I am reading "The Power of Focus" by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Les Hewitt and it's timing for me is  perfect!  Why?  The market is down, listings are taking longer to sell and I had 18 offers on one house and my client turned them down.  She just wasn't ready to sell even with a full price offer!  I have been successful in selling my listings in the past but I could have sold more if I didn't spend so much time wasting trying to help someone who cannot help herself.   

I bring this topic up because I truly believe that even with a slower market we could sell more with the "ifs" are all balanced, of course.  But yet, when you read how your habits will determine your future - I am reminded that its about choices and how you respond to every situation. 

Again, I had a client that I had done repeat business with over the last five years but his circumstances changed or so I thought.  What I have discovered is that at times the client feels that they really know more than the agent.  Maybe so at times - but its about consistency in our actions, personal discipline and lots of every every day to make things happen. 

 OK, right now I'm taking a commercial break to say "this isn't a book report"!!!  What I discovered more in reading this book is that I need to develop rich, meaningful relationships (like the P2Agents) and having a balance between career and personal life.  Today, was taxing beyond my wildest dreams.  I listed this client's home and spend over $1,400 in the marketing of the home.  What hindered the sale were missing permits for recent work done on the house, the fact that there was no exhaust for the hot water tank, simple things.  He cancelled after every effort and went FSBO.  His wife staged the property, they made every attempt to sell it and reduced the price by $40K and jumped the commission up to a nice tidy percentage sum and it still couldn't be sold.  So the moral of this blog entry is that one can try and try to make things happen but if there is no connection with the client - then get out of there!  My biggest mistake was trying to "please" instead of working on healthy excellent relationships with my clients, friends and time with family. 

I don't know about the rest of you but breaking the habit of "pleasing my client" to where I sell myself short is on the list for change.  Real estate is not easy and it can be extremely taxing in alot of ways.  I believe that we as Realtors have short changed ourselves by limiting our expectations.