Real Estate the Rome Way,  written by our own Margaret Rome, Baltimore Maryland .

How about The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller

While I agree there is no right or wrong answer, I do believe the book that has had the most impact on me this year, was The One Thing by Gary Keller...not a new concept, by far, however an excellent read!!

There is a book that no one has mentioned yet and it has some great tips regarding working with people, living a prosperous life, and it has some great quotes and suggestions that are motivating and very inspirational.

It has too many authors to list, and is still the #1 most read and viewed book in the world of all time. It's available in many styles, versions, and copies, but is not necessarily an easy read.

It has nothing to do with real estate but then again many of the principles and concepts can be applied to your everyday action items and can positively affect how you deal with the various people who cross your path each day.

It comes in a readable or audible format and is also available in almost every hotel nightstand I've ever stayed at. I'm sure by now you know the book I'm talking about and the only reason I share this is because I love one of the quotes in the books that says, "Do to others as you would have them do to you!"

So read, live, laugh and love like never before,
everybook listed here will open more doors.  :-)

Some really good books that I have read this year include

• 7 levels of Communication by Michael J.Maher
• The One Thing by Gary Keller 
• The Power of Focus by Hewitt and Canfield(Two of three authors)
• E-Myth Revistied by Michael Gerber.
• The Charge by Brendan Burchard.

It is business related, it is called Good To Great, and the first sentence is "good is the enemy of the great"  A

Haven't found a Gary Keller book that I don't like.  Great stuff.  "Shift" resonates with me, as it strips everything down to the basics.

I like "21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me." Also "The Power of Focus" and "Work By Referral."

I live and work by the Raving Fans philosophy and although it's not a Real Estate book it certainly applies in any industry.  I think that sometimes we may forget that we are part of a customer service industry first and sales is secondary. 

The Miracle Morning for Real Estate Agents by Hal Elrod, Michael Maher, Michael Reese and Jay Kinder, The One Thing, by Gary Keller and so many more that I have read.  I did begin my career with the MREA by Gary Keller and his subsequent books, Shift.

Found Millionaire Agent/Keller Williams helpful with Systemizing the business and Sell with Soul by Jennifer Allan. Sell With Soul reminds the Reader that One can Enjoy the Real Estate Business.

"The One Thing" by Gary Keller because it goes beyond Real Estate into how we can apply it to our daily life and priorities.  I am also impressed with how many love it who are not agents.  Finally, how cool that so many recognize "Millionaire Real Estate Agent" (MREA) as being helpful to all agents and not just KW.  Happy Holidays to all.  :)

"Millionaire Real Estate Agent" by Gary Keller--as many above me have stated- and an oldie, but a goodie-"Awaken the Giant Within" by Anthony Robbins.

The best book for me for 2015 is going to be Miracle Morning for Real Estate Agents by Hal Elrod.  I've already been doing the Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod and now there is one out for Real Estate agents.  Read them both.  All the Hal Elrod books are good.  I'm enjoying the Miracle Morning habit.

Great question, and some great answers.  I too recommend Michael Maher's Seven Levels of Communication.  Real Estate Marketing on Facebook by Chris Moore and John Cote is pretty good for those who want to get results on social media.  

Millionaire Real Estate Agent, Gary Keller. 

Probably a book with all the phone numbers of people you know now or knew well in the past

Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill and the Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.  It's not about how much you make, but how much you keep!

More Ah Ha, Less Blah Blah by Ken Brand.  Awesome quick start or quick refresh your business.  Also includes alot of tech points.  #1 Bestseller on Amazon in past few years.

The Little Red Book of Selling

I believe the title was Selling Real Estate with Soul.

I've read them all and the One Thing would be on my must read list however How To Win Friends And Influence People has to be #1.... 

How to Win Friends and Influence People was a HUGE eye opener for me. Personal development helps me keep my sanity LOL. 

I read MREA and all of Gary Keller's books, they were great, but Michael J. Maher 's 7L changed the way I did business.  It was like coming home!

Good question.

