Broker Bits

Yesterday morning, I was going over my to-do list and, as usual, hadn't even thought of what I'd write for my Broker Bit that's due yesterday. I had a closing, a two-hour meeting at BR with a one hour round-trip ride, FORD calls to make, sellers to update and showings to schedule for today.

I find myself over-booked most days and, unfortunately, I tend to push my FORD calls back when I run out of time. That's a huge problem because I know that these calls are my number one source of business, by far. So, that led me to today's topic in this Broker Bit.

I time block most days, but find myself constantly interrupted (I am after all a qualifying broker in addition to being a salesperson). I kick myself at the end of most days because I didn't get my calls in, again knowing full-well that these calls are THE main...

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Back in "The Day", a significant portion of a Realtor's business was generated from customers randomly looking for you. If someone was new in town or needing to sell some property, frequently they would either walk-in or call your office looking for the "duty" (yes, Troy, I mean "Opportunity") agent.   

The duty calendar was updated monthly and some agents would reserve certain days every month and expect that time slot to be held for them. Frequently, there was a "back-up" duty person in case the duty agent was tending to the needs of a walk-in or call. The office phone system would carry multiple phone lines, and even with 5 or 6 lines available, often times you had to wait for a line to free up. The days reserved for duty were well-known by all  the agents…everyone knew that Susie always had Friday mornings and Tom preferred to take all day on Tuesday. The only slot...

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When I first came to Bellator as an agent, our Mobile broker was Don Jones. On the glass wall of his office was a sign, "WHAT'S YOUR 68?" I was curious. What did that mean?  Did I need a 68? Did I have a 68? I had questions.

Don, in his quiet, firm way, had answers. He told the story about a hockey player named Jaromir Jagr, who is a legend in his field. On his jersey, he has always worn the number "68" to honor his grandfather and his country. Jaromir's grandfather was killed in the Russian Invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, so he wore the number "68" to honor his family and country every time he took the ice.

He was a great player, but he wasn't motivated to greatness by the money he made. His motivation came from love of family and country. I decided to google Jaromir and find out what he's doing now. Guess what? This former NHL star is STILL p...

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Sometimes the simplest things are the most profound. 

Sara Blakely founded Spanx in her late 20s. The company made $4 million in sales in its first year and $10 million in its second year. In 2012, Forbes named Blakely the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world. 

In an article about Blakely in Inc. magazine in 2017, she discussed how the best career advice she ever got came from conversations with her father as a child.

Blakeley is clearly a successful businesswoman. But the best advice she ever has received is not about success at all, quite the opposite. 

In the article, she talks about how, as a child, her father would sit her down at the dining room table and ask her the same question: 

"What did you fail at this week?" 

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Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that the Federal Funds Rate has been increasing dramatically over the past year, forging the fight against inflation.  The Federal Reserve continues to study data (economy strength, employment numbers, inflation in various sectors, etc.) to determine if they need to hold steady with the rate, increase it slightly, or increase it more to continue the fight. Recent news is now showing that the increased rates are starting to have a negative effect on the banking sector with 3 bank failures in the United States and trouble brewing at Credit Suisse in Europe. The news this week is scary, but can it be good news?

Bank failures are terrible. When consumer faith in the banking system starts to wane, the ramifications for the economy are widespread. Consumers and businesses begin to rethink where and how they keep money, and some s...

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