by Rich Levin
In a CNN interview Warren Buffet was talking about coping with the current economy. He said, “If you are fearful and confused, you don’t get over being fearful until you get over being confused.”
This speaks directly to the role of Real Estate Agents, Brokers, and all of us in the profession who are actively working with the public or Agents. Our role is to reduce and eliminate the confusion in our Clients, our spheres of influence, and everyone that we encounter. Reduce and eliminate the confusion so that our public is able to reduce and eliminate the fears they have in this economy.
Accurate information eliminates confusion. When a person is driving at night in an unknown area and finds themselves lost and confused, a GPS, a map, or a person giving directions provides accurate information and eliminates the confusion. Immediately, as the confusion dissipates, the information begins to reduce the fear.
Accurate information about the values in your community, the availability of mortgage money, the inventory, number of sales along with a few words of honest interpretation reduces the confusion to your public in two ways. First, the information by its nature reduces confusion. Remember, you may still be in a strange place but when you know where you are, you are less fearful than if you are lost. Second, when your public knows that they can depend on you for accurate, honest information they are less confused and less fearful because they have you as a source of accurate information on which they can depend. This liberates them from their fear to once again make plans about their Real Estate needs and look to you to fulfill their plans.
You become the honest expert to your public. When you are the source of reducing confusion and fear you accomplish the ultimate goal of personal marketing. You are top of mind in the category of Real Estate. When they think Real Estate they think of you (with confidence and comfort). When they think of you they think of Real Estate with more confidence and comfort.
Many markets around the country are experiencing a strong early spring market. Buyers are active. In some areas the inventory of salable homes is low and it is looking and feeling a lot like the early stages of a Seller’s market. In these areas in addition to being the “Honest Expert” I have been teaching Real Estate Agents to be the “Optimistic Expert.”
In healthier markets, and there are many of them this spring, convey the message that despite the negative economic conditions in many sectors, residential Real Estate is very healthy. Convey that Real Estate has led the economy into and out of its past two recessions. It led the economy into this one and is very likely to lead the economy back to health. In fact, as I write this (3/09) it looks very much like that is happening in many markets
Convey that there has not been a better time for first time Buyers to buy, in decades. The same is true for homeowners moving up from healthier, modest price ranges to softer higher priced homes in the same metropolitan areas. Investors, who have financing, are finding incredible opportunities that are not often seen.
When an Agent gets one of the inevitable questions, “How’s Real Estate?” “How’s the Real Estate market? Or, “How’s business?” Answer honestly and optimistically, “Some segments are soft but there is tremendous opportunity for first time home Buyers, a lot of people wanting to move up and investors are finding fabulous opportunities. Are you thinking about doing something, or know someone who is?” Be the honest and/or optimistic expert.
In every conversation, presentation, communication, and marketing material, in print and online, talk about and write about the honest scenarios, with intelligent insight, that is likely to help people be more confident, less confused, less fearful; that is likely to help people decide that it could be a good time to buy or sell.
There is no greater way for you and us in Real Estate to contribute to the health and recovery of this economy. There is no better way for us to contribute to the speed of recovery out of this recession than to reduce confusion and fear; by actively being the optimistic and/or honest expert to our public.
There is also no better way for an Agent to be more successful in this market; no better way for an Agent to achieve his or her own optimism. As Marianne Williamson wrote in her poem that Nelson Mandela read in his inaugural speech “As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Let your light shine.
To do our part I am conducting free live webinars every weekday morning at 8:45 am EST to motivate Agents across North America, lead them to eliminate confusion and reduce fear in their work and their lives; so they can be motivated and reminded every day that they have tremendous influence on the thinking and behavior in their marketplace. And that collective influence can have a direct and significant effect that ripples through the entire economy. (www.1stFifteen.com)
Rich Levin is a National Real Estate Authority with over 30 years experience; the last 15 dedicated to coaching and speaking. His specialty is in raising Agent Production while improving quality of life. He has spoken in 38 States at events from small offices to the NAR convention.
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