You get what you expect.
It’s one of the Great Truths that’s so true that it has become a cliche. Think about it: a few years back an Australian woman made millions of dollars producing a DVD and Book that said, essentially, the same thing. Remember ‘The Secret?’ Of course, that phenomenon went into manifesting your expectations through affirmations and visualization.
We REALTOR-types have been talking about expectations and actually using them for . . . well, forever. We set goals, we have minimum standards and so on. But there’s something I noticed in recent years — during the downturn — when finding and converting business became so difficult. Many of us adjusted our expectations down.
That’s ok. Given the market at the time, it made sense. You have to be realistic.
But today, by all accounts, there is a big shift beginning. Buyers are waking up and becoming so active that in places inventory is in short supply. Sellers with equity, motivated by the prospect of getting a much nicer home for a good price are starting to show up. Put it all together and shake it up . . . and it looks like a good market could be just a few weeks or months away.
It’s time to re-examine your expectations, for yourself, your company and your staff. Maybe you’ve been grateful to be closing 1 or 2 deals a month. Maybe you’ve been ok with that agent who only manages to get one every 5 or 6 weeks. Put that past reality on hold for a minute and think: what would be acceptable in a reasonably good market? Do you expect to do 10 or 20 sides a month? More? And your staff: is it time to expect more from them? Is it time to decide that a minimum of two transactions per buyer agent per month is acceptable?
The point is this: you can’t expect to get more than you expect to get. Don’t let your down market expectations limit what you get as the market improves.