Seems the RE school ads in New York hyped a bit too much, along with the CraigsList ads. Instead of making $200,000 a year as my company miraged, I believe they added an extra " 0 " on that figure just to make it look good.

In business since the beginning of May I closed six rental deals. Way too little to live on. My savings are nearly exhausted, I'm very worried about the situation and the bills are stacking up. I have perfect credit but along with that I have a debt of close to $15,000.00.

I don't know what I'm gonna do now. I went to work for another company yesterday but barely lasted a day and even worse I got cold hard stares from at least three of the cubicle creeps in that office. I didn't do anything. I was just there trying to make a living, close a few deals...

I can always go back to the 200G company that is actually a 20G company at best. That is if I want to answer the phone for other people all day and get up to respond to the buzzer everytime someone shows up downstairs who wants to come on in.

This website is great because it's packed with RE success stories, but is it really? Now everyone's saying there's some sort of Market Decline going on and there are no buyers left out there to snatch up all these overpriced houses. I was doing rentals anyway.

I guess those tough guys maybe were a little antsy about someone coming in there and taking their business away. Perhaps it has something to do with this newfangled climate that isn't a good one.

The fellow in the cubicle next to me was ok. He kept humming some ugly song though. But at least he didn't give me those cold, hard stares like the other guys did. He looked experienced to me, a young feller, but then he told me he'd been there only a week and a half.

I asked him if he had any prospects and he said he had. Prospects prospects prospects don't put food on the table or pay the rent either.

Another thing with the "200G company" is that I was going on endless appointments. One appointment two appointments three. I think the problem is this company has no credibility. They're all looksees and that's nearly the entire clientele.

You know what I think is gonna start happening a lot more than it's already happening is you're gonna see a lot more of the Bait 'n Switch game. Bait 'em on CraigsList with no-fee apartments that don't exist, then as soon as they call switch 'em to a convenient fee-only apartment that just "happens to be in the same building."

I'm in New York. If anyone thinks they need a full-time agent and not a cubicle inhabitor we may be able to work something out. Thanks for reading

Mary

Mary, our attitudes dictate every outcome. Did you make an effort to introduce yourself and be nice to your office coworkers? Most of the time, people love to talk about themselves so just ask them questions about them and they will probably warm up to you. It also sounds like you need a mentor. Someone who is successful who can help you groom your business. I have been in the business for 14 years and still have a mentor (coach) that I go to for advise and information. Making a decision after one day in the office does not seem fair to this new company. Have you talked with your broker? Good luck.

I didn't make the decision. The creep of a boss came out of the back and said to me "Mary I really think you need to find yourself a salaried position" and that was the end of it.

There were a lot of people sitting around doing nothing and I noticed this the first time I stepped foot in there. That's a bad sign right there. Then I told this DRUNK (and yes I think he was a DRUNK too) that I don't like working with unlicensed sales associates and he said he didn't have any. But shortly afterwards I overheard one of the women there saying she's pensive about "taking the test" because there are so many questions on it.

I don't know what to do now. I guess it's back to Craigslist to find some more phonies in a market that perhaps stinks on ice.

Two thoughts:

1) Craigslist is probably a bad place to look for a broker to associate with. The good ones wouldn't be hustling on Craigslist looking for associates.

2) You need to learn how to find clients on your own instead of waiting for them to walk in or call you.

You do seem to look at yourself as an employee... you talk about your "boss". Your mind set appears to be of an hourly employee who waits to be given something to do, given a job.

Working with rentals is usually a really bad expenditure of time and effort. You should have spent your time doing listing and developing buyers.

In real estate you are not an employee, you are a business associated with a brokerage. Unless you have that understanding and fully accepted in your own mind... you are in the wrong business. I would assume since you "think" like an employee that you probably have never developed a business plan for your business. With out one... you have no direction for your business and you really should follow the "drunks" advise and move on to a salaried job in another field. He appears far more enlightened than you even in his altered state.

