What Alternatives Do Realtors Have?
October 21, 2008
Lately we have been getting more and more email from agents across the Country who have not seen a commission check in some time. We have also heard from many Realtors who say that getting by on a commission check here and a commission check there just isn’t cutting it.
To make matters worse, we are approaching the Holiday season and talk about depression setting in. No I’m not talking about the financial kind, I’m talking about the emotional kind. You know what I mean. The kind of depression that settles in when you realize you can’t get your kids that new Xbox or your wife that new necklace.
I bet there will be a lot of people getting underwear and ties under the tree this year. I also bet there will be a lot of tears shed behind closed doors over the Holiday season as well.
Why? Because most agents don’t have any alternatives for generating income. Unless they sell a house…I mean CLOSE on a house in the next 6 weeks or so, it many may have to get out the hankies and simply make do.
That is…if they truly don’t have any alternatives. Other than hanging out on ActiveRain or some other such site finding solace amongst the other real estate agents turned pseudo journalist debating whether or not a Seller should paint his house or not, do you have a plan to make some money?
No, I’m not talking about you running off to sell Amway or juice or the latest multi-level marketing scheme, although I wonder why someone hasn’t launched one on ActiveRain given the gullibility, but that’s another story.
No, I’m wondering why people on these social networks and industry multi-author blogs don’t talk about making money. Why is it that I can go to AgentGenius and find 1,000 reviews of products that allow me to Tweet someone while having a bowel movement but not a single post ANYWHERE on how you as an agent can make some money TODAY!
If someone is upset thus far, hit your back button and make sure you have a good supply of Kleenex handy. I’m not singling out any site for the content that they DO have. I’m singling out all these so-called real estate industry websites for the content that they DON’T have.
Let’s face it. The real estate industry is a really simple business. You only have two options or schools of thought:
a. You find Sellers, you list the home and you hope you either find a buyer or someone else finds a buyer and you get paid
b. You find Buyers, you show them homes, you hope they like one, and if they do, you get paid.
That’s it, unless of course you throw a rental in here or there. But for the most part, that’s the entire business model.
So in this economy, with inventory levels at record highs and lots of Sellers not being able to be competitive on price, throwing more inventory on the fire and hoping something pans out may not be the horse you want to bet on in this race for Holiday money.
Bagging the elusive Buyer is an option and can indeed be a very viable one if you are willing to market and advertise to attract them. (i.e that means spend MONEY to attract them)
But too many agents don’t want to work with Buyers and fewer want to spend money to market to them. Imagine a store owner not advertising for customers…I could go on and on but that’s not the point of this article.
Do a search on some of these industry blog sites and see how many real suggestions you find for finding buyers. Make sure you’re sitting down. It’s a barren desert. Except for hitting up your friends and family and their friends and families and the parents at the PTA meeting…wait a minute, I digress, that began to sound a whole lot like a multi-level marketing scheme. Real estate professionals would never do that would they?
Anyway, since for the most part, nothing that most agents are doing is helping them increase their income right now, we thought we would get in the Holiday mood early here at Real Estate Radio USA. I’m gonna done the old red hat of Mr. Claus since I already have the belly, and I and the other Barry, he can be my elf, are going to write and talk about only that which can make real estate agents money over the next 8 weeks.
Yep, it’s going to be a daily dose of ideas and programs that if you choose to do any of them will cost you very little and have a tremendous amount of upside potential. And you won’t even have to quit your day job! You can also keep toiling away as a real estate agent as well.
Today is October 21, 2008 and for the next 70 days you are going to hear about money making ideas that can bring you cash this Holiday season…and you won’t even have to know how to use Twitter!
Imagine this. Seriously, I want you to imagine this. Imagine:
1. Hearing an idea or having one of your own tomorrow morning by say 9AM
2. Having a plan given to you as to how to implement that plan for your review by 11AM
3. Deciding to implement said plan by Noon
4. And seeing money..actual cash money in your bank account by 6PM that day.
Now imagine that happening everyday for the next 70 days except you not having to do steps 1-3 ever again, unless you wanted to.
That’s what we want to show real estate agents. We realize that Realtors are the most skeptical demographic on the planet but we don’t care. Those of you who want to make some money are going to be introduced to some very inspiring people who are making a killing inside and outside of real estate. The rest of you who think in your normal skeptical manner, good luck and have a great Holiday season.
I’m looking to work and speak to some people with a seriously positive mental attitude, who want to make some jack, have some fun, toss conventional wisdom out the window and begin living again!
I truly want to be Rockin Around The Christmas Tree this year…do you? Let me know.
I need to rock around the tree…Will this program go along with Nwo? As always - you guys are the best!
[...] couple of days ago I asked, if real estate agents had any idea as to how to make money. Hmmm, the results were quite revealing. Most agents we have [...]
Good point. I am making money. I should write about it. Maybe it will help someone.
hey teresa..with so many agents in the dumps..perhaps you and more like you can talk about that. I see a thousand blog posts per day about everything from placing pillows on couches to how to position a lock box and never see any real information that someone can say hey..I can make money doing that in my business! yeah, I think it should be a focal point.
Show me the money!