Real (Estate) Talk: Differentiating Busy and Productive in Your Brokerage
What's the difference between being busy and being productive? In today's society, we tend to use those words interchangeably. If you're productive, you're busy. And if you're busy, you're productive. But there's a key difference we tend to forget about when it comes to being productive versus being busy. Busy is when there's a lot to do. It's stressful, overwhelming, and sometimes careless. Productive is when there's a lot getting done. It's focused, purposeful, and intentional. In other words: "Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort." – Paul Meyer So as a broker, how can you encourage productivity over busyness in your office?

CENTURY 21 Launches Podcast Series to Inspire Salespeople to 'Defy Mediocrity'
Century 21 Real Estate announced the premiere of "The Relentless," a 12-episode podcast series that will share compelling stories from influential entrepreneurs who have achieved unparalleled success in their fields. Hosted by Dr. Julie Gurner, Psy.D, a thought leader in personal development and specialist on how exceptional people reach success, the monthly podcast will spotlight an expert salesperson in their respective industry providing insights and inspiration for others to do the same.

10 Motivational Quotes for Your Real Estate Team
Playing soccer and hockey for more than 20 years, I've learned something very important. The most valuable players on the team are not the most talented players. The most valuable players are the players that exemplify the greatest teamwork. Like sports, the success of your real estate team or brokerage depends on your ability to work well together. Here is a collection of 10 quotes to inspire your real estate team!

5 Inspirational Quotes to Start Your Brokerage Off Right
Starting a new real estate brokerage in 2017 or just thinking about it? Treading into uncharted territory can be a trial of your physical and mental fortitude. Sometimes it takes a little inspiration from seasoned professionals to make the dream a reality. Here are a few insightful gems from people around the world: Whether major or modest, your brokerage started with a dream. That dream—the creation—is only half the battle. Now you need to create it again. Working is the only way to make that dream a reality.

Real Estate Recruiting and the Power of Belief
Do You Believe in Magic? As you turned the pages, you imagined you were actually in the great dining hall at Hogwarts, watching the magical Sorting Hat place first-year students Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger into Gryffindor. The adventures played out and the personality of the characters pulled the reader in, often causing them to stay up way too late to read "just one more chapter." Many fans read the entire anthology of Harry Potter aloud to small children, even changing voices for the different characters from the high-pitched voice of house elf Dobby to the low bass of Hagrid and the elderly, solemn bravado of Dumbledore. Even now, we hiss the name "Snape" and chills might hit our spines when we think of Nagini, the snake belonging to the villain "who must not be named." It all started when author J.K. Rowling believed in a young boy born with wizardly powers. Rowling imagined a majestic castle that held the Hogwarts school for wizards. She created the characters and creatures in her head then allowed her story to unfold on the pages. Only because J.K. Rowling believed first did millions of children and parents get to believe in the magic of Harry Potter, too. This boy named Harry Potter would make believers out of anyone who read, heard or watched his story. The Harry Potter series was fictional fantasy, as far away from facts and history and real people as one could get. Telling the story in beautiful detail and making the readers believe they were part of this adventure was critical in Rowling building a loyal fan base for her work. Rowling's Harry Potter stories attracted legions of fans around the world, many of them young children who waited outside bookstores with each new release for the opportunity to read a full-length book...without pictures. Think back to when you were a kid — how many 700+ page books would you have read?

3 Ways That 'NO' Can Help Brokers and Agents Attain Their Financial Goals
Your primary goal as a broker is to improve your bottom line. Your agent's primary goal is to get commission. Neither of you have control over the external factors which may affect your ability to attain these goals, but you do have control over your own actions which countervail these factors. All of us, when confronted with things out of our control, have a choice to make: be passive or be active. For example, the thunderstorm today will affect the numbers at your agent's open house. That is a fact. Do they write the day off as a lost cause with this excuse in hand? Or do they grab their umbrella and get as many people in there as possible? Their goal is to get the commission. The open house is an integral part of their plan to do so. To reach their goal, they will have to do what it takes to get the job done—even if they spoil their dress socks and hundred dollar tie. Why? Because there is no alternative, there are no excuses, and your agents have no hiding places. No Alternative Soldiers in combat have an ethos: no alternative. They have a mission to complete regardless of what happens around them. There is no alternative to completing their mission because when things don't go as planned, their mission still exists. Their job is to find a way to complete that mission. Real estate is not war. But there is nothing stopping active agents from adopting this ethos and applying it to their profession. An agent's 'mission' is the commission. That mission exists whether the economy is bad or booming. There is no alternative to completing this mission and, so, they must find a way.

