Smile. It’s a simple but powerful gesture.
Smiling says something about your character. It puts people at ease, increases attractiveness, and it’s contagious.
“Some of us need to have more peace in our lives. People want to be around positive people,” said Darryl Davis, New York-based speaker, trainer, and comedian who has been in the real estate business since he was 19 years old. Davis presented stress-relieving tips during the REALTORS® Conference & Expo in Orlando Sunday. “It’s hard to smile and be angry and pissed off at the same time.”
A career in real estate can come with a lot of stress, so much so that it’s often ranked one of the most stress-filled jobs. The amount of endorphins released from smiling actually equals 2,000 bars of chocolate, inducing happy feelings and lowering blood pressure.
So, next time you’re in an argument with someone, just plant a smile on your face. It will either defuse the situation, or you’ll get the better of the other person. Either way it’s a win for you, Davis joked.
In addition to showing your pearly-whites, there are other ways to stress less. Here are Davis’s top three tips:
- Let go of your baggage. You’ve made choices in your business and your personal life; many of those choices were spot-on, and some maybe weren’t so great. If you keep beating yourself up over those bad choices, you’re going to continue living in the past. “It’s like driving a car looking in the rear view mirror. Eventually you’re going to crash,” said Davis. It’s time to accept the choices you’ve made in life, for better or worse, and re-focus your energy on moving forward.
- Be committed to what’s possible. Davis ran the New York City Marathon in 2006. He had never done anything like it before. In fact, he said he was so out of shape, that he only made it 0.33 miles during his first training run. But because he had a higher purpose for running the marathon – raising money for children suffering from leukemia and lymphoma – he stayed on top of his training and completed the marathon five months later, raising $25,000 for charity. The key to reaching any goal, he said, is envisioning what you want and then creating it. Start by painting a picture of your life and career goals. “Your success exists in the future; you just have to figure out how to reach it,” Davis said.
- Focus on improving your skills. People can usually relate to those who have had a similar experience in their lives. If you’re having trouble communicating with a client, try using stories, metaphors, and analogies from your own life to handle objections. Your skills also improve when you surround yourself with positive, motivating people. So avoid the “negative-Nancy” in your office and hang around those people who will inspire success.
Four hurricanes pounded Florida in August and September 2004, and Rob and Marlena Burger are still recovering eight years later. Their Orlando storefront printing and design business was destroyed, and the couple ended up living and working in an old mobile home that suffered from severe leaks, electrical issues, and mold.
The couple was losing hope of ever owning a home, until they found Habitat for Humanity of Greater Orlando Area. Now, the Burgers are among the 58 families moving into the Stag Horn Villas, an $8 million, energy-efficient, townhome community built by Habitat.
“At one time, we were treading water in a sea of despair,” said Burger. “But since Habitat, we’ve been floating in an ocean of gratitude.”
About 100 REALTORS® volunteered their carpentry skills at the Stag Horn Villas development Wednesday morning. This is the 12th year members of NAR have participated in a Habitat for Humanity build during the REALTORS® Conference & Expo. NAR contributed $50,000 to the Stag Horn Villas project.
“Every nail you drive, every paint brush you use, every item you carry, recognize that you’re not just helping these folks, but you’re helping this country,” Moe Veissi, 2012 president of NAR, told the REALTOR® volunteers. “Not just the economic health of America depends on home ownership, we know that the social and cultural health of this country knits its fabric together by people who live in communities that you are helping to build.”
There’s no better way to learn about new trends, strategies and tools then to immerse yourself in a live conference. Like many of you, I learned a lot at this month’s REALTORS® Conference & Expo. But learning and implementing are two different things and the longer you wait to implement what you’ve learned, the less likely you ever will. Here are some of the things I implemented this week after learning about them at the conference:
- I subscribed to Which Test Won. This site was referenced by Kelley Koehler as a great resource for learning more about A/B testing and what makes a web surfer more likely to convert into a client.
- I downloaded DocuSign Ink. A great new free app that allows me to digitally sign almost any contract. Thanks to Shannon King for presenting this app.
- I downloaded and started experimenting with Twenty Eleven. I learned about this free theme for WordPress during Steve Zehngut’s presentation on responsive web design. The theme reconfigures itself as the screen size shrinks, making it far easier to read and navigate via a mobile phone. I think this would be a great theme for for building cheap single property websites.
- I signed up for Local Mind. Hat tip to Chris Smith for this one. It ties in your Foursquare, Twitter, and Facebook accounts to allow you to find out what’s happening at local venues. I’m still experimenting with it, but I think it has some cool potential for real estate agents.
I still have more stuff I want to implement in my Wunderlist app. With the holiday weekend approaching, I plan to check at least a few more things off that list. How about you? What do you plan to implement this weekend?
By Erica Christoffer, multimedia Web producer, REALTOR® Magazine
It was a truly a “small world after all” in Anaheim Thursday night. More than 300 representatives from 30 countries gathered for the International Welcome Reception during the REALTORS® Conference & Expo.
Annemieke Cronje of Annemieke Properties in Kmysha, Garden Root, South Africa, was one of nearly 100 South Africans in attendance. “We want to see what the rest of the world is doing, network, and form a community,” she said. “We want to learn how we can help each other in this economy.”
