I LOVE the beach.

I guess it all goes back to my birth.  I was born in Port Jefferson, NY.  My mom was a lifeguard at the Brookhaven Township beach before I was born, and my Dad spent much of his life on beaches, until we moved to Virginia when I was 8.

As a young child, my Mom would take me to the beach A LOT.  Mainly because she worked from home, and because we lived about 30 minutes from the beach.  As soon as I could walk, my Mom got a little worried.  She got worried because as soon as I could walk, I wanted to go into the ocean. I think it was partially because my Dad would spend so much time in the water, and partially because there exists within me some inherent draw towards the waves, even to this day.

At any rate, my mom quickly figured out that I was going to get myself into trouble if I could walk into the ocean, but I couldn’t swim once I got there.  Being the good Mom that she is– as soon as she could, she signed me up for swimming lessons.

I HATED SWIMMING LESSONS.

If you ever meet my Mom, ask her about all the crazy stuff that I did, and the tantrums that I threw when I had to go to Water Babies.  I was a certified maniac when it came time for lessons.  All during the day at preschool, I would be depressed and crying, and when I finally got to Water Babies, I would literally make myself sick to avoid the pool.

Throughout the entire time, though, my Mom would always tell me, “you can’t go in the ocean unless you know how to swim.”  That was pretty much all it took.  Getting in those waves was the best motivation I could have.

As a result, I learned to swim at a very early age, and I have loved the ocean all the more, ever since.  Thanks, mom!

What the heck does the ocean have to do with the real estate industry?

Funny thing, how sometimes to get what we really want, we have to go through things we would rather avoid.  That hasn’t changed since I became an adult.  The recent controversy over the NAR MLS policies and Jay Thompson’s subsequent appointment to the MLS policy committee reminded me of why I learned to swim.

Jay and Paula did an incredible job of explaining their point of view to the MLS Policy Committee; so much so that the committee actually recommended a policy change, on the spot.

Things didn’t go so well with the NAR Board of Directors, however.  The policy change recommendation was sent back to committee through parliamentary procedure, effectively delaying any change for months.

Since that time, Jay has been appointed to the MLS Policy Committee.  Good for Jay.  Lot’s of people were congratulating Jay, and many of them were emploring him not to get sucked in, or influenced by the politics of an organization as large as NAR.

I disagree.

I think that lack of the understanding of the politics was precisely why the policy change was sent back to committee.  Not a huge failure, but something to keep in mind in the future.

Here’s the thing– we all want to swim in the cool, blue waters of the tranquil ocean of MLS information availability and transparency.  We need to remember, however, that those waters can get pretty rough as the winds of politics begin to blow.

If we really want to enjoy those waters, we better learn how to swim.

Creatures of habit

Basketball referees, all sports officials, are creatures of habit.  We tend to do the same thing the same way each time.  It is a big part of what we do.  This applies not only to what is done on the court, but to preparation as well. . .

One of the little things about officiating that you won’t learn from any rule book is packing your equipment bag.  I would say it is one of the most fundamental aspects of being a basketball referee.  Seriously.  If you can’t your stuff together, get organized, and get to a game on time and with a professional appearance, you’re gonna be in trouble.  Every game night starts not when the ball is tossed, but when you pack your bag.

You wouldn’t believe all of the different strategies, techniques, and gadgets that basketball referees use to get packed for a game.  Granted, we dont’ have nearly the amount of stuff as a baseball umpire, but there is stuff to be packed, nonetheless.  Because you have all this stuff that MUST make it into your bag for a game, referees are meticulous about how they pack.

All packed and ready to go

I learned early from a veteran referee to pack, unpack, and repack my bag before I left for any game.  I start with an empty carry-on (the black rolling carry-on is the bag of choice for most refs), and I lay out each component of my uniform, and each one goes into its place in my bag– shoes first, then pants, then shirt, then socks and undgergarments, then jacket, then whistle.  Then, I take them all out, and then put them all back in.  The end result is what you see in the picture on this post.  That is a picture of my bag, all packed and ready to go.

Notice that I start with the most important things first– shoes, pants, shirt.  Those are the three items, that, if forgotten, are very difficult to replace.  They are the most important, basic, fundamental components of a referee uniform.  They are absolutely necessary.  Remember that. . .

Every Ref’s Worst Nightmare

One of the reasons that refs are so meticulous about how they pack is because we lead hectic lives during the season.  Between family, regular jobs, and officiating, things can get crazy.  You don’t want that craziness to cause you to make a mistake and forget something. . .