[Infographic] How to Win the Day: Michael Maher's Morning Ritual for SuperProducers
What does it take to be a super producer? What are these agents doing differently? During his Secrets of Top Selling Agents webinar, Michael Maher, international bestselling author and top-selling agent, shared his tips to start your day off right so you can win the day. Check out the infographic below to maximize your results!

How to Become, Stay and Feel Successful: The Final Secret (6/22)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 at 10:00 AM PDT Opportunity is knocking on your door. Don't complain about the noise... open it! During this 90 minutes with Hall of Fame speaker Floyd Wickman you will learn and be inspired to fulfill your full potential with the opportunities you have now. You will learn how to: Implement the formula that will drive up your production Keep yourself positive and focused The number one tool to balance your family and business time 6 production secret of all top producers Register now!

3 Easy Steps to a Great Attitude
Half the trick to attracting new clients as a Realtor is your demeanor and your attitude. It can make all the difference. Coach Tom Ferry is back with two great tips to bring a positive attitude to work and keep it that way. Check out the 5:21 mark for his secret.

How to Motivate Top, Middle, and Bottom Performers
I started listening to a new podcast called Hidden Brain by NPR. It discusses and breaks down the hidden intricacies of the human mind. The one I listened to, that sparked this blog post, talked about motivations and how our brain feels when we are motivated. The interesting spin was that people generally don't feel more motivated after winning or being rewarded; they feel much more motivated when they are so close to a goal that they can taste the victory. You can listen to it here. This isn't to be confused with rewarding top performers for exceeding their goal; instead it's entirely related to internal motivations and "almost winning." Winning doesn't necessarily create more motivation, but instead more drive is created when we get close to a win. So using this psychological theory, how can you motivate your top, middle, and bottom performers with "near victories?" 1. Visualize the Win We can take a cue from the nonprofit playbook. One example that immediately comes to mind is why and how people donate. We should look at the meter with the amount donated. That's where this "near victory" can be found. Consider these scenarios: If the meter was at 20 percent, would you donate now or would you wait? Or, if the meter was already at 80 percent, would you feel the urgency to donate now?

Are Sales Contests Gone for Good?
One of the things I remember most vividly from my time as a sales professional was the excitement and buzz that would fill the office when a sales contest was announced. The structure was normally something like this: For each quarter of the year, if you hit a certain quota above your normal number of sales and the team performed above average overall, then the company would invite you on a trip to a resort destination — all expenses paid with spouses and plus-ones welcome. It usually shaped up to be a large group, and I remember those trips fondly as times when coworkers became great friends. The trip was a great way to toast to each other's success, and that of the company, while relaxing and having fun. But in many ways, the best part was the road map getting there – the anticipation when you were just one contract away from contest levels or when the office is lagging behind, so you're cheering on your coworkers and supporting them as they strive to make their contest numbers, too. When business was hard, sales contests brought levity. They brought people and excitement into the office and strengthened relationships. We were a fun crowd to be around, and our clients felt that, too. So why isn't anyone doing sales contests anymore? For one thing, agents today work more independently. They operate from home, via mobile, and on their own terms. Offices are physically smaller and no longer function as the social centers and training hubs that they once were —at least not to the same extent.

