When we were growing up, we got to take a lot of after school enrichment classes. From Girl Scouts to tennis to tee-ball to cooking, when I was little, I had classes in just about everything. In fact, it’s actually become a family joke, where my husband sometimes says, “Don’t tell me… you had a class on that when you were younger, didn’t you?”

According to data on closings for San Diego County, the average real estate professional closes 5.5 transactions per year. That converts to one closing every 66 days. If you are only closing one transaction every two months or so, you may not see the kinds of wacky things that busy real estate professionals closing upwards of 100 transactions per year see fly past their desks. You may not have the level of expertise that comes with that significant number of closings. (But, don’t worry. You can take classes to gain insights instead.)

Attract Bees with Honey, Not Vinegar

As someone who is involved in a pretty significant number of closings each year, I’m noticing a new trend. Maybe it is a California thing, I don’t know. (After all, we do live up to our reputation as a pretty litigious state.) What I notice is that in order to solve problems, inexperienced agents often wield a stick instead of dangling a carrot.

 

If you need to work out something with the other agent, you’ve got to consider your options. Here are three things NOT to do when faced with a challenging real estate problem:

1. Do not threaten mediation or arbitration unless you fully understand what mediation and arbitration involve. For example, do not say that you are going to take someone to mediation over a $50 bill, unless you are certain that the fee for mediation is less than the amount owed on the bill (otherwise you demonstrate your lack of expertise). 
2. Do not threaten to report someone to the state licensing authority unless you are certain that they have done something that is under the auspices of the state licensing authority. For example, scam artists often advertise listings as rentals on Craigslist. Sometimes the listing agent doesn’t know about the scam until a consumer alerts them. That is absolutely not something under the auspices of the state licensing authority. 
3. Do not provide legal advice to your client unless you are an attorney. In fact, even if you want to give some real estate advice, only advise on what you know and not what you think you know. Seek a mentor or check in with your broker to learn the best solutions and then get back to your client with the best advice possible.

 

If you do not have a lot of experience in real estate, that’s okay. But, by all means, never ever wield the stick when you don’t know how to do so. Instead, dangle a carrot of offer some honey and work with the other parties to the transaction so that you can see the next successful closing in your future.

The post Agents, Do You Need Classes in Weaponry? appeared first on Transaction 911.

You’ve got the call, you’ve met the clients, and you’ve officially made it “listing official.” Congratulations! But before you start imagining the walk down the aisle to the closing table, ask yourself: Is this property actually “The One,” or is it just a summer fling that’s going to leave you ghosted?

If you’re already spending your commission in your head, it’s time for a reality check. The honeymoon phase ends quickly when a property sits on the market.

Here are 4 reasons your new listing might lead to a breakup instead of a closing:

1. The Price tag is “Playing Hard to Get”

Love might be priceless, but real estate certainly isn’t. Statistics show that sellers who overprice their homes decrease their “dating pool” of buyers by at least 50%. When a property lingers on the market, buyers start to wonder what’s wrong under the surface, is it a bad personality or a floor plan only a mother could love? Use market data to find that “sweet spot” price. If your sellers are still playing hard to get, suggest an objective third-party appraisal to act as the relationship counselor.

2. Location: Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places

We’ve all heard that “location is everything” in love and real estate. A gorgeous home loses its luster if its backyard neighbor is a noisy highway or a neon-lit strip mall. While water views are the “tall, dark, and handsome” of the industry, remember that there is a lid for every pot. If the home shows pride of ownership, there’s a buyer out there ready to fall head over heels, you just might have to work a little harder to play Cupid.

3. An Uncooperative Seller (The “It’s Complicated” Status)

A successful sale requires total commitment. If your seller is playing “hard to reach,” it’s going to be a rocky road. Sellers need to be flexible with showings, open to weekend dates (open houses), and willing to let buyers in via lockbox. If they only want to show the home every third Saturday when the moon is full, they aren’t ready for a serious relationship with a buyer. You can’t find a match if the door is always locked!