I had a game on my first night back in Virginia after Inman Connect NYC ‘09.  It was a Monday night.  Because I had gotten back in town on Sunday, and had been out of town all week, my ref bag wasn’t packed.  I worked all day, and then ran home to get my bag before I left for the game (about an hour from my house).  All my officiating gear had been washed, so I grabbed my stuff out of the dryer, threw it in my bag, and headed out the door.  I didn’t take the time to go through my packing ritual.

When I got to the game, I met my partners in the locker room, and started unpacking to get dressed.  I took everything out of the bag, and when I started to change, I noticed I was missing something.  I looked through everything I had unpacked, I searched under the chairs in the locker room, I went through my bag again. . .  awww F$#@!

I looked at my partners and said, “You’re not going to believe this, but I forgot my shoes.”

Not cool.  Not cool at all.  My partners helped me double-check, to make sure I didn’t have them.  Neither of them had an extra pair.  So here I was, at a school, 15 minutes from game time, 1 hour from my house, and 40 minutes from the nearest sporting goods store– AND I HAD NO SHOES.

Lesson Learned

Kari and I drove at a rapid pace to the nearest Dick’s Sporting Goods, I ran inside, and bought the first pair of all-black, size 13 sneakers I laid eyes on.  Then, we drove back to the school, and I made it in time to jump into the last half of the JV game, and do the Varsity game.

It was incredibly embarrassing, and I endured a copious (but appropriate) amount of harassment from my fellow officials during that game, and in the weeks that followed.  But I learned a valuable lesson–

Don’t get so caught up that you forget the fundamentals.

Packing correctly is fundamental to what I do as a basketball official.  I forgot the fundamentals.  I let one busy day get in the way, I lost concentration, and I paid for it.  That should not have happened.

Concentrate on your fundamentals

Don’t let it happen to you.  Right now, things are pretty crazy out there.  Don’t get distracted.  Keep that laser focus.  Concentrate more than ever on the fundamentals that have brought you success.  Always concentrate on those fundamentals.  Doing that is the best way to ensure continued success.

Basically, don’t forget your shoes.

One thing that has stuck with me ever since I heard him speak is the story he told about his time at Notre Dame University.  Coach Holtz was extremely successful at Notre Dame, especially early in his career.  After he left Notre Dame, he was asked what his biggest mistake was as the coach of the Fighting Irish.  His answer surprised me– his early success.

Success is a problem?

Coach Holtz went on to explain that because of his team’s early success, they got very comfortable. They stopped working as hard as they did when they were striving to succeed. Because of that, they began to fail. Once they began to fail, it was hard to gain back that winning edge again. They had forgotten many of the habits that made them successful to begin with, and they didn’t work hard to find new ways to reach their goals.

Getting comfortable with success is easy– and dangerous

The lesson that Coach Holtz learned from his time at Notre Dame is that success can be great, but once you become comfortable with the success, it is all too easy to forget how you got there. Then, as time passes, and the competition keeps working and innovating while you are busy resting on your success. Before you know it, you are getting passed, and those successes are fewer and further between.

This lesson seems very relevant in today’s real estate climate, especially for real estate professionals. I look around and see the number of my colleagues who were, just a few years ago, selling homes hand over fist, raking in commissions, and are now out of the business.

I can’t help but wonder if maybe folks got a bit too comfortable. I can’t help but wonder if folks thought that the good times would never end. I can’t help but wonder if everyone was just drunk on easy success, and forgot how hard one has to work in order to achieve sometimes.

I can happen to me and you, too

I think that the record-setting real estate market of the last few years made us all very comfortable, and lead us to develop some bad habits. Somewhere along the way, we stopped paying attention to what really worked, what really moved the bottom line, and just assumed that everything or anything would work.

Those days are gone.

Now that the market has made us decidedly uncomfortable, many of us are going back and re-examining every dollar we spend, every choice we make, in an effort to make sure that we make the right decisions. That’s probably a good thing.

Don’t be afraid to be uncomfortable

My challenge to you to avoid the comfort trap. Make yourself uncomfortable from time to time. The natural reaction in a time like this is to go back to those things that make us comfortable, those things that might not have been working, anyway. Take some time, analyze your business, analyze your spending, look for new opportunities, even if– especially if they feel a little uncomfortable.

The world is changing all around you, don’t stand still just because it feels comfortable.

I am a musical anachronism

Kari and I are a little bit odd in our musical tastes.  Oftentimes, we think we might have been born about 30 years too late.  At 28 years old, ask us who are favorite singers are, and no one from the last 25 years is like to make the top 5.

