January 2022
Have you read books that change the way you think about things that are important to you? I’ve read lots of books that help me form opinions or change my perspective, but not often do I take significant actions because of a book I read. I am now though. Who Not How by Dan Sullivan has changed my thinking. We all read how it’s good to have someone do jobs that we don’t need to be doing. For example, property maintenance and bookkeeping. Maybe you’re good at them, but if you’re building a real estate business you shouldn’t be doing
December 2021
Have you sold any properties in a heated market where buyers are willing to put down hard money on day one? It feels like you have made it, like all of your planning, choice of location, and management of your property has paid off because qualified buyers are jumping over themselves to win your deal. Like who’s the boss now! But don’t take your eye off the goal. A non-refundable earnest money deposit seems like a no brainer but often comes with strings, which are actually the contingencies you thought you were not having to deal with. Once you’re playing
November 2021
In-person real estate conferences are back. Halleluiah! They are one of my favorite real estate activities, more so now because we’ve been homebound. No place else can you begin to understand the people you might want to work with. Zoom is great but nothing replaces the visual and personal experience for sincerity, connection, mutual interest, and can I work with this person for the next several years, be on weekly calls with them, depend on their commitment. From your first short conversation you know who is not a fit. Does it make you nervous to network with strangers? The right
October 2021
In-person real estate conferences are back. Halleluiah! They are one of my favorite real estate activities, more so now because we’ve been homebound. No place else can you begin to understand the people you might want to work with. Zoom is great but nothing replaces the visual and personal experience for sincerity, connection, mutual interest, and can I work with this person for the next several years, be on weekly calls with them, depend on their commitment. From your first short conversation you know who is not a fit. Does it make you nervous to network with strangers? The right
September 2021
How has the Covid resurgence affected your thinking? If you think it hasn’t, you’re not being honest with yourself. Regardless of your stance on vaccinations, masks, the reality is that our lives have changed, and our real estate business has to adapt to these changes. For one, and this has been agonizing for me, we can’t – or shouldn’t – be out in big gatherings. It’s 10 times harder meeting prospective partners in virtual conferences. I do miss the real ones. Eviction moratoriums on a national level look like they are behind us unless congress takes it up, but many
July 2021
Where do your investors fit in to your hierarchy of real estate priorities? Are you relieved they decided to invest, ecstatic that they helped you and your team close, or do you hold the belief that they should be grateful they got into your deal? Sure, they are getting a great deal and you’re as trustworthy as they come. But who really wants to send in their hard-earned cash to a sponsor who doesn’t respect their investment decision. Why would I want to invest with you if you start off with the attitude that I should be grateful for having