I talk to a lot of agents and salespeople in general who are a little more than depressed about the current market. It's understandable as frankly, times are hard for a lot of folks. But there are some tried a true methods that will bring you success in virtually any market and most of them are common sense.
10 - Make the call - I know how hard it can be sometimes to pick up that 20 pound phone and make the call. The last thing you want to hear is another no, but you have to reach out to people if you want new clients. So when you get a lead, use it, and make the call.
9 - Follow up - When you make the initial contact with someone, try to assess their needs and see how you can help. Most Realtors fail at follow up so if you do it right, you remain ahead of the pack.
8 - No lead is a waste of time - Every lead is worth working so do the best you can. One thing is for sure, if you don't work a lead it's a wasted lead. That doesn't mean it would be a waste of your time to work it and there's only one way to find out.
7 - Do what works - If you notice something you are doing is creating opportunity for you, then keep at it. Whether it's open houses, blogging, first time home buyer seminars, or just talking to anyone that will listen. If it works for you then keep doing it and it will keep working.
6 - Be consistent - What ever you do to advertise yourself and your business requires consistency for success. You yourself need to be consistent in your efforts to promote your services.
5 - Learn the value of time - Time is a valuable thing and you shouldn't waste it. Spend your time during the day managing your business and making efforts to draw in more business. If going home for a two hour nap in the afternoon doesn't benefit you, then skip the nap and hit the bricks.
4 - Stop fearing failure - One the fastest ways you can fail in this life is to constantly fear that you will fail. It's called a self fulfilling prophecy and that's not a road you need to travel down. At some point in life, we all fail, but that's usually the first step toward success. Edison said that most people fail because they didn't realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
3- Be available - No one works 24/7, that's a myth that Realtors like to spread around. But, that doesn't mean you strictly work a 9 to 5 schedule either. You have to be available when your clients are available.
2- Don't second guess yourself - If you make a decision, then stick with it and move on. Second guessing yourself gets you no where and it helps no one. It's the rest of the world's job to second guess you and why with unemployment so high would you want to put others out of a job. Let them do their Job and you keep doing yours.
1 - Get over rejection - Rejection is not a fun part of life, but it's part of life none the less. This business will make that fact painfully obvious at times, but you have to press forward. Some will say no, but some will say yes and that's why you ask the question. If I told you how many ladies told me know compared to the those whose number I got, you'd likely wonder why I didn't give up dating a long time ago. It took me a year and a half to get my wife to date me. Notice I said wife. We've been together for 9 years and married for three. You have to be persistent in life and in business, and in the end it pays off for both.
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JL Boney, III - Columbia, SC Realtor - Russell and Jeffcoat Realtors
I specialize in Columbia, SC real estate and the surrounding areas, including Blythewood, SC, Kershaw County, Fairfield County, and Lexington, SC. If you are in the market to buy or sell a home in Columbia, SC or any of the surrounding areas, I would love the opportunity to speak with to see how I can help. Thanks for reading and feel free to contact me if I can be of service to you.
Office- 803-788-1450 Cell- 803-730-9601 Email- jlboney@russellandjeffcoat.com
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This is an interesting idea. Re/Max of New England has signed an agreement with Stop and Shop Supermarkets to open as many as 17 real estate offices right inside their stores. 
Some property owners who ask about home prices in Williamsburg seem very discouraged when I tell them that I don't think their home's value is going to start increasing significantly very soon. Based on historic trends in home sales and the predictions of many economists, I believe it may be three to five years before we see home prices in Williamsburg rise significantly.
