The Future Looks Bright

Happy Holidays! Are you enjoying your time with your family and friends. I know I have really enjoyed these last few days. It is great to spend quality time with my husband, Dan, and our two children, Trevor (age 12) and Cassidy (age 10).

As I wind down my year (can you believe how fast a year goes) I start to think about what I want 2009 to look like. Every year I vow to eat better, exercise more, and excel at my career. 2009 looks no different.

2008 has been a challenging year for many people who make a living in the real estate industry. Each Monday I hold one-on-one consulting sessions with our agents. I help them overcome issues they are facing and also I help keep them on track to meet their goals. If you fail to plan you are planning to fail. So I believe it is paramont that you write out your goals. I also say "If you don't know where you are going how will you know when you get there?"

A great exercise that we have done that is also very fun is the "Future Letter". Have you ever written or read a Christmas letter? One where you talk about all the things you did throughout the year. What the kids are up to. Vacations you took. How your career is progressing. Take a moment to write out your Christmas letter as if it is December 31, 2009 and you are reflecting on everything you accomlplished that year. Make copies and share it with those close to you. Also post it in a place where you will see it every morning. Wouldn't it be great to end 2009 with everything in your letter acheived!!!

And finally, here is a video for those of you who have had a difficult 2008. I hope it inspires you to know that 2009 WILL BE FINE!!!

http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html

The Spirit of the Season

What is the Spirit of Christmas all about? I believe the answer to that question is different for each of us. A lot of the "spirit" of Christmas comes from our past experiences during the holiday season. I love to hear other people tell me about the different traditions and experiences they have had as children and what they do now as adults.

For me, Christmas is a tangled web of emotion. As a child I grew up with 3 brothers, 1 sister, and 63 cousins in rural Iowa. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meant getting together with my family, aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins. It was a whirlwind of wrapping paper, turkey, laughter, and an occasional prank gift. My mom was the centerpiece of our Christmas tradition. As the mother of five children she had her hands full between buying and wrapping gifts (cleverly keeping them hid from us snoopy kids), milking cows every day, and taking care of the babies. Mom loved every minute of it. We were a practical family. We always received a couple of our wish list toys but the rest of the gifts under the tree were things like hooded sweatshirts, coveralls, appliances, and other basic items. My Mom beamed with joy when the "whole" family was together and she could love on us all. And as kids we relished in Mom's glow.

That all changed 12 years ago. On October 14^, 1998 my mom was killed in a sudden accident at age 51. Mom and Dad were building their dream home on an acreage overlooking the family farm. Dad was on the tractor and Mom was in front of the tractor shoveling gravel. The brakes of the tractor failed, slowly, and before my Dad had a chance to react my Mom had been squished. Mom had a pot roast in the oven that day. She never expected that she wouldn't be home to serve it for lunch.

Christmas that year was very sad for my family. We missed Mom so much and we wondered why God could let such a tragic thing happen to "our" family. Over the years I have prayed about this and I have come to realize that everything happens for a reason. We still miss Mom, always, but as a result of her death everyone in my family has grown closer to God and has come to realize the true meaning of Christmas. Because it really is not about the parties, gifts, and food. It's about telling those around you how much you love and appreciate them. I learned two very valuable lessons when my mom, Mary, died. One, I am thankful and give praise to God that there is a place for my mom in heaven. Because she deserves only the best. And two, I will never, ever take those I love for granted and I will give thanks every day for the blessings they are in my life.

So as you open your presents, eat the Christmas goodies, and enjoy time with your family and friends. Don't forgive to give thanks to God for his blessings and tell those you love how much they mean to you. And that is the purpose of this Christmas letter. To tell you how much I love you for who you are and what you have to offer this world! You are unique and God has given you talents that only you possess. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be your leader. It is truly an honor for me to be surrounded by such greatness!

Enjoy the spirit of this magical season.

A Funny Christmas Jingle - Life As a Realtor

Four years ago, shortly after I had decided to be a real estate agent, I ran into my neighbor that lived directly across the street from me. She had recently decided to sell her home - For Sale By Owner. As any good Realtor would do, I attempted to lure her into listing her home with me. My neighbor's response was that she didn't want to pay a big commission just for some agent to write a few page contract. In her mind, that is all it takes (writing an offer) to be successful and earn a commission. You and I both know that selling real estate is much more than just writing an offer. As agents we work very hard to solicit clients, find the right house, keep abreast of the market, and keep the deal from falling apart. This past year has tested our resolve. And yet we continue to trudge forward with a smile on our face. Because, we know the rewards of our chosen profession far exceed the headaches. In fact, if you ask most agents what they love about their job/career they will say "I love helping people". And as Zig Ziglar says "You can have everything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want.”

A friend of mine sent me this youtube video this morning. Take a few moments to watch these lovely ladies sing about life as a Realtor. I am sure you can relate to at least one (if not two or three) of their experiences. Its fun to be able to laugh at ourselves. Merry Christmas.

BE SURE TO TURN OFF THE MUSIC (SCROLL TO THE PLAYLIST ON THE RIGHT OF THIS PAGE) BEFORE WATCHING VIDEO

And Jackie G. ended up with the Santa Suit.......

