Never buy leads!!!

Joe Petrowsky I learned that being an Independent Contractor seeking independence was not true.

Good morning Joe Petrowsky. Real estate is not as easy as it looks.

My big lesson was learning to listen and not talk.  I also learned how to multi task.

I worked buyers and listed during my first year in the business....I quickly learned to focus on listings and not work with buyers unless they were my sellers who wanted to buy another home locally.....BIG LESSON TO LEARN....you can make more money listing than working with buyers....they suck the life out of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My biggest lesson was that I had much to learn.

The hard truth about buyers and sellers , they will lie to you more than you think.

Joe -- WOW!   So many lessons.  Of course, as you shared -- don't spend that commission until the transaction is closed.

Working with people -- buyers and sellers and lenders and escrow officers and title reps and most of all other agents.   

The biggest - preparation for my licensing exam did nothing to prepare me for real estate.   

Learn quickly if they truly are buyers or if you are wasting your time and gas! 

How much harder it was to be in this business than what it looked like on the surfact. Also learned how much I really didn't know and needed to learn.

I learned that we cannot really have a flexible schedule . We have to be available when clients need to look at homes.

None, since I'm not in that business.

Prospect!

I took out to lunch weekely, a mortgage banker that was also an FHA underwriter at the time. Learning financing for me was the biggest lesson I learned, and that was 1989 and it has served me well since.

I learned to screen better! Learned to not believe everything they tell you!

that MY personal tastes have NOTHING to do with the houses my buyers will want to purchase.  

Joe - The biggest lesson I learned is that real estate is all about prospecting and getting leads. It doesn't really matter how knowledgeable you are about real estate and the industry, or how great you are with negotiations, communications, service, or getting things done. It matters how many clients you can get, and the more business the more experience you will have to improve in every way.

In a way, I am saying that it doesn't matter how good you are if you don't have any business. You need clients first and foremost,  in order to have any chance at success.

you can't sit and wait for the phone to ring for business and you can't count on the Big name companies to help you grow your business.

I learned it's not over til it's over, that is; everyone has signed, it has closed and funded!!

Joe Petrowsky we learn the lessons everyday!

Today I learned one lesson - when there is a 'Use and Occupancy' agreement is signed between the buyer and seller, put some money in escrow!

In good faith, my buyers signed the 'Use and Occupancy'! When sellers left, they left all their trash in shed, garage and basement! And now, buyers can't do anything.

Listing agent swiftly move away from the scenario!

I am going to call 1-800-GOT-JUNK and planning to pick up the tab!

I joined the industry in 2006 right before the proverbial $#@& hit the fan.  I quickly learned that this business is fluid, and 'gimmicks' don't work in building a sustainable business - it's old fashioned hard work, creativity, and people skills.  I've seen so many marketing gimmicks come & go over the years that are the result of nothing more than new technology or a loan program that disappears.  The people that make their living off of those gimmicks often disappear with them.

The importance of getting on that phone every night so that I would have plenty of productive meetings and work the next day.

In addition to several things already mentioned I learned not to assume more experienced agents would do things correctly. I was very surprised to keep finding errors in contracts written by top producers that required amendments or caused problems in escrow. I learned to go over every contract very carefully and whenever possible to handle the ommisions/mistakes before they are signed.

Experience and ranking is everything...

I started out with century 22 and they gave me the foundations to this business but I learned I don't like wearing Gold Jackets?