Sponsored by Century 21, the event highlighted ways NAR is expanding its global reach through several new initiatives. A new global site, www.REALTOR.com/International, launched on Nov. 3. Friday was also “Global Day” during the conference, framed with educational sessions on working with international clients. The nearly 1,200 international attendees were able to enjoy sessions via translation headsets in French, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese and Spanish.
Today, NAR is recognizing the 313 new Certified International Property Specialists awarded their designation this year. CIPS has grown to include nearly 2,500 designees and candidates worldwide.
“More than a quarter of REALTORS® had international clients this year and we are seeing more and more enter the global real estate field,” said NAR President Ron Phipps. “To help REALTORS® diversify their clientele, NAR has built a truly global neighborhood with over 80 bilateral agreements and affiliations with nearly 60 countries.”
By Brian Summerfield, Online Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
Are you ready for the largest, most electrifying real estate event in the world? The REALTORS® Conference & Expo — which kicks off on Friday, 11/11/11, in Anaheim, Calif. — will attract attendees and speakers from all over the Unites States and beyond who are looking to learn, network, and explore everything new and exciting in the industry.
There’s something for everyone at the big show: Whether you’re looking for information about energy-efficient home materials or risks and rewards of online marketing, you can find it here. Plus, the event offers informed, valuable perspectives on the latest developments from Washington and Wall Street, and how they’ll impact real estate.
If it’s motivation and inspiration you’re after, the conference has got you covered. From dynamic presentations conducted by best-selling author Jack Canfield, leadership expert William Taylor, and media and investment mogul Michael Eisner, to the Good Neighbor Awards ceremony, you’ll find plenty to encourage you to push your career to higher heights.
Plus, attendees will have a chance to explore the latest solutions and services for their business on the expansive Expo floor, and share experiences and ideas with thousands of real estate pros at several social events.
Can’t make it to the Conference & Expo? Check out REALTOR® Magazine online frequently for updates: We’ll be reporting highlights from Anaheim on our Web site and blogs such as Speaking of Real Estate, the YPN Lounge, and Styled, Staged, & Sold. Also, be sure visit Conference Live regularly to get posts, pictures, and social media updates from attendees.
Whether you’re attending or not, don’t miss out on all this online coverage. On a scale of 1 to 10, the great tips and strategies this event offers ‘go to 11.’
By Erica Christoffer, Multimedia Web Producer, REALTOR® Magazine
On this Veterans Day, take the time to learn what you can do as a real estate professional to make a difference in the lives of returning Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers. One place you can start is heroeswelcomehome.com. This winning Game Changer program was developed by Bill Wald with the Chicago Association of REALTORS® to teach practitioners the best ways they can serve veterans in their community.
The following story ran in the Sunday/Monday edition of Show Daily at the 2010 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in New Orleans this week:
Bill Wald speaking at the Equal Opportunity and Cultural Diversity Forum during NARdiGras on Friday, Nov. 5
Tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers return from Iraq and Afghanistan with injuries that have resulted in disabilities. These veterans have special needs when it comes to their homes. That’s where Bill Wald comes in.
Wald, business and professional development senior director at the Chicago Association of REALTORS®, developed Heroes Welcome Home, a program that prepares real estate professionals to work with veterans on their housing needs. “We wanted to educate REALTORS® on the physical and mental disabilities of the men and women coming back from the wars,” said Wald, who presented during the Equal Opportunity and Cultural Diversity Forum Friday, Nov. 5.
Heroes Welcome Home was one of the 14 winning Game Changer proposals selected by NAR in November 2009. Wald and his team received funds from NAR to develop a curriculum and implement an education program. Continue reading »
By Erica Christoffer, Multimedia Web Producer, REALTOR® Magazine
From beginners to pros, WordPress Camp had something to offer every blogger at the 2010 REALTORS® Conference & Expo Monday. Technology and marketing experts presented dual-track sessions for novice bloggers and advanced WordPress users.
Blogging has proven to be a valuable tool for real estate professionals to demonstrate industry and community knowledge, as well as express identity and brand. The sessions provided tips to help leverage the medium and connect with potential clients.
“WordPress is a perfect forum for real estate Web sites,” said presenter and co-WordPress Camp organizer Dustin Luther with 4realz. “There’s a lot of talk right now about marketing via social media. But we really wanted to focus on creating a great Web site.”
Presenter Steve Zehngut, from Zeek Interactive, honed in on integrating real estate tools on a WordPress blog.
When choosing a theme – or the overall design of your WordPress Web site – Zehngut recommended Woo Themes, which provides customizable Web designs for $70 to $200.
Zehngut also listed a few must-have plugins for a real estate WordPress site: Continue reading »
By Erica Christoffer, Multimedia Web Producer, REALTOR® Magazine
It was a worldwide real estate party at the Doubletree Hotel in New Orleans Thursday night. Real estate professionals from Europe, Asia, the countries down under, Central and South America, and others received a warm welcome during the REALTORS® Conference & Expo International Reception. Guests mingled, sharing stories and ideas from across the globe.
“In order to have great network, you have to have great connections,” says broker Shonee Henry, CIPS, TRC of Allegro Realty & Mortgage in San Diego. “In global real estate, no one can top NAR.”
Here are a few photos of the festivities:
Photos by Kevin Berne
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