4. Property Condition: Needs a Makeover

First impressions are everything on a first date. If a listing has “bad hygiene”, think unmade beds, cluttered counters, or deferred maintenance, buyers will swipe left immediately. To get that “love at first sight” reaction, the home needs to be in tip-top shape. Remind your sellers that they are competing with “fresher” listings. A little bit of staging and cleaning is the real-estate equivalent of a bouquet of roses; it makes everything better.

Set Expectations for a “Happily Ever After”

The secret to a long-lasting professional relationship is getting everyone on the same page from the start. When sellers trust your expertise, you avoid the heartbreak of a stale listing and move straight to the honeymoon phase: Closing Day.

Don’t let the paperwork kill the mood! While you’re out playing Cupid and finding the perfect buyers, let our Transaction Management Team handle the nitty-gritty details. We’ll manage the files from “Contract to Closing” so you can keep your focus on what you love: growing your business.

The post 4 Reasons Your New Listing Is a Heartbreaker appeared first on Transaction 911.

I recently received a message on my Instagram/Threads feed from a new agent:

“Hi Melissa, I’m just starting out. I’m looking at a RE/MAX team, but they want a 50/50 split. In an era where I can use AI to do my marketing and lead gen, is it still worth giving up half my commission? Should I go solo or join the team?”

It’s the age-old question and the answer depends on where you want your time to go.

The Death of the “Big Box” Brand Advantage

In recent years, the brokerage name on your business card is secondary to your digital footprint. Recent stats show that nearly 90% of buyers and sellers choose an agent based on their personal brand and social proof rather than the national franchise they belong to. Whether you are at a legacy brand like RE/MAX or a cloud-based independent, your success depends on your ability to build a “Community-First” personal brand.

The “Tech Stack” Factor

Before you worry about the 50/50 split, look at the team’s AI and CRM infrastructure. * Solo: You have to pay for, set up, and manage your own AI lead-nurture bots, video editing software, and predictive analytics tools.

• Team: A high-performing team should provide a “turnkey” tech stack. If they are asking for 50% but still expect you to manually cold-call and mail flyers, run. They should be providing you with high-intent data and automated systems that allow you to focus purely on human interaction.

Behavioral Profiles: Beyond the DISC

We used to just look at the DISC profile (S’s and C’s for teams, D’s and I’s for solo). Nowadays, we also look at your Tech-Adaptability.

• The Specialist: If you love the “human” side—negotiating, showing homes, and calming nervous sellers—but you hate the backend tech and algorithm chasing, join a team.
• The Architect: If you are a digital native who knows how to leverage AI to 10x your output and you enjoy building systems, go solo.

The “Experience” Reframe

It used to be that young agents joined teams for “gray hair” credibility. But now, the script has flipped. Younger agents often have the digital fluency that older clients want (virtual reality tours, AI-driven market forecasting). However, a team provides “transactional muscle.” If you’ve never navigated a complex inspection contingency or a multi-party litigation threat, a team lead acts as your insurance policy against expensive mistakes. Until you have 10-20 transactions under your belt, it’s important to be sure you have the support of a team leader, your broker, or another office mentor. Mistakes in real estate are costly, and prevention is easy by aligning yourself with an experienced and supportive team.

Analyze the Lead Quality

If the team is handing you “Zillow-style” raw leads that require 50 touchpoints to convert, that 50% split is a high price to pay. If they are handing you vetted, high-intent appointments generated through their established brand authority, that split is actually a bargain for the time you save.

To help you make a decision, here’s a quick summary of the pros and cons of joining a team vs going solo:

Bottomline, don’t join a team for the “brand.” Join a team for the mentorship, the lead-flow systems, and the protection of your time. If the team isn’t making your life 50% easier, they shouldn’t be taking 50% of your check.

The post The Truth About Real Estate Teams No One Explains to New Agents appeared first on Transaction 911.

Do you ever get to the end of your business day, look at the clock, and wonder where the day has gone?

Today, as I write this, it is high noon, and I had planned to get down to business about three hours ago. Where has the time gone? Between taking a few calls, paying a few bills, and solving a few problems, three hours has elapsed. Does this ever happen to you?