Real Estate is the wrong field for more than 97% of those that attempt it. That has been the average statistic for many years and with the softening markets will probably increase. Real Estate is not an easy field, it is not a get rich quick opportunity for those that do not have goals and the ability and motivation to reach them. It can be very rewarding for a few, 20% of those with over 5 years. 80% make nominal to mid range incomes again based on their motivation and ability and capability to set goals and strive for them.

Some good advice, noone in Real Estate is going to give you a 'job' making $200,000.

Based on all of your posts, it doesn't seem like you had a business plan to generate your own business. It's is not a Broker's duty to supply you with tons of leads or money making deals.

Good News. I'm just off the phone with a broker who says he has tons of work + exclusives and I'm going in tomorrow morning. The kind of work where he closed 4 rental deals this week, so he says. Maybe there's some hope after all

Just a quick word about those people yesterday. They must be pretty vicious people just to start giving ugly stares to someone they never saw before in their lives. Plus the boss smelled of alcohol on his breath, a pretty good sign he's a drunken BUM to begin with. I mean I was very friendly to this guy, considering him family and I just got a beatdown. Oh well, I guess that's how things go sometimes. I'm talking about "out-of-the-way" vicious stares the likes of which I think I've never seen before.

These creeps were all from one particular locale which I'm not going to name. Anyway I don't believe in treating people like that. They obviously had some sort of a problem there and I'm glad the relationship was totally severed in the beginning. Seemed like another waste of time office and I can't get involved with something like that at the present time.

Thank you everyone for your concern and suggestions.

Maybe next week he'll settle for just 2 and give you the other 2!

Well I'm stuck now. Gotta roll with it. Btw I just said that fecitiously that I'm an "employee." I *am* in a way but I know what I'm doing there, Contract Law and all that. Thank you for your help and suggestions and good perspective Realty Check.

Best of luck to you, see you in a week or two!

Maybe the second. I *have* interviewed with other companies along the way. Im curious, why do you ask?

Hahahaa well I guess SO!

Thank you for your well wishes and hopefully you'll see me here before THAT! Like within the next minute

One minute has passed and here I am!

Mary,
You knew this day would come for you! Since your started posting here it wasn`t easy for you to adjust you`re attitude.

I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about sir.

I think what he is saying is that you still seem to think that just by showing up, you will be handed golden leads and paid thousands of dollars with no work on your part.

If you aren't procuring your own leads, you won't make a livable wage.

I think that has been said to you in thread after thread you have started, but you still don't seem to believe it or want to do anything about it.

umm, are you in new york city area or outside of it? it does make a difference. and yeah, the attitude and compatibility makes all the difference.

i got into real estate because i love houses, each house or piece of real property for the matter, has its own history, legacy, situation, value, future, potential, beauty, aura, vibe, etc.

you have to like dealing with such aspects of houses -- and such aspects of people. i HATE cold calling or door to door visits but know that i loose lots of biz to the more eager agents that do those. oh well.

one of the best things i find about ny agency is that the rentals and sales arent so far away. i mean the area is saturated, and dense, some of you listings may be a few blocks away. i value that now that i am relocating to fl and see that i may have to face driving for hours on end for each of dozens or more of listings that may all be show-see wastes of time before i ever get a rental or sale at all.

and there's nothing like being self employed and having your own hours and being you own professional. its up to you.

I'm now with a firm I found on the NY Times instead of the crappy Craigslist notices. And being given cold, hard intentional vicious stares by people as soon as setting foot into an office has nothing to do with attitude. Not mine anyway.

I'm in NYC and I don't drive. No need to. Everything is public transportation here.

great then i take it you havent FAILED and then you aren't UNEMPLOYED anymore: congrats!!! when i was a stockbroker i got alot more of those stares than when i got into re.

i am still in nyc and as long as nyc consists of 5 boroughs, one does need a car to sell bonafide houses (unless of course they are limiting themself for some reason to manhattan-only rentals, condos, pents, that sort of mega-urban fare. )

good luck.

Mary,
You have to change the attitude. You`re a damn rookie. Can you be humble, make friends adjust to the office that you`re in rather than expecting people to adjust to you and your behavior which is questionable.