Giving Back to Military Homebuyers
The rewards of giving usually outweigh the satisfaction of receiving; as a real estate agent, making the dream of home ownership come true is the ultimate in giving. With both the holiday giving season and Veteran's Day right around the corner, we've compiled the top ways you can work with your local military veterans, to make their home ownership dreams come true. 1.) Homes for Heroes® is a network that works with real estate agents, lenders and other real estate-related service providers who offer substantial rebates and discounts to those who serve our nation every day. Military personnel (firefighters, law enforcement officers and others who make our communities a better place to live) who are looking for the home buying and selling savings, can register with a Homes for Heroes® Affiliate in their area. If you are looking to give back to those who serve, register your real estate business to become an Affiliate with Homes for Heroes®. 2.) Heroes Welcome Home is a program to prepare real estate agents to help returning U.S. soldiers and their families with their housing needs. The program takes a comprehensive approach to educating agents and provides them with the tools and resources they need to effectively counsel veterans on their real estate options, including their legal rights under the Americans with Disabilities and Fair Housing acts; home-lending programs; adapting homes to accommodate disabilities; and locating community rehabilitation and other veteran services. Educational topics include: importance of veteran housing, veteran property ownership, credit management, finance lending, and VA Loans.

Recharge Your Leadership Mojo: 8 Ways to Reignite Your Passion
It's been a grueling five years. On the global stage, we've seen bailouts, rampant unemployment, sluggish consumer confidence, declining home values and rising prices. For those still lucky enough to be employed, all this doom and gloom has manifested as insecurity, fear, stress and overwork. We may be technically in recovery, but at this point, employees are over it. And let's be honest: As a leader, you're as burned out as they are. You know in your heart that the only way you'll ever make it in the global economy is to get people engaged, motivated and passionate about their work. But trying to do so with your worn-down spirit and kit of blunt leadership tools is a bit like fueling a rocket ship with tepid bath water, says Mohan Nair. "The old ways of leadership, the old rules, might as well be hieroglyphics on a cave wall," says Mohan Nair, author of Strategic Business Transformation: The 7 Deadly Sins to Overcome. "Since our brave new world is dominated by 'unknown unknowns'—and powered by serving rather than winning—organizations have to change the way they lead their people. "The future belongs to those companies that have the mojo not just to withstand change but to actually create change in their favor—and hopefully in a direction that's good for others," he adds. "That requires a business model in which there simply are no sharply defined leaders and followers." But how do you break the self-destructive cycle and change the unhealthy employer/employee dynamic that is crippling everyone? Quite simply, you start by transforming yourself. Nair offers the following tips: Admit you have a mojo dysfunction. Your company has been operating in survival mode for a while now, and that's not good for anyone. But before you can reignite others, you must reignite yourself. "Sure, it can be hard and scary and exhausting to realize everything you've built your leadership legacy on is wrong," notes Nair. "It's a lot easier, in the short term anyway, to go on pretending nothing has changed. But once you find the courage to face the truth, you take the first step toward a new paradigm that's so much better for all concerned."

Forget Donut Mondays: Better Perks for Retaining Agents
Every business owner struggles to find ways to keep their team motivated, productive, and happy. As a broker, this task is especially important, because if your agents are not successful, neither can you be. And in today's troubled market, finding and retaining top agents is absolutely essential. If you've stuck to traditional motivators – like Donut Mondays or Hawaiian Shirt Fridays – it's time to get with the program and explore more leading-edge options. 1) Healthy Habits – Nutritious Snacks and Exercise A great example of someone doing this right is Krisstina Wise, broker with the GoodLife Team in Austin, TX. As she shared in our recent Follow the Leader article, she believes that a healthy mind is only possible with a healthy body. She helps her agents maintain their healthy bodies with group exercise initiatives and education about healthful habits. How do you do this yourself?