Working “On” and “In” Your Business

As real estate professionals, each and every workday needs to include two types of activities: those related to working “on” your business and those where you work “in” your business. That’s an important distinction, which Michael Gerber makes in his book The E-Myth Revisited: Why Some Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. Of course, while it would be ideal for the people working “on” the business to be different from those people that work “in” the business, that is just not possible for most real estate businesses. Most real estate agents fly solo.

What Gets You to the Closing Table?

When you work “in” your business, this is the work that you do as a real estate agent in order to get the deals to the closing table. This is you writing and negotiating contracts, attending listing appointments and inspections, and showing properties. This is the technical work that is required to get your deal closed—so that you have the money necessary to work “on” your business.

But sometimes, the work “in” the business takes so much time. You plan to go to the office early, put in a few hours creating content, making calls, and posting a few tidbits on the social media sites, but just as you are driving into the parking lot, the phone rings. It is the buyer’s agent on one of your pending listings. He has arrived with the home inspector at your listing and there is no key in the lockbox. You then spend the next few hours tracking down the key and delivering it to the buyer’s agent.

How many times has some version of this problem happened to you?

Time Management Tips that Produce Positive Results

Time management and real estate may not seem to go hand in hand. But, they really must. If you are going to balance your time between the things that you must do to make fast money and the things that you need to do in order to develop a sales pipeline that withstands the test of time, you’ve got to have balance.

Here are some things that can do right now to avoid falling into the time management Bermuda Triangle:

• Schedule appointments with yourself. How often do you cancel an appointment with your doctor or CPA? Probably, not too often. Well, make those same appointments with yourself, and do not cancel them. When you have important work to do that relates to the long-term sustainability of your business, what does that say about how you value yourself if you are constantly cancelling those appointments?

• Turn key tasks into habits. Set aside a regularly scheduled time for each of your tasks; this is what creates habitual actions. About 12 years ago, I started working from home on Fridays because my kids got out of school early on Fridays and commuting back and forth just didn’t seem feasible. At that time, Fridays become my day to write my blog posts, schedule my email newsletters, and work on my social media and other advertising and marketing projects for the following week. Now, I’ve only got one kid still in school and he’s a senior, but I still stay home on Fridays. My Friday turned from a task into a habit—and it is one that has worked for me for the last 12 years!
• Batch your tasks for fewer interruptions.Instead of switching between calls, emails, follow-ups, and lead nurturing throughout the day, group similar tasks together. For example, dedicate one block for returning phone calls, another for writing offers or transaction updates, and another for prospecting. This reduces mental fatigue and keeps you in the right “mode” for each type of task.
• Protect your prospecting time like gold. Your pipeline depends on consistent prospecting. Block it on your calendar at the same time every day—often mornings are best—and treat it as a non-negotiable appointment. Even just one focused hour per day can dramatically change long-term outcomes.
• Use a “top three” daily focus list. Before your day begins, identify the three most important tasks that will move your business forward. These are your must-dos, regardless of the unexpected fires that pop up. This simple practice keeps you anchored to progress rather than just busyness.
• Plan tomorrow before you leave the office today. Take five minutes at the end of each day to outline your schedule and priorities for the next day. This helps you start fresh and focused instead of scrambling or reacting the moment you sit down.
• Limit your availability with intentional boundaries. Real estate can feel like a 24/7 job, but you can still set healthy communication windows. Let clients know your response expectations (e.g., “I return calls between 1–3 PM”), which keeps you from being pulled away from high-priority work every five minutes.
• Delegate or automate whenever possible. Use automation tools, templates, and routines for repetitive tasks—like email follow-ups, calendar scheduling, or document reminders. And if you have transaction coordinators, virtual assistants, or office support, leverage them fully so you can focus on income-producing activities.
• Track where your time actually goes. For one or two weeks, jot down what you do each hour. Most agents are shocked when they realize how much time disappears into low-value tasks. Tracking gives you clarity on what to cut, delegate, or better structure.
• Build buffer time into every day. Real estate is unpredictable—inspections run long, clients call urgently, contracts need adjusting. Adding a 15–20 minute buffer between major tasks keeps your day flexible instead of immediately falling apart after one unexpected delay.
• Plan your year early to save yourself hours later. One of the most effective time-management strategies for real estate agents is taking the time now to map out the year ahead. When you intentionally reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and where your time was wasted, you can create a clearer roadmap for the months to come. Planning your goals, priorities, and systems in advance eliminates a lot of the day-to-day guesswork that slows you down. Instead of reacting to your schedule, you’re directing it. A thoughtful annual plan helps you stay consistent, track progress more easily, and avoid the constant scramble that drains productivity. Investing a little time upfront gives you far more time back throughout the year—and lets you start strong, focused, and in control.

