We all know a seasoned agent who is struggling right now. Whether the struggle is because sellers are questioning our worth, buyers are blowing up deals, or from feeling the stress of TRID and other industry changes, things may not be feeling that great at the moment.
We’ve all been there. We’ve all had these up and downs where we ask ourselves why we chose this profession, and, more importantly, why we are still choosing it. So, why haven’t we quit?
Our industry has taken some hits lately. It was a rough recession, and then just when things were getting good again, we got slapped in the face by TRID. It’s understandable that we are struggling mentally. But in the big scheme of things, maybe it isn’t our job that has changed so much, but instead our attitude towards the job.
The job essentially is the same as it always has been. We help people buy and sell properties. Period. Every time someone in our office encounters some unique situation that has them all fired up, our two agents with 45+ years experience laugh, and tell us how they dealt with the same situation “way back when”.
We have TRID, they had 18% interest rates. We have Zillow and Trulia issues, they had outdated listing books. We get consumed by learning all the latest technology for easier communication, they were consumed with driving everywhere due to no answering machines, emails, fax machines or even lockboxes. [Can you imagine??) But even with these huge differences, the job as a whole is the same now as it was then.
The essence of our job- the reason we are needed- hasn’t changed. But our attitude has.
What gets us through all the tough times when we are constantly fighting an uphill battle is our attitude. It’s easy to quit when the going gets tough. It’s easy to quit when everything is working against you.
When I’m out running and encounter a hill, I want to quit. My legs are burning, my lungs are struggling, and I grow tired. My mantra always is: Don’t Quit on the Uphill! I just tell myself over and over to get to the top. I give my struggling self permission to quit only at the top.
But you know what? As soon as I hit the top of that hill, I get relief. By the time I get to the bottom of the hill, I’ve regrouped, recovered, and refocused. I have yet to quit on the downhill.
My advice: Don’t quit on the uphill. As an industry, we will get through this latest challenge. Our colleagues from yesterday got through the challenges that plagued them, just as we will get through this one. Think about why you got into this profession to begin with, and focus on that. Just keep fighting and keep moving in the right direction. Eventually we will all come out on the other side.
Amy Gilpin Associate Broker, Manager, ABR.
Fourteen years of helping clients. Six years of helping agents. All for this crazy thing we call real estate.
Production Realty 517-879-4141 Jackson, MI Amy@ProductionRealty.com
Comments
additional comments on "Are you Struggling?"
Comments are closed.
WOW! Amen! I'm ready to get to the top of this damn hill!
Nice column! Like a friend always told me, "Same soup, different day".
Great advice Amy! I love this.
This is my 41st year as an agent, and you are exactly right. I quit once, in 1979, thought I'd be much better off building homes than selling them – wrong. During the time I was sidelined building, my fellow agents kept on selling homes and made real headway. I, on the other hand, had to start all over again. Fill each day witth concentrated effor and never give up
If interest rates were at 14% like they were in 1984 when I entered the business, we would miss having problems like GFE 2010 or TRID. Payments were $1075 on my $91,000 loan. Buying power is at an all time high.