We had so much fun at the Holiday Team Meeting Party on Tuesday! Of course it was business as usual for the first 30 minutes of the meeting. Regina & Felicia put together a short little Holiday video to kick off the party. Then we had our Dirty Santa gift exchange! (aka A White Elephant Gift Exchange) The first person to pick a gift was Cynthia Pierce who got the Santa Suit! After that it was one laugh after another as each person got to choose either a wrapped gift or take a gift from someone else. The hot items were the Santa Suit, the rocking Santa (that Dionne tried her best to keep), the trip to Family Reunion, the Reindeer wine opener/holder, the drinking glasses & caddy, the Starbucks coffee and of course the black KW undies. Darin couldn't give away his lovely black "Just Graduated" frame. The black Keller Williams underwear finally went to Bill Wright of Ganek Wright Minsk. Dionne did get to keep the Rocking Santa and Jackie Gasparre got the Santa Suit! It was a lively joyous time with our Keller Williams Family!

Proud to Be An American

Recently, I was inspired by some data contained in a research report written by Joseph Quinlan, Chief Market Strategist for Bank of America. He presented a valid and important perspective that will most certainly be overlooked by the myriad of doomsayers who seem determined to write the obituary for the American economy. I thought you might enjoy some key excerpts and might find encouragement to maintain your resolve in your outlook of our economic future.

Taking Stock of What Is Right with the United States

• The United States Economy is the Largest and Most Productive in the World — With just over 4% of the global population, the United States accounts for 25% of the world's GDP. We produce more output each year than Japan, China, Germany, and the United Kingdom combined.

• The United States is the World's Leading Manufacturer of Goods — Despite the popular belief that we no longer "make stuff," America produces over 20% of the world's manufacturing output. This has hardly changed since 1980 when we produced 22%.

• The United States is the World's Favorite Destination of Foreign Direct Investment — Lost amid the chatter of outsourcing jobs, the United States remains the most popular market for foreign investment. Foreign investors are attracted by many factors including our vast and wealthy consumer market, large skilled labor pool, and our transparent rule of law.

• America is Home to the World's Top Global Brands — Over half of the top 100 global brands (52) are American. Of the top ten, eight are American giving corporate America an unequaled global footprint relative to its international competitors.

• The United States is the World's Technology Leader — The United States remains the most innovative economy in the world. America's entrepreneurial bent attracts the worlds' best talent which has created the largest market for information technology spending on hardware, software, and services.

• The Top Ranked Universities in the World are in the United States — 39 of the top 100 universities in the world are American, including the top two. American universities hosted over one-fifth of all international students making it the top destination for foreign scholars.

• The U.S. Dollar is Still the World's Top Reserve Currency — The U.S. dollar remains the reserve currency of choice for many nations — it accounted for roughly 65% of global central bank reserves last year. Despite the current financial crisis, the dollar remains king of currencies.

• The U.S. Military is Second to None — Military might still matters, especially in a world where geo-strategic flashpoints continue to simmer (think Pakistan, the Middle East, and parts of Africa). It is also worth noting that important technological breakthroughs have come from military investments — including the Internet.

(Kudos to Bill Haas, Keller Williams Realty, for submitting this inspiring dissertation)

Would You Be Offended...

...if I tooted our horn for just a moment?


Yesterday we had a regional director call on the state of the US housing market and how Keller Williams Realty is faring as compared to other brokerages.

1) October housing sales in the United States are down 1% over 2007. Keller Williams closed 6% MORE homes in October 2008 than October 2007.

2) Year-to-date, housing sales are down 14% in the US versus at KW we are down only 8%.
3) The National Association of Realtors reported that Realtor membership is down 9% for the year. At KW we are down 3.8%.
4) Most of the major Real Estate firms are closing offices. Estimates are that most of them have closed or "merged" hundreds of offices. Keller Williams is, however, growing. We have opened 4 new offices in the US in 2009.

So what does all this mean? As the following charts illustrate, during this shifting market our goal has been to maintain our volume of sales despite the downturn. By maintaining our volume our market share is growing.

When the natural lag plays out, Keller Williams will be positioned to take advantage of the inevitable rebound. Riding the wave of increasing transactions and commissions by simply holding the new level of market share we have gained - and thus increasing the volume/commissions earned by our agents.

This same concept holds true for your business as an individual agent. Have you maintained your volume of business over the last year? If you answered "yes" congratulations. However, if you answered "no" then I urge you to schedule an appointment with me for a brief 45 minute consultation. I will share with you ideas and strategies that will help you increase the level of business you are doing while at the same time give you more free time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.



Because we believe in sharing our profits with our agents, the culture of Keller Williams is very unique. Agents and leaders are constantly sharing ideas and strategies to overcome obstacles. We believe that "together we achieve more" and the success of our company is testament to that belief.

If you would like to learn how you too can grow your business while having a life worth living, give me a call at 678-298-1665.

Tis The Season

What a wonderful holiday party we had at Shaun & Jean Rawls' lovely home on Saturday night. It was great to mingle with the agents and their significant others. Kudos to Shaun and Jean! From the golf cart valet service to live holiday music and wonderful food this was an event to remember. Here are a few pictures of the happy party goers.