You`ve been with 4-5 Real Estate offices since you began.. It`s not a good sign and you can`t deny that you have issues...

Those were all Craigslist-ad offices. I just found out that the New York Times lists better opportunities for "a rookie" like me.

With all due respect I'd appreciate if you would stop rubbing in what happened at that office with the drunk and his henchmen with the cold hard stares. It's out of my mind. I don't want to keep being reminded of it, thanks!

Well it happens, I suppose. Thanks for your well wishes!

Geez, Mary, some people here are mean, aren't they?

Well, anyways, I guess the bad people exist so we appreciate the good ones more. Seems like your office was a freak show and I'm glad you didn't fit in - what would that have said about you? Not much, huh?

This is my motto and it's been so true for me: "Everything works out in the end. If it hasn't worked out, it's not the end."

You know you'll get to a better place. It's just the middle part (where you're at now) until you get there that sucks.

Have faith. You were put on this earth for a reason and the place where you belong needs you as much as you need it.

Peace.

Very well said, Artiste. Thank you for your encouragement. I haven't failed yet. It's time to move on to bigger and better things!

I have a new environment now. Seems to me the quality of hiring brokerages is much better at the New York Times than it is at Craigslist ads. I've seen a couple of my new exclusive apartments and they're MUCH better than anything I saw at that other phoney brokerage. That was the one with the exclusive bait and switch apartments that didn't even exist in the first place. It was all an illicit ruse that brought nothing to the table anyway except non-renting "clients" for me.

I don't see how a brokerage can get away with nothing but bait and switch offers and keep doing it and that's all they were doing. I want to stay as ethical as possible. Towards the end I told them I'm getting a nervous breakdown from all this lying over the phone I was being forced to do.

And to the other poster who suggests I have "issues" because I quit this company - if you want to stay my friend I'd request you don't keep reminding me of the bad situations I was thrust inbetween the phoney apartment listings and the coldstares, ok? Thanks bub!

Spiffo boffo. I just FOUND THIS OUT after a wasted summer.

Look, I made some good friends there. However one of the things I DIDN'T like was one of the seniors there telling me on a regular basis: "Bellevue is just around the corner and I'm thinking of calling them to have you put inside there" and several variations of the theme. Meanwhile the only one admitting to having a "mint" every now and then is him.

Then I call his "cousin" out of a suggestion for another business venture and right after I speak to this putz on the phone he says to me, "are you sure you don't need to be put away into the crazyhouse?" I guess it runs in his family.

Look I like the guy (the senior broker) as a person and a friend. I still do. But telling a co-worker repeatedly they need mental help and I'm calling Bellevue and it's on the 12th floor and variations of this theme is VERY hurtful. Need I say this is one of the brokers found on Craigslist as you point out Jflynn. He's also the one with the enormous Bait and Switch ongoing scam there.

Mary,
I`m amazed that you show ZERO BLAME on what transpired! After all it does take two to tango, and you`re lack of effort based on previous Posts indicates that you didn`t like what others told you!
Again, we`re not judging you, nor are we making this up!

Jflynn, CraigList is a free and easy way to generate buyers off listings. It can also use a good internet marketing media to recruit sales associates.

I was inviting to Keller Williams training class last week and the trainer was teaching agents how to use Craiglist to generate buyers off listings.

As the market has slowed, good brokers are trying to think out of the box. As of the matter of fact, I posted an ad on Craiglist today.

Please realestatefla1. This is getting too off the wall AND convoluted AND tangential for ME!

Every obstacle is a new chance for growing.
If you're perseverant you will get what you want.
Go ahead!

monika
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NE Realtors,

I really hate to break this to you but smart agents do not look to Craiglist as a source to find a broker. Good Brokers do not have to think outside the box when recruiting new agents. Brokers with Little to offer are the ones that have to go to extremes to recruit agents.

Maryknoll,

Based on many of your previous posts many can see why your previous broker may have been concerned over your mental health.

