Roughly two years ago I was at an event where Andy Andrews was the guest speaker. Many of us have heard him tell his story of the importance of your actions and their profound effect on others around you. What you say and do matters. 

Taken from one of the reviews on Amazon of The Butterfly Effect written by Andy Andrews, "The idea is that good, seemingly small things that we do cause a ripple like effect . . . resulting in some amazing outcomes as our influence touches others lives, who then affect others for good and it goes on." In the story, a caring couple saves a baby from rough kidnappers some 200 years ago which leads to saving 2 billion people from starving 150 years later. Wait, WHAT???? If you don't know the story, you should read the book.

Occasionally, I trace back certain real estate transactions to their origin and find that they would not have occurred if not for some unrelated, and sometimes haphazard event that occurred months, and mostly years before. Here's a few:

• In 2015, I was asked by a buyer to preview a condo unit at The Whaler. I went to the complex, saw the unit, and was heading back to my truck in the parking lot and ran into a couple from Nashville walking towards the elevator. We shared greetings, and the husband said, "Hey, you are in real estate? We are thinking of selling our unit here . . . can you take a look?" This chance encounter eventually lead to a $325,000 listing which sold December 2015. Four years later, the transaction led to a Lagoon home sale in 2019 for $600,000. Fast forward to last week, this chance encounter in the parking lot of The Whaler in 2015 led to a  $3,000,000 listing sale.  There is no telling what business may follow from here, but it is exciting to think about (by the way, the seller of the $3M home has an extremely large, even international, sphere of influence). IF I was too wrapped up in my business and ignored a polite greeting, zero business would have followed and I would never have known.

• In the late 1980's or early 1990's, when I was not even in the business, my mom traveled the State of Alabama with another gentleman from Birmingham initiating some youth programs for their church. My parents became good friends with this couple. This friendship led to a listing in Seaside Beach & Racquet in 2012. Then, a purchase of a Windemere in 2013.  Then, a listing that sold in Windemere in 2018, and while marketing, a meeting of a couple from Missouri at an open house at Windemere. This Missouri couple then purchased a Beach Club in 2019, and 2 more Beach Clubs in 2021, and more importantly, another great friendship made. (Oh yea, and a sale of a Phoenix West II last month from a referral!) Who would have known that the actions of my mother 30+ years ago would lead to about $3,000,000+ in sales plus some new friendships.

Larry Kendall, co-founder of the Ninja Selling System, has a great story telling how a decision to go to a Planning Commission Meeting and then greeting an architect with F.O.R.D. questions led to over $30,000,000 (maybe even more) in sales. What IF he stayed home from the boring meeting?

If you've been through Ninja Installation, you should remember the "phone-contacts roulette." This is where you go into contacts and then spin the database and wherever it lands you make the call. You may have heard of Troy's story where this roulette led to $15,000,000 (and counting) in sales. What IF Troy didn't make that call?   

We all have similar histories with deals and their origins and most have occurred because of something you did or someone else did years ago. You never know when a chance encounter is going to lead you to more friendships and business. However, I believe you can maximize these opportunities by being polite, smiling, greeting, F.O.R.D. questions, and just being genuine. Be aware that your actions at any given moment may lead to a chain of business for life. The Dominoes are out there, make them fall your way.