Anyone who has read my blog posts before knows that I love this unique and challenging real estate market.

I absolutely adore short sales! One of the reasons that I go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over short sales is because they are not a difficult listing to obtain. And . . . I do seem to recall some of the old school real estate trainers yelling from the rooftops, “If you don’t list, you don’t last.”

Well, here’s a great opportunity to list and last. Get a short sale listing. Actually, get two, three . . . ten. Since the actual closing date for a short sale is difficult to calculate with precision, put a slew of short sales in your pipeline so that you can see closing after closing after closing.

If you don’t have any short sale listings right now, you might be wondering: Where should I begin?

The answer to that question is easy: begin with the people you know—your sphere of influence. If you have not done so before, create a database that includes 200 people you know. This list should include the names, addresses, phone numbers, and emails if possible. If you cannot create a list of 200 people, start smaller. The key is to create the list. And, as people begin to contact you and you begin to close transactions, add those new individuals that you meet to your list. This is your sphere of influence.

In my last post, I alluded to the six degrees of separation theory. I mentioned that everyone knows someone who knows someone who might be having trouble making ends meet. With our current unemployment rate at over 10% and with billions of dollars in loans set to adjust this year, certainly there must be someone you know who might need some help exploring options available to avoid foreclosure.

I was thinking this morning that there are four degrees of separation between yours truly and President Barack Obama, and I’m three degrees from Jay Leno. However, I do not believe that either of those individuals are current short sale prospects. But, I must know someone who needs my help.

Using email campaigns, postcards, telephone campaigns and other marketing strategies, spread the word that you are available to provide real estate services to anyone from your sphere and beyond. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Jay Leno or the guy down the street. Make a marketing plan and stick to that plan day in and day out. If you do that, there will be zero degrees between you and your next short sale listing.