In the meantime, I’d like to ask you a favor. Starting today, before you go to sleep, ask yourself this question: “If I live every day the way I did today, what kind of future would that create?”

Did you like your answer? If not, maybe it’s time to make a few changes.

The post The Real Estate Agent’s Silent Productivity Killer appeared first on Transaction 911.

With Thanksgiving upon us, there seems to be no better time to reflect on the year, on what you have, and on how to be a better you in 2026.

“It’s also a great time to express thanks and gratitude, not only for what we have but also for those that support us and who have helped us to be successful this year.”

It’s always a little bit funny when you hear people (myself included) say such things as “I need to get home to defrost the chicken” or “I’m so frustrated because my photos aren’t syncing from my phone to my computer.” Clearly, these are first-world problems. By the very nature of the fact that you are reading this article, I know that you also have primarily first-world problems.

Ways to Express Gratitude in Your Business

So, how does a person with first-world problems express gratitude? That’s easy. Here are ways to reach out to those around you to express thanks for all they have done for you this year.

• Write personal notes. Personal notes take time to write, particularly if they come from the heart. When I write a personal note to a friend, relative, client, business associate, or referral partner, I always try to think about one very specific item that I can mention in the note. Example: “I really appreciated how you took time out of your busy schedule to help me optimize my LinkedIn account.” When you provide specific examples and details, you send a message that is much more personal and will lead to a longer and richer relationship.
• Keep a journal. Just like a mantra, create a regular journaling routine where you jot down some of the things for which you are grateful. These don’t have to be life-changing things, but simple things that make you happy. Today I’m grateful that I’m able to have Thanksgiving with my entire family, that the weather is good, and I can take my dog for a nice, long walk.
  
• Use social media to share your gratitude. If there is one thing I know for sure, it’s that people on social media are sick and tired of hearing about the election results. Spread the good word and some happiness among your peeps by sharing your gratitude through motivational quotes, pretty pictures, family photos, and even personal messages on the timelines of your friends, family, and other Facebook connections.
  • Host a quick gratitude video message or livestream.
    Video builds a stronger emotional connection than text. Record a short clip on your phone thanking clients or followers for supporting your business this year. Keep it simple and real. If you have a social media following, go live for five minutes to share what you’re grateful for and shout out specific people who helped your business grow. People love feeling seen.
  • Send a personalized “Year-in-Review” thank-you email.
    Email tools now make it easy to segment your contacts and send heartfelt, tailored messages. Share a short recap of your year: the wins, lessons learned, and what you’re looking forward to. End with a personal touch (even a simple one-sentence PS that mentions something specific about them goes a long way).
  • Create a social media “Client or Partner Feature.”
    Show gratitude publicly by spotlighting a customer, referral partner, or team member on social media. Share how they made an impact on your business and why you’re grateful for them. It shows appreciation and boosts their visibility, too. Win-win!
  • Send a digital gift or exclusive resource.
    Instead of holiday swag or generic gifts, send something useful, like a downloadable checklist, a mini-guide, or a resource that solves a common problem your clients have. In today’s attention economy, value is the new gift. And when someone uses your resource, they’ll remember you gave it freely.
  • Offer a “VIP early access” benefit.
    If you have new services, products, or events coming soon, express gratitude by giving loyal customers early access. Tell them: “You’ve supported us this year, so you’re the first to know.” Exclusivity feels like appreciation.
  • Leave voice memos instead of texts.
    With DMs on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn now supporting audio messages, sending a 15-second genuine voice memo feels more personal than a typed message. Your tone conveys sincerity and warmth.