Lessons Learned in 2011 from Intero Real Estate Services
Every week, Tom Tognoli of Intero Real Estate Services shares his "Monday Morning Mojo." This week, Tom shared his top 5 "mojos" and we felt it was a great fit for our Lessons Learned in 2011 series. He graciously agreed to let us share them with you. So, without further ado, here's what Tom has to say: As we say goodbye to 2011 and look forward to the awesome possibilities of 2012, let’s not forget that sometimes what motivates and inspires us are the everyday acts and simple things that anyone can do to make this world and ourselves better. With this in mind we compiled a list of the most popular and inspirational Mojo’s of 2011. 1) The tiny black dot If you’ve been staring at some tiny black dots recently, take responsibility for that. And recognize that nobody is forcing you to keep your eyes on the black dot. You have a choice. You can keep staring at the black dot and telling others about all the things that are wrong in your life, or you can begin to appreciate your many blessings. Sounds like a pretty easy choice to make, doesn’t it? Read More 2) Be 110% committed Most people just want to dip their toes in the water with things in life when what we really need to do is dive in! You see it every day – people showing up but not going full out. It will be the difference between winning and losing. The good thing is most people go through life only playing half speed. So if you go 110% you will not only score, but you will CRUSH IT and win!! Read More

Follow the Leader: Shelley Specchio
Our leader to follow this week is Shelley Specchio, CEO of Northern Nevada Regional MLS. Shelley impressed us with her out-of-the-box thinking, tech savvy, and commitment to serving real estate professionals in her area. Shelley's Inspirational Accomplishment Shelley is as humble as she is innovative. She sat down and chatted with us about her bright idea: using a fun event at the Apple store to unveil the new Paragon 5 and demonstrate its compatibility with the Mac OS and iPad. Talking to her, you can hear the enthusiasm in her voice. "So often, our MLS members would ask if they could use their Mac with the Paragon platform," Shelley says. "I hated to tell them 'no.' That's why I was so thrilled that the new Paragon 5 is Mac-compatible." This was big news. It deserved an equally big announcement. Shelley called on her marketing background, as well as her understanding of her members' needs, and came up with a great idea.

Do You Have a Love of Learning?
In the season of graduations, cap and gowns and celebrations, speeches and uplifting words bubble over like a champagne toast. Motivational words to young graduates can be surpirisngly appropriate for workng professionals, to remind us of the idealism and optimism that guided our initial fervor and feeling that the world was at our fingertips.  One of the topics may graduates contemplate is information. What do they do with all the information in their mind?  David McCullough, in his 2008 Commencement address to Boston College outlines several reasons why the love of learning, rather than the information is the key to success.  Below are some excerpts from his address.  

Nothing Is Impossible
After watching the Inside Job, a documentary detailing the who and why behind the 2008 economic collapse that so grossly affected the real estate industry, I felt a surge of doubt about overcoming the economic downturn and returning to the America of old.  Certainly at the moment, there has be a lot of pessimism circulating the industry as agents look at the bleakness of the current market.  Corny as some videos can be, every now and then it can be a good idea to sit back and remember that before greatness often came doubt.  Nay-sayers voiced their opinions before inventions came to completion.  Today, as you go into your work week, take a few minutes to think through some of the most famous innovations and feats in our modern world, and remember that those inventors also had people saying their was no market, no one would buy, or they couldn't do it. Go into this week, empowered that today is your day to pave the way to success.  No matter the odds, it's important to remember not to be daunted by the word "impossible."

What I Learned About Blogging from The Fighter
For this week's movie night, I gave up my chick pick and let my beau choose. It was a good call. He picked one with a super hottie. The Fighter chronicles the story of Mickey Ward and his journey to a Welterweight Title. if you haven't watched it yet, it's out on DVD and you should definitely rent it. Ward was known for his left hook to the body and his ability to take a lot of punches while waiting to land it. In fight after fight he was basically declared dead before coming back to drop his opponent. Sometimes we all feel like we are being beaten down by a faster, better prepared opponent. But, like in so many stories, it seems to be those who can take a bit of punishment that can end up victorious.

Setting Your Sight on the Goal and Getting There
The challenge in today's complex world, is it's so easy to get caught in the process of achieving so much, that it's sometimes easy to lose focus of what you really want. We believe to attain an extraordinary life—a life on your terms, one filled with unbridled joy, ultimate success and lasting fulfillment—it's imperative you make progress in the areas of life that are most important to you. Anthony Robbins has devoted his life to sharing a unique system for anyone who wants to take their life to the next level. Continue reading to hear a clip of his motivational message...