Scott,
You are right on about Maryknoll! She refuses to take any blame or responsibility for her situation. She like the attention and the drama of blaming her situation on others which is why she will not last in this business. She expects to just sit at her desk and wait for clients to come to her or be given her clients.

Paul,
The Saga of Mary Knoll is very sad indeed. I`m always amazed at his posts... Again, I truly believe this person was never in the business.. His wife was.

anything's possible once you consider possibility of dishonesty or alterior motives from posters. what passed through my mind is that it's human nature for alot of people adding to drama on forum contents use psychology, reverse psychology, reverse-reverse psychology, and so on to direct -- or misdirect - people for whatever reason. anyway this gets metaphysical and bigger picture, oh, but what i was saying about what passed through my mind, is, because i have colleagues that use CL extensively to generate buyers as well as occasionally recruits to their office, who incidently never identify themselves at all in their posts (sometimes not even a ph #, just an anon email) -- now that's shady and to top it off, i notice some don't even admit they use CL to increase advertising. i don't see why. there's nothing wrong about CL, its actually funny to see people knock CL and still hypocriticaly use it one way or another. LOL if mary had a lousy experience hanging her license with a broker she found of CL it doesn't automatically mean that method of finding a colleage (ie, co/broker/agent), client etc is lame for everyone. in fact, i am not a broker yet, but am amazed at the # of brokers i've met in just the past 3 mos of networking out-of-state that mentioned and praised CL. who knows how long it will be free. or any internet posting point for the matter.

i should ad, the problem with CL for everyone is that realtors are being accused of hogging posts (repeating over and over, posting non-existents, bait-switches, etc) - that problem comes directly from the fact that CL currently tolerates, and for free i might ad, anonymous posts, which incidently are against most all State and Realtor association statutes governing advertising - many unscrupulous agents are not including their title and agency, i've come across alot of "For Sale By Owner" that are actually realtors who list that way for the lure -- they don't have the decency to put Agent/Owner or Owner/Broker especially in the NYC section agents are listing as For Sale By Owner to bring in more customers as these days the market is flooded with Agents and their brokers are requiring a certain # of people come into their office per day rather than meet at the property directly and so on. if CL bans realtors or starts charging it is no doubt because of these publicly abusive and misleading practices. to say CL is an Extreme venue these days for any sort of networking whether recruits, clients customers is to unregister that millions of people on CL at any point in time looking for all sorts of things these days.

Chill out on your Craigslist rant.

All I said was that looking for a broker there is not the way to go. It's clearly useful for many things, but not for a newbie agent to find a good broker.

Have to say one thing about Maryknoll, at least her posts create some interesting reading.

First, it's pretty obvious that looking to Craigs list to find a brokerage to work with is a very bad idea.

I use Craigs list (with photos) in part because it is FREE, becuase people actually look for properties there and my clients often insist on it. I do get responses from Craigs. You have to sift through a lot of junk - most aren't for real. I never sold a property that way, but I did pick up a customer who bought from me later...Not bad, since I didn't pay a dime to be on it.

In NYC people repeat listings over and over because the listing gets burried within 48 hours by a ton of new listings. This practice further perpetuates the problem. They are trying to ban that practice. But I guess its difficult to police because it is not very effective. EVentually, they may have to charge a fee. I always put the realtor.com link to the listing in my Craigs listings...got several calls that way. Its like any other form of lead generation. Most are looky lous and filtering them can be a pain.

Yes Paul but the one who was concerned about my mental health was the same one taking the "mints" every day. I don't take them. Besides, he was just saying it in jest. Don't add much creedence into what he was saying.

Either way, that's very innapropriate to tell someone you hardly know, especially just a co-worker that I'm mentally ill. That's called "abuse" and under circumstances it "can" be actioned in a court of Law.

Actually, wouldn't it be called slander?

Thank you Sarah. That seems to be the general consensus until the Admin comes and whacks the thread which happens quite a lot with me. That's because I can smell the wood burning from here :rolleyes:

Yessir it would.

