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What I learned over that year was all about bait and switch
tactics. I was encouraged to pound the phones and implement
my own guaranteed sale program. Even though I couldn’t back
up that guarantee, I was taught what to say and how to
disqualify sellers so that I would never have to worry about
honoring that guarantee. I was taught many other tactics like
this to get more real estate sales.
I ended up firing my coach halfway
through the program. Once I started
listening to that inner voice in my head
and surrounding myself with the right
kind of role models, I saw the light.
These coaches put spin on their tactics, so that when you use
them they seem to be benefiting the client. “It’s for their own
good.” The coaches would say you are still the best agent to
help them sell their house, no matter what strategy you have to
use to get in their living room. “By closing them, you’re just
helping them make a decision they already want to
make.” Meanwhile they show you how well it works for
providing for your family, which is the most important thing in
the world to you.
It's not just a slippery slope to become a
wolf, it's a steep hill of solid ice and you're
getting pushed.
This is why I understand that my real estate industry is full of
hustlers and wolves. I was almost one of them.
Part of my mission for the rest of my career is to try to reverse
and minimize the damage that hustlers cause to our industry
and to the people they impact.
I've been spending a lot of time lately on a new book that will
hopefully help agents “see the light,” —to help them recognize
what they’ve been swept into based on the bad leadership and
advice they’ve been given for years. It's about a better way to
conduct their business that is way more enriching and
fulfilling—how making this change will not only leave a legacy
behind they can be proud of but will also pay them dividends
well beyond their retirement. You can make a lot of money
being a Wolf of Real Estate, but at what cost? You could
ultimately lose everything.
The line between hustle and hustler can become
gray or invisible when you are just trying to do your
7
best and following advice from those whom you
respect.
It is healthy to question those we get advice from. To listen to our
conscience and not be peer-pressured into something that just
doesn’t feel right. There is always another path you can take that
is equally effective and doesn’t challenge your morals.
Luckily for humanity’s sake, the vast majority of real estate agents
want to do the right thing. They would not want to be viewed as
“a hustler” or “a wolf.” So if someone you know and care about is
doing something that you feel is questionable or a bit on the
shady side, you’re probably doing them a huge favor if you speak
to them about it. It just might help them “see the light.”
This summer I will be releasing a new book
called Agent Entrepreneurs – Every Agent’s
Guide to What They Don’t Teach You in Real
Estate School.
I’ve put my heart and soul into this book because I really do feel
like it was a book that needed to be written and if agents do
invest the time to read it they will be better off for it. I share my
painful mistakes and my best discoveries. I didn’t hold anything
back, no holds barred. It will likely ruffle more than a few feathers
because I call out a lot of shady practices going on that are rarely
acknowledged or talked about and it is chock full of my best ideas,
suggestions, and advice. Whether agents will take it and
implement it is yet to be seen.
I just got my covers back from the designer; see the next
page to Vote for your favorite cover. Please send me a quick
email of you like one more than the other. Thanks! n
The girls definitely have the entrepreneur spirit. Last weekend
they sold their toys,