Motivated to the Max or Mired in Muck?
Have you ever enjoyed an experience like this: You meet with someone and two hours fly by and you can’t believe the meeting is over! You still have so much to learn from them that you just don’t want it to end! What if every meeting or presentation you were a part of ended like that? Would your second connection with these people be easier or harder to schedule? Easier is the answer of course! So the question is: After working with you, do prospects leave so energized, so pumped up, so laden with valuable information, tips, strategies, resources and inspiration that they can hardly wait to meet with you again?  If your goal is not to surprise, delight, engage, energize and really connect with people you are doing business with, you might want to fine-tune your strategy.

Seeds of Greatness
It is easy sometimes to hear "inspirational" stories of remarkable billiionaire individuals who left a significant mark on our world and think it's just because they had... More money More opportunities Better genes Luck, etc. Justin Cohen is a motivational speaker and creates creative videos that tell what he calls Big Little Stories, also the namesake of his website. In this video he reminds us that there is really only one thing that allows the seed of greatness to grow rampant in some and remain dormant in others.

Building Lifetime Customers
Every one of us has the opportunity each day to build loyalty amongst our clients and customers. This week, take a minute to be reminded about some simple truths about customer service. 1.) Put your personal signature on the job 2.) Focus on positive thoughts each day 3.) Great service comes from the heart Want an example? Take a lesson from Johnny, down syndrome bagger at a grocery store and watch how he made a difference in the lives of his customers.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
When it comes to motivating a workforce, or yourself, if you are a self-employed real estate agent, it is interesting to note that sometimes monetary rewards stiffle productivity.  Don't believe me? Well, I wouldn't have either, but in a lively RSA Animate, adapted from Dan Pink's talk at the RSA, you will see how PInk illustrates the hidden truths behind what really motivates us at home and in the workplace—and it's not money!           There are three things: Autonomy Mastery Challenge

8 Ways To Avoid Failure On The Road To Remarkable
Have you ever been startled to sitting up when you've read an article? That happened last night to me while reading "In Praise Of The Purple Cow" by Seth Godin printed in the January Fast Company magazine. I almost spit out my coffee in uncontained excitement as comprehension finally crashed over me as I read, "Today, the one sure way to fail is to be boring! Your one chance for success is to be remarkable." To be remarkable...that's the brass ring we leap for as it swings just outside our grasp. That's where the problem lies. How do we know when we're being remarkable? A whole slew of questions rebound in my mind: What if we are too self-absorbed or busy to recognize brilliance in a simple process-altering idea? What if our brains constantly generate new revelations, but it seems like every day common stuff to us? How do we know we haven't had a remarkable idea, and then blew it off because we were bored by it?

Strip the Stress Out of the New Year!
Have you ever just stopped in the middle of a busy place and study what is going on around you? I recently viewed a film of an event that occurred in Time Square, orchestrated by a group of 20 or so “performers”. In the midst of a frenzied crowd, these individuals, on cue, simply stopped - locked in position and appeared to stop breathing, as if suddenly flash frozen in place. For all intent and purposes, time ceased right along with them. The startled then puzzled stares of the bustling crowd bounced ineffectively off the human sculptures. In retrospect, watching this “calm” in the middle of the storm liberated me. I began to understand that I have been living my life in a hyperventilating mode…so much to do in such a minuscule period of time. That’s when I understood that the way we utilize time is extremely different than how earlier generations experienced it. If your parents were anything like mine, they rarely worked on those precious weekends or after dinner. That time was reserved for playing cards, enjoying a good book, golfing or anything else which they considered fun. Relaxing meant down time.

You Were Not Designed to Blend into a Crowd! Be Remarkable!
The end of the year is approaching, and as we all look back over our years and evaluate the successes and room for improvement, it is important to empower yourself with a positive outlook.  Certainly realism is of value when looking through where you are in life, where you are looking to go and how you are going to get there.  However a key ingredient to many successful people is that indomitable spirit that drives individuals  to take risks and ultimately reach their potential. Enjoy this short motivational video.  May it inspire you this week to meet challenges with a smile and to re-evaluate your progress in 2010 with budding hope for 2011.