The Emyth is an excellent book for all small business owners.It talks about the importance of having a process and following this process.

Cheers!

Great question Chris!  Looks like by book marking this post I will have most of my reading list for the year.  I see "The One Thing" was mentioned.  I would say so as well.  Not just for Real Estate.  Can be applied to anything or portion of ones life even though written by Gary Keller.  Mark

I have read the MREA and it is good for the new agent.  Shift is a good read if your market is changing, a good supllement is Who Moved my Cheese.  We are not employees as agents but we need to pay attention.  I just finsihed reading the Compund Effect by Darren Hardy and the One Thing by Keller.  Both are amazing books.  I have just started Think and Grow Rich today, but I hear it is the foundation for many other books that are out there.   Books are great ways for us to rejuvinate ourselves.  They give us fresh perspectives.  But Unless we take the ideas we gather and apply them, the information just sits in our brains and collects dust.  Focus on what you want, read the books that will help keep the focus of what you want and then continuously apply the ideas, make corrections, adjust and apply again.   

The Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino.

I just wrote a book -  "Exit First - How to Make Extraordinary Profits at Ordinary Auctions."  Is it the best book in Real Estate? If you're an investor, or have investor clients, it should be quite useful to you.  You be the judge.
Get a copy of the first chapter instantly -  Click Here.

Watch the video after filling out the form and sign up for a hard copy, delivered free to your door!

Millionaire Real estate Agent is a must, but for step by step, I love Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies by Dirk Zeller.

I read Gary Keller's Millionare Real Estate Agent even before I went to real estate school, I learned so much about the bussiness and how to stablish it. Another great book, specially for new agents is Darryl Davis's How To Become A Power Agent In Real Estate.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is a timeless classic. There is even an updated version of this book for the technology age. Also, I have just finished reading "peoplework" by Austin Allison and Chris Smith. It was a quick easy read, but very informative for any business. 

Chris, I like your question. It helps to start a good conversation and it helps all of us that enjoy reading with some suggestions. I gave a few books to some realtors along with some biscotti for Christmas. Reading some books about selling and marketing stimulate the mind and get the creative juices flowing.  

Hi Chris Webb 

I liked reading the book "The One Thing" by Gary Keller.

Hi Chris Webb 

I think a good book was "The One Thing" by Gary Keller.

I would say:

7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey

The Millionaire Real Estate Agent - Gary Keller

I have read The Millionaire Real estate agent. I need to buy ' the One Thing.'

Gary Keller's The Millionaire Real Estate Agent and also Gary's The One Thing.  Put them together and you have a great plan!!

Go-Givers sell more, by Bob Burg and John David Mann - excellent book that reminds us to focus on helping others acheive their goals, and in turn we'll get what we desire.

Of course, MREA was the first "most useful" book I found about the business of real estate.

I am going to come back to this question to see the recoomendations by others and read those books. Great question. 

Every Book by Dale Carnegie.  I don't believe there is one particular book that is best.  You have to love being in the business and have a passion for helpling others.  Books will help educate you, but you have to go out and interact with the public.

Education is the first step to success and then action is needed to succeed. Take the action step and google the topics that best fit your personality and make it a great 2015 NO ON IN THE WORLD SELLS MORE REAL ESTATE THAN RE/MAX 

 one might take a look at what Dave Liniger stated in his book MY NEXT STEP  an extraordinary Journey of healing and hope. 

Sometime I want to just say the Florida Real Estate Handbook.  Some agents i don't think have read it once .... Sorry bad way to end the year but maybe that will bring in a good New Year!

Lot of books but let me hone in on a few. Going to Pieces without Falling Apart by Mark Epstein applies Buddhist teachings to psychology like understanding that ego is a false self. Both Focus and Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman are great. Again, business change comes only when you have mental shifts. Blue Ocean Strategy is a book that helps you understand why you need to chart your own course and even a tired genre can come to life again with creativity. Don't swim in red water where all the sharks are. Finally Jobs by Walter Issacson is inspirational. Learn that there are times where you don't go where "experts" tell you to go. As Dylan sang, don't follow leaders beware of parking meters. Bit of whimsy there at the last. 

