When I was instructing real estate license classes, I told this story at the end of almost every class. I tell it the last hour of the last day.
My first contract that I ever wrote fell apart and did not close. I really needed that commission. It was a house on a corner lot on a dirt street. The day before closing, the title company discovered a special assessment from the county to pave the road, $2800. The seller refused to pay it. The buyer refused to pay it. The transaction did not close. I did not know how to handle the problem.
Could I handle that problem today? Of course I could. I probably would not even break a sweat solving that problem today. When you are new, you don't know much. I had no idea how to solve that problem. This was a big problem. They are all big problems when you don't how to solve them. Looking back, I suppose my broker did not know how to solve this problem either.
I tell this story to my real estate students to let them know that what seems like a major problem when you are new will seem like a minor problem in a couple of years. Everything in real estate gets easier and easier. It does not get harder and harder. As you learn more, you know where the potholes in the road to success are. You don't even have the problems. When one does come up, you know how to handle it.
Another thing I wish I knew back then is how important that first broker is. As I mentioned, my broker did not know how to solve this problem. I should have taken a hint and started looking for a more knowledgeable broker. What a difference that would have made. It is easier to learn with a good teacher teaching you.
Find a good broker,teacher, trainer from the beginning. I survived. Many new Realtors don't survive a bad beginning broker. I wish I had known that when I was a brand new real estate agent. Can this person teach me the skills I need is your most important question when choosing your first broker.
No comments:
Post a Comment