Q: I am a Buyer’s Agent for a successful listing and selling agent. Our Sphere of Influence is the same, so it is hard to differentiate what I contribute sales wise. I typically take clients to see homes, perhaps find them the right home and hold all the Open Houses which seem to seldom get me new clients of mine/ours (The agent lists higher end homes). When I was first starting out, 3 years ago, I did other people’s lower priced listings and did OK but could be better at the whole Open House process as well. I want to contribute to the business. My goal is to get new clients. What can I do, what books can I read, or class could I take that would help me?

Q: I have been an agent for about two years and I know I have the potential to create more business. I think part of my challenge is not having a daily schedule or routine. I am not consistent in any of my daily activities. As a result, my income is not what it should be. What do you suggest? What do other agents do?

Q: I am a fairly new Realtor and am having great difficulty in obtaining leads. My broker has promised numerous times that leads should come in any time now, but month after month passes and I see no results. I know so many people do great in Real Estate, why am I having such a difficult time in moving forward? I have tried many avenues to pursue clients and get business, but to no avail. Do you have any advice on how to jump-start my career?

Q: I have a difficult time staying focused on my work. I am fine when working face to face with a client, but when I get back to my office, I am all over the place - jumping from one task to the next. I get work done, but it gets done slowly and inefficiently. Any suggestions?

Q: I am constantly stressed trying to manage my checking account, finances and taxes. I don’t update or reconcile my checkbook on a regular basis. I really dislike doing all this money management stuff. I am never quite sure how much I money I have, how much money I have made, or how much money I have spent or owe. As long as I have a positive balance in the bank, then I figure I am doing alright. What do you suggest to deal with my stress about my finances?

Q: My broker keeps telling me I need to do a business plan for 2006. I hate business planning and generally find it a waste of time. I just want to go out and sell more houses this year than I did last year. What do you suggest since my Broker is expecting a business plan?

Q: I have heard that when an agent changes offices he/she can expect to lose up to three months of wages. Do you have thoughts or research that suggests what the cost is to change offices?

Q: Should my assistant(s) be licensed, not licensed?  How do you determine their salary and/or commissions?  If they should be licensed, do I pay for their licensing and how do I keep them loyal to the team after they become experienced agents themselves?

Q: I have been a realtor for quite some time and I'm ready to take it to the next level but find myself completely unorganized.  Last year I did about 15 transactions. My Goal for this year is about 25, with the intent to grow every year from there.  At this stage should I try to get organized on my own or should I be looking for an assistant?  I want to build a strong team for the long term so I can get myself more involved with meeting people and developing personal relationships that produce results.   Because I'm a bit of a control freak, I'm thinking it would be best to find an anchor office person to take charge so I can stay completely out of his/her day to day.  But I am unsure on how to go about this.  Should my assistant(s) be licensed, not licensed?  How do you determine their salary and/or commissions?  If they should be licensed, do I pay for their licensing and how do I keep them loyal to the team after they become experienced agents themselves? 

Q: I have been working since March, 2004 in the Puget Sound area. Although I have had a slow but steady sales rate up to now, I really want what most other agents want, new business. I have exhausted my friends and family list and am looking for new contacts. I have already sent out several rounds of postcards, and of course the "just solds" to the neighborhoods, with no response. I really have never had to market myself before and am frankly stumped. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Q: I have been selling real estate for almost two years now, and I don’t do a good job of organizing my contact information. I have names on scraps of paper, yellow sticky notes, and assorted word documents. I know that I need to be using a database to keep track of client information. But, I don’t know which one to get or how to select one. What do you suggest?

Q: I have been in real estate for almost three years and have a Sphere of Influence of nearly 200 names in my database. For some reason, I am not getting many referrals from my Sphere. I send them a monthly mailing, but that doesn’t seem to be enough. I don’t like the idea of calling people since it makes me feel like a used car salesman. What do you suggest?

Q: I am taking a trip to Italy next month with my wife. During past trips, I have contacted my office several times a day to check on business and ongoing transactions. I also like to check my e-mails daily, which means that I am always on the look out for a cyber-café. My wife gets very annoyed that I do these work-related activities while on vacation, but I want to make sure my transactions don’t fall apart. How can I keep my wife happy while not losing my commissions?

Q: How can I better organize and keep track of my marketing activities so that I implement them more consistently?

Q: I feel like I don’t have any time for myself – I always seem to be doing work. What do you suggest?