Good Friday to ya's!
Well.... how are you holding up, friend? Things normalizing any for you? Although there are some empty shelves throughout the stores, commercials are changing, businesses are changing, people are changing, humanity is changing - it almost feels normal now. Still scary without a doubt. Ready to start talking about this as "back in the day".
Given where I'm going with this Friday's message, I'm recalling this week 5 years ago... then 3 years ago... and now, today...
It's pretty cool :)
Five years ago this past Tuesday, I had just finished my real estate exam... Before you were ready to take the big exam, you had to pass the school one with an 80%.. I had failed it 2 times before being able to go to the next step.. all this while working a day job, side job, hell man. It was hell... but I made it....
Fast forward three years ago, yesterday.... Chas had just finished her real estate school and passed the exam.. She failed 3 times at school, then another few times at the big test... but she made it.. She said "I don't care if I never sell a [insert colorful word here] house!" "I will be damned if I ever take that test again!".. so she manages her continuing education to make sure this doesn't happen... HAHA! crazy how much time flys. :)
Chas and I both agree, getting our licenses was the single hardest thing we have accomplished. Going through school, all they talk about is that "i'm here to get you to pass the test".. that's it. zero to do with the real estate business.. just the damn test.
Now 5 years into the biz we've been involved with more than 100 closings in helping people open or close chapters in their life; a true gift. Having been pretty much solo in this industry, we've stumbled and failed. But for the most part we've figured out what works and doesn't work - at least for us.
With that experience we're often asked:
"so, I'm thinking of going into real estate; what do you think?"
As time goes on it gets hard to answer that question. Within this business I have found myself to be hyper unconventional with traditional practices. So with that I tend to surprise people with my questions back to them. I've had coffee, 45min - hour long convos driving around the block on the phone, many others... all about the decision to do real estate or not. I do not take this career lightly.. It's 100% real and if you're not emotionally fit to handle it, it will kick you in the shit making you not able to continue. It being as hard as it is to get to the "licensed agent status" I do not want that for people.
For substance there are north of 70,000 real estate agents in the state of Arizona.. of which there are 40,000 some odd agents in just the Phoenix Metro area...
that makes for 1 agent to every 104 people...
The National Association of Realtors puts Arizona at the VERY top of the list for density of real estate agents in the country.
Digging deeper... Once licensed, you're good for two years. Then you need to renew and pay all that shit again... but you're good for two years. That being said, the average failure rate (not renewing a license) is 80-90% by year two... THEN! that remaining 20-10% aren't in business by year five... all in all with a failure rate of ish 87%... good lord?! why would anyone?...
Looking back at my 5 year real estate story.. dude.. I can attest for fact! I have wanted to quit! I don't know how many times but it's been a solid discussion before... I've lost family relationships due to real estate.. have had a really damn good relationship go to hell because someone suddenly goes bat shit crazy.. this kind of stuff can only happen so many times before you're about to lose your own shit... sometimes it's just not worth that kind of pain...
Or how about being "let go" or let's call it "fired" by a customer... "I'm sorry, we're going to use my Dad's, wife's, nephew to help buy a home"... DUDE! that seriously happened... or, you're broke as a joke, and have 5 or so transactions disclove or cancel over a couple months.. all in a row... not because it's your fault... shit just happens.. meanwhile, the bucket of legos is damn near empty and you still need to buy milk and eggs.. oh yeah, clothes and health insurance for your family..
man! it can be a total shit sandwich at times!
Looking at the numbers seriously, the average agent closes between 0-3 transactions a year... A YEAR! Being intentional with things, trying to provide as a full time agent many find themselves on the brink of financial ruin to pull this off.. Not because they don't know how to manage money, but it's a struggle - especially at the beginning... you have to condition yourself to just be "ready, fire, aim later".. you just have to.
But! I kept coming back to serve people. To not quit because things suck... I knew why I went into this... it was for the people. Regardless of the struggles, I needed to make sure I was here, we were here, for the people who need us the most... Clients, other struggling agents, future agents. Everyone needs a safe place to be and ask questions, fail, be vulnerable - all in a judgment free space. There are so many great stories! so many incredible people! That's what keeps me from quitting.
I digress...
Over a year ago I was talking to a good friend of mine who's in the Title business, the back of house part to real estate, and said he had a friend named Rob who was already in real estate school. He said that if he ever went into the real estate business he'd want to talk to me about the hows and whats, with real estate.
After an hour-long convo with Rob, we hit it off... Like usual, I put him through the ringer with questions about things. His answer to me then was "I'm not much for quitting".. I said, well that's the right kind of attitude to have. Over the next few months I would check in on him to see how the progress was going. He at the time was still working his normal 9-5 day job trying to keep up with school.
School gives you a 6 month period where you have to be present for 90 hours of schooling across 18 boring ass subjects! It's a pot of people from all over the place in these classes. For the most part it's "here's your book, and show up when you can"... not much order other than people whom are not meant to be teaching, just run their mouth, yet you're supposed to garner learned info for this "professional industry".. it's really hard to sprinkle that into your normal day to day life. I went to college and this real estate schooling might as well have been a rodeo. It's hard in and of itself.
Months would go by and I'd check in on Rob... we met for the first time probably 6 months after we originally talked. Having finished the 90 hours of school, he was at test status. I gave him our stack of vocabulary words to help him and shared some pointers on how it worked for us..
he kept after it... and kept after it... kept after it so much that he needed to file an extension with the school due to going beyond 6 months... he'd make progress bit by bit, getting closer to that elusive 80%. Keep in mind, to take the test requires almost 3 hours of your time...
After Rob's 32nd attempt, he passed...
that's THIRTYTWO TIMES... thirty-two, 3 hour sessions!... that's more than 90 hours of testing.. AFTER already completing 90 hours of school!... talk about a shit show! hahah!
he made it, he finished, and he did not quit.
"I'm not much for quitting" plays over in my head again and again.
Having gone through the same kind of test - I'd like to say I could have kept after it as well as he did... but I'm happy I wasn't tested the way he was.. I might not be here. I'm so proud of his effort!
It is with great excitement we introduce our newest person, orange family member, to Team ORANGE, Rob Scott. :)
Rob's a down to earth kind guy from Arizona. He did spend a good amount of time in Wyoming. Being around him you're disarmed as he comes off as a good'ol boy from somewhere not Arizona.. Every now and then you catch him with a slight "you're not from here kinda accent".. it's well received. His blue collar experience and big country charm will serve him well. We are very happy for your efforts and willingness to not quit Rob! :) They will pay off! As I stated at the beginning of this email... I'm brought back to this week, 5 years ago. Knowing where I was then in my life, at the time... I would have never guessed I'd be sharing such a journey with so many important people. It's an overwhelming feeling - truly... thank you for being part of it.
When I was making Rob's business cards he made the comment "Big Country"... so in the celebration of his efforts, and a name I will never forget to not call him... happy Friday friend :)
There's a lot to be grateful for!
Have an awesome weekend!
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