Burn-out happens when we lose a hold on our integrity.  We start doing things that are against our core values.  Real Integrity is not possible when we live according to someone else’s whim and their rules.

In the real estate business I have noticed that there is a thin line between servant hood and slavery.  When you gave up your W-2 Income you traded a boss who looked over your shoulder for 100’s of them that you now call “clients.”  Slaves work because they must, they are owned. Servants do so because they choose to.  It is by their own discretion that they serve.

Do you find that you fall into doing things for clients that you resent?  If so, you are living as a slave to someone else’s whims.  Whether it is in business, at home or in other relationships slavery is a bad thing. Learn to let go of all your “should”, “coulds”, “woulds”, “oughts”, and “wills.”  Stop doing things simply because you lack the ability to say “no” or you are driven by guilt or shame. 

Choose to serve, on your terms, in order to protect your integrity and watch how your life and business becomes full and bright again. 

Carpe diem,

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I may have discovered that I am a little on the stupid side.  Seriously.  I know that may not come to a “blinding flash of the obvious” to those that subscribe to my humble blog, but until yesterday I thought I understood our crazy and dysfunctional industry.   Just like your drunk uncle Joe or the mother-in-law that you wished wouldn’t have been part of the deal, there are a few things we all put up with in our real estate lives.  But at the end of the day, I thought creating income was the point of why our Broker of choice has the privilege of hanging our license at their shop.  I know, I know, with over 70% of or industry living below the poverty line I should have seen this sooner, but no – I held out hope. 

Here’s what happened - yesterday afternoon I got three, yes three, outbound corporate relocation leads (2 listings and 1 sale) that needed to be placed with agents.  Usually I have an admin person do this, but they were out of the office and we needed to get them placed by the end of the day, so I got to do it personally.  All I had to do was identify agents who met the following criteria:
1. They would return the call or email.
2. They have been licensed more than 3 years .
3. They were full time and could handle the referral.

If they met those criteria, they would get the deal.  Simple, yes?  I mean with over 1.2 million REALTORS it should be no big deal.  WRONG!

I called and emailed 15 agents and here is what happened -

13 never called or responded back
1 called back, thanked me for the consideration and said she was going to be out of town for August and thought she should decline for the client’s benefit (yes, she is going to the TOP of my list next time)
1 got all three leads (and it took her more than 6 hours to get back to me).

Before you get all high and mighty, let me tell you where I drew the pool from - for the listing leads I looked for CRS designees that worked for major brokers who made over $100,000 last year and were members of ActiveRain.  For the buyer lead, I only substituted ABR for the CRS designation. 

Has the lead generation companies jaded us that badly that we can’t afford a bit of professionalism and civility to our other real estate brethren?  It’s not like I am from Nigeria and asking you via email to send me $25,000 so that I can transfer King JKAdhLAIDT’s fortune to you.  I was going to send them along without even taking a referral fee.  I am a real estate broker who is looking for someone who can take good care of my people.  That’s all, nothing more, nothing less.

Carpe diem,