This became readily apparent a little over a week ago when we attended the Neil Diamond concert here in Charlottesville.  Our last three concerts in Charlottesville have been, Neil Diamond, Elton John, and Billy Joel. 

Billy Joel was outstanding, Elton was just ok.  Honestly, we weren’t exactly sure what to expect from Neil Diamond, especially since we were a little disappointed by Sir Elton.

Neil did not disappoint.

Neil Diamond delivers

One of the things that immediately struck us about the Neil Diamond concert was that it was exactly what you might expect it to be, which was a little bit surprising, actually.  It wasn’t terribly fancy.  The stage wasn’t crazy elaborate.  It was just Neil, his guitar, a microphone, and his band and backup signers.  By the way, it was his ORIGINAL band and backup singers.  All the same folks for over 30 years now.  Pretty impressive.

When you have a catalog of songs as impressive as that of Neil Diamond, and you have simultaneously released a new album, that offers quite a conundrum– sing new songs, or sing the songs everyone knows and loves?   Much to the delight of the crowd, Neil didn’t shy away from his old standards.  Sure, he did 3 songs off the new album, but one after the other, and almost as a kind of “intermission” in the concert.

The end result was that everyone in attendance, all the Neil Diamond fans that have been loyal for more than 30 years, got exactly what they wanted– they got to relive all those great memories from those great songs.

Neil knows exactly who he is, and he doesn’t apologize for it.  He doesn’t try to hide it.  In fact, he revels in it.  He uses it to his advantage, and he makes the most of it.

Who are you? Be that person.

As REALTORS, we often worry about marketing, finding a niche, and branding.  We worry about what makes us unique, what makes us stand out from the thousands of other REALTORS in our markets.

The one thing that makes you unique is– YOU.

No one else is you.  No one else can ever be you.  Sure, people can be similar, but that can’t be exactly the same.  You know what, there are potential clients out there who will be attracted to you, because of who you are, so don’t be afraid to show it.

If you are a numbers person, use it.  Share stats, get into the MLS and pull out the crazy statistics that only you can find.

If you are a people person, use it.  Get out, go to events, shake hands, kiss babies.

If you are a service-oriented person, use it.  Volunteer, meet people, deliver service to your clients, help them.

Whoever you are, you have strengths and talents that you can bring to bear that will help you grow your business and succeed.

Neil Diamond has been signing “Sweet Caroline” for decades.  Every time it plays, the crowd still sings along.  What do you do well that will attract a crowd?

“The Internet is going to disintermediate REALTORS just like it did travel agents.”  Such a comparison is easy to make, especially given the fact that the man who shook up the travel industry with Travelocity.com also started a site you might have heard of–  Zillow.com.

I am now of the opinion, however, that REALTORS should try to be more like travel agents, well the successful travel agents, anyway.

An eye-opening look into the travel industry

So the other night, Kari and I were watching the Bravo channel (when we watch TV, we almost never watch network television).  We came across a marthon of one of their shows, “First Class All the Way.”  The show is a reality show that follows the business of Sara Ryan-Duffy, and her company, SRD International. Sara is, guess what?  A travel agent.  She’s not just any travel agent, she’s an extremely successful travel agent, she’s a luxury travel agent.

As I watched episode after episode of the show, I started thinking about how many travel agencies went under after the popularity of sites like Travelocity grew, and I started thinking to myself, “how does Sara do it?  How come she is able to not only survive, but thrive?”  The cynic will answer “Her clients are millionaires. Duh.”

I think there is more to it than that.

Service first

Throughout the show, it is obvious that Sara emphasizes one thing above all else– service to her clients.  Her entire business is dependent upon satisfying the needs of her clients.  She spends extensive time interviewing them about their vacation plans, she tries not just satisfy the needs that they express, but she uses her expertise and experience to plan for the needs and desires that go unmentioned.  It’s quite impressive.

The sale is secondary

The one thing that Sara isn’t, at least not overtly, is a salesperson.  Again, some will argue that what she is doing is sales. Fine, whatever.  I still maintain that while she is making sales, it is not the focus of her business.  The fous of her business is SERVICE.  She recognizes that she is in a service industry, not a sales industry.

This got me to thinking about other successful travel agents.  I went to Travel and Leisure Magazine’s 2008 Travel Agent A-List.  I plugged-in the website of the first name on the list, Lisa Linblad.  Now take a look at Travelocity.com.  Notice anything different?  Of course you do.

