Do you have to be hard on yourself in order to succeed in your Real Estate Marketing Strategies?

When I coach real estate agents in creating their multiple six-figure incomes, I often hear this misconception: “I need to be hard on myself in order to succeed.”

When I ask about the origin of this belief, I often receive stories of being conditioned by well-meaning teachers and parents in a controlling and rigid way. Since we learn to treat ourselves we were treated, my clients are just carrying on the legacy because they don’t know how else to motivate themselves in order to succeed.

Unfortunately, however, their strategy actually works against them. Studies have shown that when we are hard on ourselves, and beat ourselves up, we actually lower our energy. This leads to decreased motivation and eventually burnout.

So what is the answer? If you’re not going to be hard on yourself, then how do you motivate yourself to succeed in your Real Estate Marketing Strategies?

Fortunately, there is a positive solution. Research indicates that if we choose a positive and encouraging way to get ourselves focused and on track; that this can be a very efficient motivation technique.

So here are some tips on how to change your motivational strategy for Real Estate Marketing.

1. Awareness – Start becoming aware of the words you say to yourself every day in order to get up to speed. Do they have a positive or negative tone? Do they build you up or tear you down?
2. Observe – Observe your energy when you hear these words. Does your energy increase or decrease? If you have an inner tyrant, do you also have an inner rebel?
3. Intervene – when you become aware of how often and you are being hard on yourself, it’s time to intervene. The best way to break into your own thoughts is to use the “Stop Technique.”

Here’s how it goes:

• Say the word “STOP” when negative voices arises in you
• Then take a deep breath interrupt the pattern
• Finally, put in a positive new thought

What kind of positive new thoughts should you install in your Real Estate Marketing Strategies? I recommend thoughts of positive self talk, such as:

• I now motivate myself in a loving and encouraging way
• I inspire myself with the enthusiasm and energy
• I treat myself with kindness and respect

Create your own phrases of self-talk. They can be as simple as saying to yourself: “Good job” or “You are on the right track.”

When you start treating yourself with more respect, you will notice your energy level increase. Use that increased energy to prioritize your day, and implement what you planned.

Remember, you don’t need to work harder; you just need to work smarter in 2012 on your Real Estate Marketing.

Relying On An Agent

The latest NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers showed a growing trend among recent buyers.

The latest figures show that 89 percent of buyers purchased their home with the help of a real estate or broker. This is a sharp increase from a decade ago in 2001, when only 69 percent of buyers enlisted the help of an agent or broker.

Why do today’s buyers buyers choose to work with an agent? Let’s look at just a few of the many reasons an agent can be your biggest ally.

First, agents are licensed professionals, which means they had to complete coursework and pass an exam in order to become and agent. They have the education and experience to help you navigate what will be one of the biggest purchases of your life.

They also have access to a wide range of properties and can guide you to those that are the best fit for you, which can save you time and energy. If you are unsure what type of property you’re interest in, an agent can help explain the pros and cons of things such as condo life versus single-family detached living.

Where are the up and coming neighborhoods? Which areas are more walkable or have access to better schools? These are all issues an agent deals with daily.

They can also ease the burden of buying by simplifying the process. They set up showings, drive you to appointments if needed, and help you handle the intricacies of negotiations.

Today’s market also presents challenges that simply weren’t present or didn’t dominate the market a decade ago. Buyers are faced with some great deals, but through some complicated channels, such as short sale or foreclosure. How does one handle these sort of contracts? Your agent or broker will know.

According to the NAR, “More than ever home buyers are relying on real estate agents and brokers to help them with their home purchase regardless of whether the home they are buying is a foreclosure, short sale, or even a FSBO sale because they need a real estate agent to help them through the process.”

Finally, buyers are unsure if now is really a good time to buy. They need to rely on someone with local market knowledge. Is this a good neighbor to invest in? Are prices still dropping in this community? How long do homes take to sell? What is the median selling price? Buyers want the best deal out there.

The 2011 Profile found that more buyers are opting against dual agency, where the agent represents both the buyer and seller. This could signal that today’s buyers are very cautious about getting into the market. While a dual agent isn’t supposed to harbor any bias, buyers now want to be extra sure they are getting the best deal possible. In fact, “60 percent of recent buyers had an oral or written arrangement with the real estate agent or broker so that the buyer’s agent only represented the buyer and not the seller.”

If you are considering entering buying a home this year, be sure to strongly consider using a real estate agent. They could be your biggest ally.

In Freddie Mac’s results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey®, it showed mortgage rates easing to new all-time record lows for all products covered in the survey helping to keep homebuyer affordability high. The average for the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has been below 4.00 percent for six consecutive weeks.