Steve Simon

Ms. Ross, While I frequently read your posts (along with a hundred other quality posters on numerous RE sites) I had to just comment briefly on a section of this post: """"Just being "full time" doesn't address this issue. Across the country, managers are struggling with how to inspire their full-time agents to "get out of bed and come to the office in the morning." In contrast, there are plenty of agents who are having their best year ever."""" Full time doesn't filter in any guarantees of performance or success. I seriously doubt that you have any stats on this being a banner year for any significant percentage of agent. Being in an office doesn't promote anything other than free admin. personnel for the Broker... I have been in RE for over 20 yrs. Having taight tens of thousands of students the required courses for lincensure in Florida. One thing I am sure of is there are plenty of very motivated agents with 2nd jobs during times like these. As there are very professional people operating out of home offices (to save overhead). Your post seems to knock (even if it is only a small slight) these people, and I believe you are wrong. If the answer to a complex problem is very simple, it is usually incomplete... Steve Simon is the lead instructor at the Steve Simon School of Real Estate www.stevesimon.us

The actions of the Government virtually assured the likelyhood of more foreclosures... The there has been almost zero accountability, there will be incentives to cease paying for many... The credit imbalance has not been fixed and the economy is still slowing. Add to that the biggest spender in the Senate will now be in the Oval Office. Anyone that thinks this is going to be over quickly is just not watching... If the answer to a complex problem is very simple, it is usually incomplete... Steve Simon is the lead instructor at the Steve Simon School of Real Estate www.stevesimon.us

A well written post! I taught "Salesmanship" to insurance agents in my first life, for Lincoln National Life. One of the first rules was to flesh out features into specific benefits. Changing to the car sales arena, don't sell Power Door Locks, sell: "The security of being able to lock both sides of the car with the touch of a button after you're in" "The ability to quickly open the car and get in when parked in a dark lot" You get the idea of course. Too many RE agents have not learned that a feature may be without value, thereby being only additional cost. It takes a sharp sales person to assess the person's likes and dislikes. To quantify their needs and then to expound the features of the properties they are showing into individual benefits for the prospective buyers. This also holds true for sellers. Explaining the benefits of a deal, rather than focusing only on price has closed more than one sale for me over thelast twenty plus years:) If the answer to a complex problem is very simple, it is usually incomplete... Steve Simon is the lead instructor at the Steve Simon School of Real Estate www.stevesimon.us