Posts made by author 'Annette Oden, Managing Broker - Mobile'

"Character is formed when pressure is applied." Someone I respect said that recently. While I don't love it, I have to agree. Statistically, we perform better when we're under pressure. Though it doesn't feel good, it is good. Have you ever felt you work at a higher level when you're up against a deadline? How about when you're in a tough situation and it's up to you to find solutions? Sometimes I wake up at 2am with a beautiful idea or a burst of creativity but often solutions come when I'm actively working to figure them out. Something powerful fires off in my brain when I'm met with a situation that needs a solution. Over time, I've learned to quiet my mind and my heart and be still. In the quiet, solutions often present themselves. Pressure is doing its job and I am cooperating with the process. 

DIAMONDS are just rocks. To be specific, they are solid rocks of carbon and the hardest known naturally occurring substance. But that rock, under intense heat and pressure, over time, becomes the gorgeous, highly sought after thing of our dreams. We pay lots of money to own them. We love receiving our mother's or grandmother's diamonds; they are precious not only for the value they hold but for the value of the person who owned them. The diamonds most of us own have been mined, shaped, polished and are now part of a larger design. Pressure is where it all began, and it happened over time. Beauty is the result.  

Why am I telling you this?  
Why is it important? 

Real estate is a relationship business and with that comes pressure. Whether it is agent to client, agent to colleague or agent to vendor, how you conduct yourself in stressful times will, in large part, determine how you are perceived. How you act and react under pressure will reveal your success or failure over time. Your character will come shining through. That leads me to a deeper thought: how are people experiencing me? How are they experiencing you? Would you be glad for the people you most admire to see a reel of your days and interactions?  

Stop and check out the real estate landscape. Under pressure and with a lot of heat, you're still here. Statistically, around 20% of new agents exit the business within their first year, and about 50% leave within five years. Factors contributing to this trend include market downturns, increased competition, and the challenges of building a sustainable client base. In a slower market, your business habits and your personal habits, including your ability to self-regulate, will be a huge contributing factor to your ability to grow and sustain a beautiful life that includes your business. Peace is possible regardless of the market, but you'll need to cooperate with the process to accomplish it. In short, you can't control the market, but you can control you. 

I hate to get into your stuff, but I will. How's all that going for you? 

Your Bellator CRM is sitting there (in your Square One dashboard). It is waiting for you to add your client base so it can do its magic! You know about the email drip campaigns, LoLo client appreciation program, What to Post resource for your social media and sphere, and ALL the rest. The set-it-and-forget-it features in your company-provided CRM will keep you in touch with your sphere and allows you to continually add people as you meet them. (Reach out to your broker or schedule time with our incredible Marketing team if you don't know what Bellator offers.)  It takes a minimum of 8 touches annually for your people – those who actually know you – to remember you're a REALTOR®! If you're not utilizing your CRM, I must wonder if you're serious about growing and sustaining your business. 

Are you calendaring & showing up for the weekly calls you need to make to stay in flow with your sphere? Don't allow yourself to be more reticent about making simple calls than you are passionate about building your business. We're just kicking off "CONTACTS TO CONTRACTS" and you can be part of it! Sometimes connecting to the right systems and the right people makes all the difference in the world. Ask your broker or admin about it today. Get in flow! Watch your business grow! 

And finally, are you controlling yourself? Are you taking care of your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health? Most of you know our colleague, Monica Alidor. She's famous for saying, "Walk away!" She means that when something overwhelming or especially difficult happens, calmly tell the other party that you will get back to them. Take a walk. Vent to someone who is trustworthy. Get a cup of coffee. Breathe. Whatever is happening, you'll handle it better if you take a few minutes or even a few hours to quiet yourself and get the perspective of a colleague you trust. Don't wait until it is an emergency and time-sensitive to go to your broker. That's why we're here, usually in the office, and almost always able to speak to you and help you sort it out. Share hear how your transactions and interactions are going. Be open to redirection. Keep a teachable spirit. 

Pressure can crush you or it can take you to every place you ever wanted to go and the outcome depends on how you handle it.  

Pearls are formed out of irritation. 

Diamonds are made when the pressure and the heat are on. 

You're building your best life right now, under pressure. This is the season to be in the office, talking to your broker and successful colleagues regularly, practicing habits that will get you farther down the road and positioned for the best 2025 possible. The new year is coming in fast! Use pressure as your best tool; you're no ordinary rock. You're a diamond. Time will tell the story.