I read Keller's "Millionaire Real Estate Agent" years ago as well as The One Thing." I like that one for life in general, not just real estate. So many people think they are better and smarter than others, because they multi-task, and they don't do the best job in any of their multi-task efforts.

Gary Keller's - "Millionare Real Estate Agent"" Eye opening and a total business plan.  "The One Thing" rocks too, however the first one I keep reading and in fact had to take to Staples to have it bound in a spiral because it was falling apart.

Debbie

I started to say, as others did, The Million Dollar Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller, then I thought I should mention The One Think, his latest.  This was recommended to me by my son-in-law who is a great salesman, but not in real estate.   It's good for everyone who needs help with prioritizing, goal-setting - which is all of us.   I have 35 years of real estate books, which I will be giving my daughter who is just starting out in real estate, but she'll need to prioritize - too much to learn.   I've been at this a long time - a number are autographed by the industry leaders who taught the courses a long time ago.   And does anyone still listen to tapes or should I discard them?  

I like the phone book suggestion.

Perhaps as important as which book is to make it "one" book. If you jump on each new trend as it passes through you will spend a lot of time just spinning your wheels and while they are just spinning you are not moving forward.

Best of luck in the New Year!

I agree with Annie Jones on both of those books!

I'm currently reading Fierce Conversations

Thanks for the  book ideas!   Keep 'em coming.  I am reading right now Stop Telling Start Selling by Linda Richardson.

 Perhaps the phone book would be a good one.  One in seven is going to move this year. 

If you had to pick only one book and you are judging the book by the amount of practical information it provides you to succeed as a real estate agent, then it would have to be 6 Steps to 7 Figures by Pat Hiban

experience

"Out of Commission" by Joe Kerouac 

Hands Down Best !

Chris, I see you have brought a lot of us together. All great suggestions on books read. I stil love "The Millionaire Real Estate Agent" because it can help anyone in any business. The one thing is also fantastic. Gary Keller, Keller Williams Realty is very successful. That say's it all. Enjoy your day.

Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill.  Probably the best book for life, outside of the Bible of course.

I have read the Keller books but am now going to try Michael J. Maher 's 7L based on #61 @Evelyn Johnston comment.

The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller is still the bible to creating the best real estate business ever. 

Thank you for posing the question, Kris. I had a lot going on in my life at the time your post came, but it stuck in my mind, and I promised myself I would find the books mentioned. Days went by and I couldn't find your post. This morning, I went to clean out my in-box, and wala! 

I've made a list and will start the process of reading the recommended books right away. My thanks goes to everyone that made their suggestions.

Chris - no argument here!!  :-)

Wonderful question! The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller and The Half-Lived Life by John Lee.

For real estate -- even after being in the business for more than 10 years -- I still refer to "Your First Year in Real Estate: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional" by Dirk Zeller. 

Great Question!  I will come back to find out more.  

A few books I've read and liked are:

The Real Estate Entrepreneur

Remarkable Women in Real Estate

The Power of Now

The Compound Effect and Raving Fans.

The Main Event by Joe Stumpf.

Forgot about "Endless Referrals" when i posted my first answser.

Thanks for posing the question! There are some awesome suggestions here to follow up on & read!

The Book Of Five Rings

Excellent concepts for business and life.

 Great post as I compile a list of more books to read.  I wasn't reading much at all until I was introduced to Hal Elrod's "Miracle Morning" a few months ago.  I read that book and he now has one for real estate agents specifically that was already mentioned.  Already mentioned also was "The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber which is an excellent book.  Not mentioned yet was a book I recently read and enjoyed by Brendon Burchard called "The Motivation Manifesto".  Finally, "When the Game is Over, It all Goes Back In the Box" by John Ortberg and "A Life Well Spent" by Russ Crosson are other non-real estate books that put it all in the proper perspective.

Chris, Great topic. Shift by Gary Keller was another good book.

