelines and how long things take. Go over your “Do’s & Don’ts” list. People can quickly drain their assets or overuse credit/apply for new…
Many leadership principles have been around since the dawn of time, and those principles have served and still do serve us well. However, given the transformational, exponential changes that involve both technology and human culture taking place, there are new principles of leadership moving in that are vital for us to implement. Applying newer principles of leadership becomes what I refer to as “Next-Level Leadership” in that they help the leaders of today and tomorrow level up in a way that is often forgotten about in the throes of a legacy, protect-and-defend mindset. During my most recent Opportunity Hour, I spoke with a colleague and great friend of mine — Simon T. Bailey. Simon is an executive advisor, author of nine books, and business keynote speaker. He’s been recognized recently as one of the top 12 business speakers who get audiences to think big and lead with purpose, something I myself feel…
The elections are done, the markets are sifting through the results and thinking about what it all means. The ten-year treasury auction was about as bad as it gets, and we get the CPI numbers this morning that will push the inflation issue to a series of new discussions. Then there are all the internet click baiters that will push a housing narrative that is loaded with tragic headlines so that people are forced to click and look at the wreck! You have choices, and so do your clients. Everyone lives someplace. You rent or you own. There is a cost either way. Historically, ownership is the chosen path for better than 65% of the population and remains the “American Dream”. The key to getting in front of those people who are in a position to make that choice is actually easier than you think, provided you have a plan…
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Patience is a virtue. Throughout much of childhood, our parents and guardians instilled in us to be patient or to wait calmly for our turn at something. Having patience is an important characteristic in everyday life, but as an adult — especially if you are a business leader or C-suite executive — too often does the concept of patience become a hands-off defense mechanism used to fight discomfort in facing change. The mindset that surrounds this behavior is known as “wait and see,” where a company tries to simply wait out the storm of disruption patiently, hoping the status quo will remain intact after the clouds clear. Take it from my decades of experience in helping both disruptive and disrupted clients: The wait and see mindset is extremely self-destructive thanks to the speed of digital disruptions, how competitors are leveraging them exponentially, and the rate of change in the general physical world…
There are dozens of old sayings that apply in today’s market, you can pick from any of all that you like: Everything works, nothing doesn’t. The harder you work, the luckier you get. If you do what you always have done, you will get what you have always gotten; but if you don’t like what you are starting to get, stop doing what you are doing! Those that succeed are willing to do the things that those that fail will not! You must do what the others won’t, so you can have the things that the others can’t! The common ground is that they all hold true to a very simple reality; if you don’t do the work, you can’t receive the reward! Think about it. For the last few years loans fell from the sky. Purchases, refinances, it was all so easy. There were just so many opportunities…
Entitlement carries the definition “give right(s) to.” Parents give certain rights to their children. Football coaches often give their quarterbacks the right to alter a pre-set play – called an audible. The operative word in this definition of entitlement is give. Someone must give the right to another. Today’s parents are often concerned about young people who “feel” they automatically have rights without them being given. This is in no way in conflict with what “certain inalienable rights” means. Many generations before never felt they were entitled to anything that they didn’t earn. If they didn’t earn it, they didn’t get it. Period!
This now leads us to today’s sports stars. The opinion here is that there is a difference between sports stars and athletes, who by the definition herein are those who carry the responsibility of earning what they gain. Entitlement is not even in their dictionary.…
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