Tomorrow, Tomorrow

Remember the words from the hit song in Annie? All about hope and optimism and how things that seem so dire now will get better. That's a good focus today for all in the real estate industry.

As some of you who have taken my Ethics class know, I lived through the Houston oil depression of the early and mid 80's, when whole subdivisions were abandoned by workers who had lost their jobs and others who couldn't pay their mortgages.

That was the time when my wife, Martha, started in real estate, and when she was surrounded by fellow Realtors who sat at their desks "waiting for something to happen." Martha realized that if anything was going to happen she would have to make it happen. Thus, she knocked on doors, sent notes and made phone calls galore to friends, friends of friends, as well as to strangers, and did all manner of personal, low-tech marketing - all with one point: she asked people for their business!

Guess what? It worked. Amazingly, Martha demonstrated that the best way to get business is to ask people for their business! Even if they have no business today, they may have some...tomorrow. Moreover, in the asking there must be sincerity and enthusiasm. Then there must be client-attentive follow through.

Martha was tenacious and committed to the basics in building her business. The same simple steps over and over - even when she didn't "feel like doing it" or when nothing had happened for awhile, because she knew that if she kept working at it something would happen...tomorrow.

Oh? What about the guys who were just waiting for something to happen? Probably still waiting, but not in real estate.