RISMEDIA, January 18, 2010—Okay…it’s 2010 and the market has been killing me for the past two or three years. I am lucky to be here, I love what I do and I am determined to make it work. I am not going to keep doing things the same way because it has gotten me nowhere and it’s time for me to reinvent myself, my company and my agents.
I have finally figured out that it is not the market; it is me and there is no other choice. 2010 is when I am going to get started. Since this is a real estate publication, I won’t bore you with my other resolutions like losing weight, working out and all that. I am focusing on what I need to do this year because if I don’t, I am going to lose a lot of weight from not eating and have nothing but time on my hands to work out.
Here we go…
1. I am going to reinvent myself. I am not going to keep telling people how important all these things are yet not do them myself. I am going to reply to my e-mails right away; I am going to figure out LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., and really use these vehicles to get people comfortable with the value I represent. I am going to communicate with my agents the way they expect a broker in 2010 to do so.
2. I am going to make a commitment to Web 2.0. The first thing I am going to do is finally realize that Web 2.0 is not just about my website; it’s about how people view me and my company online. That means what we are all blogging, what we are all saying on the social media sites, how engaging our website is and how our website shouldn’t just be a brochure anymore.
3. I am going to finally get my arms around Internet lead management. I am tired of leaving money on the table and that is what I have allowed us to do for so long. It has to stop. NAR says that 48% of Internet leads go unanswered and it is probably worse than that at my company. We are just leaving it up to agents and we can do so much better for them and for us if we set our minds to it. It’s not “okay” to go on like this anymore.
4. I am going to let go of the old paradigms about what a real estate office is supposed to be. Every time I see empty desks and offices, I wonder what is wrong with me. Everyone is happy to meet at Starbucks and I still have 10,000 square feet. What is wrong with me?
5. I am going to make a real effort to recruit the agent of the future. I have no system; I don’t hold my people accountable and I don’t get the recruiting results I should. My agents’ average age is 50 plus. I have to install as many tools and systems into my recruiting effort as I do into my technology, listing presentations, etc. My people are my biggest asset, yet I spend less time, money and effort in recruiting the people that will take us to the next level and keep us viable five years from now.
If I don’t lose weight and exercise, I risk my health. If I don’t address the issues I mentioned above, I risk my business.
Jose Perez is the president of PCMS Consulting, a full service consulting, sales and management organization that specializes in real estate industry issues.
For more information, visit www.pcmsconsulting.com or e-mail jperez@pcmsconsulting.com.