According to Inc.com, studies have linked gratitude to improved mental health, better relationships, decreased stress, increased energy, and exceptional mental strength. If you want to hit it hard in the coming year, why not begin with gratitude now?

To that end, thanks so much to all the readers of my blog for your continued support and lovely messages throughout the year. Best wishes to you all for a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Cheers!

The post The One Thing Everyone Needs This Holiday Season… and It Costs Nothing! appeared first on Transaction 911.

It’s no secret to anyone who has been in the real estate business for more than a few years that this is the time of the year when things begin to slow down. Real estate pros start focusing on Halloween costumes, Great Aunt Mildred’s pumpkin pie, and even getting the best deals on holiday gifts. This behavior, of course, gets in the way of putting more deals into the sales pipeline, and seeing more closings in the next 90-120 days.

The good news is that Realtor.com has forecasted a pretty busy fall season. In order to make sure that those holiday plans don’t get in the way of your upcoming income goals, I’ve put together a list of 3 surprisingly simple ways to jumpstart your fall business.

How to Jumpstart Your Fall Business

• Know your numbers. In order to figure out what you need to do each day and each week, you’ve got to set some concrete goals. How many transactions do you want to close each month? How many buyer or seller prospects do you need to interact with in order to meet those goals? Once you know your numbers, then you can drill down and hatch a plan. Specifically, how will you connect or interact with these prospects? Will you be making phone calls, holding open houses, or utilizing email marketing, social media, and videos?

• Plan Your Week. Have you ever noticed how good it feels when you accomplish your goals? Those good feelings provide the internal drive to push further and harder the next time. That being said, you don’t want to set yourself up for failure in your business. By sitting down on Sunday night or Monday morning and actually planning your week—setting a few goals—you will set yourself up for success for that specific week and beyond. If you make a list of 357 things you want to accomplish, the odds are not in your favor and you may feel badly at the end of the week when you haven’t achieved your weekly goal. Instead, set 3-6 weekly goals and seek to accomplish them.

• Establish a daily routine. American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn is known to have said, “Either you run the day, or the day runs you.” So, before you end up at the party store trying on Halloween costumes, you’ve got to hunker down and hatch a plan for the day. As if you were a puppy dog that loves to eat and take a walk at the same time each day, set up a routine that you can stick to—no matter the season. Personally, I always use Fridays to plan out my marketing activities for the following week. This includes my social media scheduling, my email marketing, blog posts, and videos among other things.

Tools and Apps Can Help

There are many tools and apps available to help real estate professionals to jumpstart their business and stay on task week in and week out. And, while we all have our own unique work styles, the key is to select one tool or app and give it a try—implementing the tool to see if it helps you to increase your business through this season and the next one.

Fall is a challenging season with all the wonderful and fun distractions that come with it. Making a plan and sticking to it at this time of year will be vital to your real estate success in winter and beyond.

The post 3 Simple Ways to Jumpstart Your Fall Business appeared first on Transaction 911.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you already know how I feel about email. Simply put, it’s a super effective marketing tool and a great way to send quick informational messages, but it is not an appropriate way to negotiate anything… especially the details of a real estate transaction.

So much can be accomplished by just picking up the phone and having a 5-minute conversation. In a dialogue, there’s less opportunity to read between the lines, to misinterpret the other agent’s meaning. And, if there is back and forth, it can occur much more quickly and efficiently in a phone conversation. Then (and only then) follow up with an email.

4 Things You Should Never Say to Another Agent

Nevertheless, some agents still love email and use it for absolutely every sort of communication. Here are 4 phrases that I’ve seen in emails to other agents this past week, and what I believe that you should never (ever) say to another agent.