One site emphasizes the experience, the other emphasizes the transaction.
One site emphasizes the value, the other emphasizes the price.
One site emphasizes the culture, the other emphasizes the schedule.
One site emphasizes the journey, the other emphasizes the trip.

I know what you’re thinking

You’re thinking, but these travel agents are working with rich people, people who can afford such luxury trips.  Doesn’t matter.  The successful philosophy doesn’t need to change just because of the customer’s bank account balance.  The reason that many travel agencies went out of business is because they placed the emphasis in the wrong place.  They tried to sell trips, not plan journeys.  They asked you what your dates were, and how much you wanted to spend, and where you might like to go, and they plugged it into a computer.  Anyone can do that.  Now, anyone does do that.

How can REALTORS learn from travel agents?

The most successful travel agents are now more valuable because these agents are able to deliver value to their clients and customers that can’t be replicated by a computer.  They put the needs of their clients first, and focus intently on meeting those needs.  Because of this, their services are more valuable, and people will pay more for them.

The travel industry was all about sales for a long time.  It was all about putting as many people as possible on the boat, or on the plane or in the hotel.  It commodified travel to the point that it turned itself into the middle man, and therefore made itself obsolete.  That is why the most successful remaining travel agents are so successful.  They are not a part of that commodification.  They understand the value that they can deliver to a person seeking to plan a journey, and they deliver on it.  Sure, they like to make sales, but they focus first on the needs of their clients and recognize that what they do is provide service, sales are the pleasant by-product of that service.

Seems to me that REALTORS could learn an awful lot from travel agents.

photo courtesy of CreativeSam via Flickr CreativeCommons

Basketball on the brain…

My first college basketball games of the season are just a few days away, and high school scrimmages start next week.  The officiating season has already begun, so I’ve got basketball on the brain.  Don’t worry, though; I’m still thinking about real estate. . .

People tend to watch referees when they blow the whistle, and pretty much ingore them the rest of the time.  Referees are okay with that, believe me.  If, however, people watched the referees when they weren’t blowing the whistle, they would gain a new perspective on the game.  One of the things that people don’t realize is that referees do more officiating without the whistle, then they do with it.  As I have always thought of it like this:  knowing when to blow the whistle is the science of officiating.  Knowing when not to blow the whistle is the art.

Trust me when I say this:  basketball referees do much more communicating without the whistle than they do with it.  Calling fouls is done when there are no other options.  Technical fouls and ejections are a perfect example of this.  No referee wants to call a technical foul.  Typically, there is a lot of communication that has gone on between referee and coach/player before the foul is called.  Referees do whatever is in their power to try and communicate to a coach/player before they have to resort to the technical foul.

Translating this into the real estate game

Let’s talk about the Code of Ethics for a minute.  Personally, I find it to be much more of a “Code of Rules,” since many of the articles have little to do with a REALTOR’s ethics.  Here is just one illustration of what I mean:

Let’s say you get a call from a buyer client who was looking at a listing on another agent’s website.  The client tells you the listing is $225,000.  She wants to see the house.

You go to the MLS and find the listing.  In the MLS, the price says, $200,000.  Hmmm. . .that’s not right.

According to Standard of Practice 12-8, one could argue the agent has violated of the Code of Ethics.  You are now face with 2 options:

1)  You could file an ethics violation and have your board investigate it.  Letters will be sent, maybe even a hearing will be held, yadda, yadda, yadda.

OR

2)  You could just call the agent on the phone, let him know that you have a client that is interested in the listing, and let him know that the price needs to be updated on his website.

If you chose option number 1, PLEASE don’t become a basketball referee.  You won’t make it through a middle-school game.

Know when to blow the whistle

I’m not saying that the COE isn’t important, just as I would never say that the basketball rule book isn’t important.  What is more important, however, is how those rules are enforced on the ground by the people responsible for/to them.

When I officiate a basketball game, I want the game to be conducted as incident-free as possible.  The game is for the players, so I want their experience to be a safe and enjoyable one.  I know that players and coaches are going to break the rules.  If I have an opportunity to talk to a player or coach before they commit a foul, I’ll do it.  If I have the opportunity to pass on a possible foul and talk a player out of doing that behavior again, I’ll do it.  Blowing the whistle stops the game.  The game is no good if it is stopping all the time.

When I practice real estate, I want similar things.  I want transactions to go smoothly. I want all of the people involved to have as pleasant and rewarding an experience as possible.  I know that sometimes, agents and customers are going to do and say things they shouldn’t.  If I have an opportunity to talk to them about it and address it, I’ll do it.  If I can help them from preventing mistakes in the future, I’ll do it.