Great question; some answers spoke of Michael Maher/7L which I didn't know about.

I would have otherwise suggested those already suggested above. Maybe also the first Robet Kiyosaki book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

Lots of good suggestions in the comments, one of my favs is "How To Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive" by Harvey Mackay

I like the reading material of Floyd Wickman.  He seems to help me focus..

There are some good recommendations in these answers.

I like this question. I am always looking for books (especially audiobooks) that take me to the next level. Even if you get one thing from them they are fantastic. I love everything Gary Keller has written and recommend. I have some new ones mentioned here I haven't read so I am going to check them out. 

Real Estate Success: Creating the ultimate sales agent. The book includes interviews from active real estate agents. Newly licensed real estate agents would benefit from the knowledge of the agents interviewed in the book. The book has an outline of a business plan and marketing plan. It also discusses how to avoid pitfals and rookie mistakes. Personal empowerment, family balance, and work ethics are also covered in the book.

Wow, some really good suggestions. I want to re-think how I do business even after 11 years. It is time for a little change, so Thank you Chris Webb for this quick blog that included so many good options. 

Happy New Year!

All great suggestions.  Not sure I could narrow it down to one book though!

Hi Chris Webb 

I have read MREA a few times.  I am currently reading 'The Richest Man Who Ever Lived' by Steven Scott.  So far one of the best books I have ever read.

Best of GREAT success to you always!

Interesting question The One by G.Keller seems to be the very popular.I've read T.M.R.E.   My personal preferance is old school sales teachings ie. Napoleon Hill, Zig Ziglar,Tom Hopkins, but the one book I fall back on time after time is The Greatest Salesperson in the World By ug Madano for me it's the best. Also anything by Geofrey Gitomer The Little Red Book On Selling is a must read. it is inspiring and will teach you a lot about what it means to be a salesperson Downloading the Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale is also worth a listen.

Hands down - Gary Keller's MREA - the red book also known as 'Millionaire Real Estate Agent' which changed the mindset of all real estate agents.

Gary Keller's books are great! Another good read with helpful tips is 
Takin' Care of Business -- Brian Buffini & Joe Niego.

When I joined my Brokerage I was given an autographed book called 7L by Michael J Maher.  I have already read it a couple of times. Very helpful.

Chuck #61...I read the Florida Real Estate Handbook 3x and I do "get" what you are saying.

Eve

In the metro DC area I would suggest "Inside the Sell". By Wydler Bros. Unique and accurate market and agent perspective. Answers question in correct and concise manner.

All great books.  Coming from the Left (West) coast, I will get touchy feely. Older book but "The Secret" impacted me as you realize so much of being successful is based on your own attidudes and that the law of attraction really is quite powerful.  Also "What You Think of Me is None of My Business"  Terry Cole-Whittaker.  I fought the concept of the book as I've always been a people pleaser and the concept didn't seem to fit with real estate sales.  However, another powerful book about self awareness and how being a more authentic person will improve life, business and relationships.

Chris Webb I had not thought about that aspect of ebooks.  Good point!

Chris Webb You are so right.  Writing books and teaching require us to dig deeper into topics.  E-books must be extra challenging as you have to anticipate questions that readers may have and address all the topics in detail.

Real Estate Investing Simplified

Chris:

All great information about books I need to read, and soon.  Thanks for the questions.

Most of the good books are out of date. The technology is changing more rapidly than the books are being written. You now obtain better information online by specific topics.

MREA, One Thing, MREI, so many others that are great also.

I'm also a fan of Raving Fans. 

Gary Keller's Millionaire Real Estate Agent is a foundational book. It is mandatory, whether you are a Keller Williams agent or not.

parked and reading

The One Thing creates focus but I have read many that delivered a good message or two.

What a great list. I will definitely get to reading.  Great question!

David Saks - You just made my day! 

Thanks for reading my book.  To have it mentioned with so many other great suggestions meant a ton to me.

MREA, "The Millionaire Real Estate Agent", follow the models and you will become one.