1. “I’ve done a ton of transactions, and I know…” In addition to the funny little fact that a ton could be just one sale (as a house weighs more than a ton), it’s not appropriate to brag or tell other agents how it is—especially if you are a buyers agent hoping to get the listing agent to work with the seller and accept your client’s offer. If you believe that the other agent may benefit from your expertise (and you may want to check the other agent’s production before saying such a thing), it would be better to say, “I’d be happy to help you out in any way that I can, if it means that I can get my clients into this property.” Showing off isn’t cool.
2. “I guarantee you that we will close next Friday.” You are just the listing agent. You are not the financier (in most cases), and you cannot control the actions of others. Know that if you do say such a thing, you may need to put your money where your mouth is. It would be better to say, “According to the lender, everything looks good for us to close next Friday.”
3. “You need to get over there right now and open the door for my contractor.” Admittedly, this one was a text to an agent in my office because the seller had removed the key from the lockbox. If you want someone to do something for you, you need to ask nicely. Better to say, “Would you mind coming over and opening the door?” or “Could you please call the seller and locate the key?”
4. “My clients are not going to close unless…” By all means, if you say this, make sure that it is true. If you are using “your clients” as a screen because you are trying to hold the transaction hostage due to a minor problem, just seek a resolution. In this case, we knew that this was false bravado because the clients expressed interest in closing as soon as possible. Better to just solve the problem then puff your chest. Most people can see your bluff.

These are just four crazy things that agents have said in the past week or so. I’m sure you’ve got funny stories to tell about your experiences in the world of real estate. What strange things have other agents said to you? How did you respond?

The post 4 Things You Should Never Say to Another Agent appeared first on Transaction 911.

A few years back, I had the privilege of attending the Prospect Mortgage Semi-Annual Meeting. They invited me to join them in order to talk about how mortgage professionals can provide value to their Realtor® partners. Specifically, we discussed how to identify good partners and build winning relationships.

On the drive home from the meeting and at several points in my life thereafter, I began to consider the deluge of requests for appointments that I receive on an ongoing basis. I actually do take most meetings and set appointments with any mortgage professional, title or escrow representative that wants to meet with me. But, my question is, do you?

Here are four good reasons to meet with Realtor® affiliates—even if you don’t think that you want to:

1. You get to practice your elevator speech. The more people you talk to about your business, the more proficient and professional your presentations will be. Share what you are looking for in a strategic partner, how you provide value, and what values you are looking for in others—good communication, trust, honesty, etc.
2. You get to practice your listening skills. The best way to learn about whether someone will be a good strategic partner for you is to listen to what they have to offer. The more you listen, the more you will learn. You will either be impressed by what you hear or the other individual will cook their own goose. You won’t have to do anything; they’ll talk themselves into a hole from which there may be no escape.
3. The contenders will become obvious. Cream rises to the top. And, the more people you speak with, the more obvious it will be to you as to whom would be a good fit for you—who is killing it in real estate. Your partner will make himself (or herself) known.
4. More meetings mean more closings. It’s a numbers game, of course. And, the more people you meet, the more chances you have of putting together a transaction. When you take a meeting, you meet someone new. Perhaps you make a lasting impression and somehow that person introduces you to someone who could really make an impact on your business.

So, the next time you decline a meeting or ignore a phone call from someone requesting a meeting, carefully consider the benefits or saying “yes” and setting a date. Your next meeting could be your best one.

The post 4 Reasons to Get to Know Your Affiliates appeared first on Transaction 911.

Day in and day out, I am bombarded by service professionals trying to get in front of me and pitch their wares—title insurance, property insurance, mortgages and lending, escrow services, and home warranty services among other things. Even though the line of providers seems never-ending, I do try to accommodate many of them. I’m looking for synergy. I’m always searching for people to help me continue to build my business. Everyone gets a turn at the plate.

But with this revolving door and these continuous appointments, I’ve begun to pay lots of attention to the pitch. After all, I’m a salesperson too. If I meet another salesperson, I want to see what he or she can do. Perhaps this person can help me hone my skills.