Sure, I could run around, combing ads and websites, looking for COE violations.  I could spend time filing those violations, and I could spend even more time going to hearings and not talking about them (since the hearings are confidential).  Honestly, I have better things to do with my time, and phone calls and emails are far more efficient than any board proceeding I have ever been to.

But what if people don’t respond?

Good question.

I’m not stupid. I live in the real world.  There are some bad people in the real world, some real @$$holes.  I know this.  Between being a basketball referee and a practicing REALTOR, I think I’ve met most of them.  One thing I’ve learned is-  you can’t save everyone.

You might encounter someone who won’t respond to your communication, no matter how friendly or well-intentioned it may be.  When that is the case, you gotta do what you gotta do.  On the basketball floor, that means blowing the whistle.  In real estate, you just might have to go to one of those confidential hearings.  Part of subscribing to a Code of Ethics is accepting the responsibility for enforcing it.  Living up to that responsibility sometimes requires difficult action.

Knowing when to blow that whistle is critical to officiating basketball, and an often ignored part of being a REALTOR.  Making that choice isn’t always easy; but, as basketball officials often quip– hey, that’s why we get paid the big bucks.

Thanks for the photo, Dale.

My Dad is smart

I’ve talked about my Dad’s honesty before, but my Dad is also a very smart guy.  He won’t tell you that.  He’ll tell you that he was barely an average student through high school and college, and that he goofed-off a lot more than he should have.  Since I know he won’t tell you,  I’m going to tell you that my Dad is a smart guy, and I’m going to share with you one of the best pieces of advice he ever gave me. . .

My Dad, the coach

My dad was a High School basketball coach for many years.  Some of my fondest memories as a young kid involve empty gyms and long bus rides.  Now we’re both REALTORS.  Go figure.

My Dad was a good coach, and always found a way to get the most out of his players.  His teams achieved what others thought they never could.

After we moved to Virginia, my Dad stopped coaching basketball, but he never stopped being a coach.  I, on the other hand, began to play basketball in high school.  My Dad was not the type to be overbearing or get in the way of what my coach was teaching, but he was also never afraid to make sure I was heading in the right direction.

I can remember one day in particular, it was one of the first weekends during the basketball season.  I was sitting at home, relaxing, watching TV, as teenagers are prone to do.  My dad came to me and said, “What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”  (typical teenage answer)

“How come you aren’t down at the basketball courts?” (my neighborhood has courts that are just a short bike ride away)

“I don’t know.  I’m tired.”  (typical teenage logic)

In response, my Dad gave me words of advice that stick with me to this very day–

“You know what?  Somewhere, there is a kid right now shooting baskets, dribbling, practicing on his own, while you are sitting here watching TV, doing nothing.  When you meet that kid, he’s gonna kick your butt.”

Dad was right

I was not the most athletically talented player on my high school basketball team.  I knew that.  What I learned from my Dad was that, if I wanted to be able to compete and succeed, I was going to have to work harder than the other kids.  I was going to have to be that kid shooting baskets on the weekends, not the kid on the couch.

It worked out for me.  I believe I am the only player in the history of Fluvanna County High School that was in the starting lineup for all but 3 games of my career, and NEVER scored double-digit points.  The closest I ever got was 9 points– twice.  I was a captain for two years, and I even made the all-district team.

My old high school coach is still the coach, and now that I officiate, we see each other from time to time.  I asked him once, why he started me, why I played as much as I did, even though he had to know I wasn’t as good as the other kids.  He told me, “No one worked as hard as you did.  No one learned as much as you did.  I needed someone out there who knew what he was doing, wouldn’t make mistakes, and could lead the other kids.”

It was quite a compliment.  I owe it all to my Dad.

My Dad’s lesson for you

Being a real estate professional is getting awfully tough for a lot of people right now.  There are a lot of people out there who are scrambling, don’t know what to do, paralyzed by fear.

Don’t be that person.

Don’t get so discouraged that you forget to act.  On the flip side, if you are doing well, don’t get so confident that you become complacent, and think action is unnecessary.

There are two groups of agents out there:

1)  Those agents either sitting on their couches worrying about what will happen next and too scared to act, or those wasting time gloating and counting commission checks, thinking it will never change.

2)  Those agents out there working on business plans, executing new marketing strategies, and prospecting for new business because they are committed to their clients and to the profession.

I know which one my Dad would choose, and I know which one I’m choosing.

Which group will you choose?