I can't believe how much mustard people have put on the "mentally ill" comment I made. Look I'm best friends with the guy. I understand where he's coming from. Even though I'm not with that particular brokerage anymore I can go back to work for them anytime I want and they'd welcome me with open arms.

It's just that some people have a propensity to act that way. I usually don't do it to people, but some people do. He's the same guy who every says has an "attitude" so if that's the way he gets his jollies so be it.

You know he comes up, puts a knee into me, starts whacking me on my shoulder, this sort of thing. It's all in good jest, that's all it was. He's a good guy, and I hope he's reading this right now. He also loaned me $500 bucks when I hadn't closed a rental deal for 12 weeks so he can't be all that bad.

You know what else I think happened was his boss, the Head Broker (his cousin actually) told him to LAY OFF that mental illness mantra of his, and I think towards the end he actually did.

Yeah, it's a common thing on the internet. When I first got to the internet I was quite surprised to find out the internet can bring out the WORST in ppl. They say "take your MEDS" and "where are your MEDS" and "did you take you MEDS" and yadda yadda yadda

Forget it man. Have a slightly different POV than someone else in the world and immediately comes the "MEDS" thing ...

If you have a solid business plan, consistency in farming, treat your clients with the respect and integrity you'd expect, & never quit prospecting you can't fail. The days in Southern Cali. of deals falling in your lap are over. The boom in the last few years is done and things have flattened out. Inventory of houses is huge and the market has shifted back to a buyers. Those with a solid business plan, a good attitude, and consistency are still doing good as ever. Just my 2 cents. It's hard to sell a house without a good plan right now when i know for fact here in Corona, CA theres atleast 1100 houses on the market.

Mary,
when do you stop the BS? Seriously, many here have taken time to attempt to help you and yet, you continue to be the "Victim"..
Be honest with everyone, you`ve been in this business for almost a year, you`ve accomplished what in this business?!
What exactly, have you personally done to make it work?!!?
Negativity won`t help you...

Hey realestatefla1. Did you read what Jonathan Wright just wrote? There are 1100 houses on the market in his city alone. This market may be starting to stink on ice.

It's not my idea of "success" to sit at the OLR all day and send accorded email pitches to Craigslist. I'm in New York and I may be giving this thing ONE LAST SHOT with another agency. If THAT doesn't work, I may try giving Weichart Realty a call to see what's going on there.

Repeat: Sitting at OLR all day and writing emails on CL off that isn't my idea of success, and as far as I can tell it won't automatically LEAD to success. No way, no shape, no how. It's more my idea of Failure. Time is of the essence now ...

Yep, the market stinks on ice. You better quit and leave this business to us professionals.

That may be my best option at this point. Maybe everyone's putting sugaree-sweet coating on the smelly ice here at Idea Center i don't know.

1100 houses for sale in Corona, CA? Doesn't sound like much fun.

I've never seen anything like this, neilg. Forget it, if you're out-of-sync with what the NEXT lunatic says right away it's "did you take your meds?" and "do you know you need meds?" and "do you know you're crazy" and "would you like a mint?"

I guess it takes people like you and me to try to maintain some sort of sanity in what can easily transverse itno a schoolyard-like atmosphere. Maybe it's the pressure of the Market that has this cause and effect on them. I don't need any "mints" yet, thank you. But maybe I will soon if this keeps up much longer.

Mary,
Again, you`re the so called Realtor blaming everyone but yourself for the demise of a career that never took off..
Who`s fault is that, based on the data you`ve given us? What would you like us to conclude, that you "gave 100% of yourself?". Hardly what transpired in you`re career..
Good Luck in the future...

...interesting
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EVERYTHING neilg writes is interesting!

Just remember everyone........The 80/20 rule......sounds someone posts in the 80%.

Having said that , I started the same time as Mary and i've been loving every minute of it.

try doing something else in real estate. To start out i'd suggest you go get your real estate license, appraisal license, notary license, etc. and have it all in real estate. That's what i'm doing and i'm also done. That way not only do you have all the education you can also be called for all of those jobs. once you make some money with that invest it.