Maybe it goes without saying, but there are several things that service providers and real estate professionals can do to appear more polished when making their pitch.

1. Know your product. Make sure that you know your product inside and out. If you are going to a listing appointment, you best know the property addresses and square footage of every other recently sold or currently on the market property in the very same neighborhood. If the seller asks, and you don’t know, you will look like a fool.
2. Do your research. In addition to knowing your product, research the individual that you are set to meet. If a Realtor® affiliate is meeting with a Realtor®, the affiliate should know all about the agent’s current book of business, how he or she does their marketing, and any other information that you can locate through an online search.For homebuyers and home sellers, learn about when the home was purchased, how many liens are on the property, and any other data that might help to demonstrate that you are not a fool. When you attempt to tell a marketing expert that he or she needs to use Facebook, it will not bode well for you.
3. Listen. Admittedly, I could improve in this area. I think most everyone likes the sound of his or her own voice more than the voice of others. Listen and learn. Learn everything that you can about what homebuyers or sellers want and need from you, from their purchase and sale, or out of the transaction.If you are an affiliate working with an agent, instead of talking all about yourself, ask the agent what he or she is looking for in a strategic partner. You can only be that strategic partner if you can identify a way that you can work together. You won’t be able to do that, if you are talking instead of listening.

It’s important to prepare for any presentation that you have. Whether the presentation is with a homebuyer a home seller or another business professional, when you do your research, know your product, and listen to your audience, you’ll be on the road to cementing relationships. And, better yet, you will not strike out when you finally get your chance at bat.

The post You Can Also Look Like a Fool appeared first on Transaction 911.

In speaking with my friend Bill Archambault several weeks ago, he pointed out to me his simple yet effective rules of real estate. I just love this guy. He has sage wisdom that comes from significant life experience.

Here are Bill’s Rules of Real Estate

I. Thou shall protect thy license above all.
II. Thou shall protect thy client above all, but thy license.
III.  Thou shall protect thy referral source above all, but thy client and thy license.
IV. Thou shall protect thy commission above all, but thy referral source, thy client, and thy license.

While these rules are certainly not equal to the Ten Commandments that Moses received from God, they do provide some good guiding principles for real estate professionals.

As real estate professionals, we are often put into situations where we are made to feel uncomfortable. We could be asked to do something that we are not certain is within our ethical framework, or we could be asked to do something that is not even legal. Clearly, you should never do anything that is illegal. But, you should also never do anything outside of your comfort zone, and never anything that could put your license in jeopardy. Without your license, it’ll be curtains for you.

According to a 2023 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 544,400 full time sales agents and brokers. Yet, in the very same year, the National Association of Realtors® reported their membership at nearly one million members. It would stand to reason that there are thousands of real estate professionals who are not making a living selling homes. Those same folks may be challenged financially. And when you’re challenged financially, sometimes you take risks that you shouldn’t take. But, by all means, it’s a good idea to follow Bill’s rules and protect your license above all.

Along those same lines, Bill advocates never throwing your client, your referral source, or your commission out with the baby and the bath water.

One thing that always strikes me as I am cutting agent commission checks is how readily agents give away their commission at the eleventh hour. It’s one thing to have a policy of always buying your clients a gift or providing them with a one year home warranty, but it is entirely another to provide them with a closing cost credit from your commission check.

When you gift your commission, you set a precedent. Consumers will begin to expect these handouts across the board, and a lower commission undervalues the work we do—the work I do—as an industry professional. Commission is generally high because we pay for everything up front. Not only that but we are taxed at a higher rate as independent contractors. Given those facts and the fact that most real estate professionals share a piece of their commission with a broker, the errors and omissions insurance company, and possibly other industry professionals, you’ve got to protect what you have left if you expect to earn a decent living in real estate.

Those four simple rules—Bill’s rules of real estate—are an amazing set of stone tablets. If you keep those in mind, you will see much success. And if you follow those other commandments (the ones that have been around since the beginning of time) you probably won’t do so bad either.

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