Unfortunately a decent car in this business is a must. I use different cars for different price levels. If I am showing an expensive home, I drive my LS430. An average to lower priced home, I usually take my Explorer. Pulling up to a $70,000 dollar house in a $70,000 Car usaully is not a good idea. Your clients may feel that they are wasting your time and that could be further from the truth.

I suggest you re:read my post. My post was not about myself it was referring to a friend.
As for FSBO.....I was trying to help. I suggested he set some serious goals to boosthis income beyond $100k,since this is pretty easy to do. No low blows intended!
If FSBO misunderstood my post, then I appologise to him.

Telling someone they are doing good if they were a part timer (when they are a full timer) is supposed to boost there spirit and motivate them?

That would be like me telling you to set goals in giving constructive criticism. Your current level of skill is good for a 14 year old.

I see you were talking about a friend's income not yours, but I don't think it impacts my post. I apologize for the inaccuracy.

I think also it is incorrect to assume all of us place income/produciton as our main goal in life. If I had to assume, I would bet most of us strive for a balance of income and family/friends and leisure--certainly not everyone, but I'd bet the majority fall into that category. Meaning we settle for less income to gain the joy of spending time with family, friends while doing things they enjoy.

The car discussion just plays into that. We all make do with what we have. Some of us are like lucky and work to be the Mercedes of agents in the office. I do quite well with my truck, but I know I have a different business model. It takes all sorts.

Lucky--my remark was meant as a compliment. My hats off to anyone who earns 400k a year in real estate! With an avg. transaction price around 135k, 400k in my market would be tough to say the least. In fact, the big wigs in my market MAYBE pull in 200-250 during a good year.

Doin-- Thanks for watching my back!

I did put a 35k duplex under contract today. And like any big wig agent, I had both sides!!!

I never assumed you or anyone makes money/production your main goal in life. Again, I suggest you spend some time reading and reflecting before posting. They only reason I talk about selling Real Estate, setting goals to make more money in less time etc, is because THIS IS A REAL ESTATE IDEA FORUM!

Earning $100,000 a year in real estate definitely does not take that much time. Let me illustrate what I mean with my 14 year old level of communication.

Full time in Real Estate sales as with any other profession would equate to approximately 40 hours a week. In most other professions...less than that would be what I referred to as part time. The typical full time profession entails approximately 2000 hours a year and realistically...if you want to keep your job even MORE. Assuming a conservative commission of $5000 (yes I know it could be less or more) that equates to 20 deals in a year. This means FSBO can invest 100 hours to secure 1 deal/transaction. This is very easy to do with some goal setting, training and planning. Definitely does not eat into your time spent with family, friends, hobbies etc. Not even close!

This is what I meant when I replied to FSBO that he needs some serious goal setting and could earn $100,000 part time if he set some goals to do so. I apologize if it seemed my post to FSBO was cruddy. I said what I meant and I meant what I said.

Lucky to the rescue again with another wisecrack.

In who's market? Doesn't the average sales price of homes in a given area determine how much money a skilled full time agent would make?

What if someone sells 37 80,000 homes in Florida vs someone who sells 3 one-million dollar homes in Washington D.C. ...both agents probably grossed the same amount, assuming all the sales had the same commission (another factor to take into consideration)...but guess which one worked harder and probably knows more about real estate than the guy who sold only 3 homes?

Good advice lucky. I will give it some thought. I appreciate the constructive criticism.

I must add I intend no offense to 14 year old kiddos. Mine younglings are not that old, but seem to behave as though they are.

A car can say a lot about its driver in my mind. That is why I always try to keep my car looking clean and in good shape. Especially in the world of real estate where so many things are judged upon their initial appearance. It is important to keep up a professional image for yourself and your clients.

This is true Perky. That's is whyi used the anology of a $5,000 average commission. I have agent friends from Fort Myers and Tampa Florida where many properties are under $100,000 as you stated. They choose to steer their prospecting to the higher end, into the $200's-$300's. As I illustrated above, $100,000 gross sales is not that difficult if one does a business plan breakdown, has some discipline, sets some goals. I had a new agent as an accountabilty partner a few years agowho was willing to learn an work and I guided him to a $240,000 income his second year. Of course, he used active marketing and went after it daily like I do.

How does one "steer" a client preapproved for 100k to 200-300k homes?

You cannot steer that specific buyer but you can prospect the higher end in the areas, price range that you want and that is desirable and moving well.

Regarding cars- I was driving the most horrid car- a Lincoln Town Car that was older, the air shocks in the rear were out ( whatever is back there at a cost of 1400 ) and so the rear end was a low rider and the wire wheel covers on one side were gone. I had joined an office that had a great presence in the high end, which was the market I wanted to get into at that time and was commuting to it. I didn't know my way around the community ( this was during the dot com craze ) and when those sweet little dot commer clients would come into town I would rent a car or I hired a driver/ town car that would pick us up and chaufer us around. There are probanly as many flaws to that as things that worked but it helped me tremendously in overcoming my shame about the car I drove in the market I was breaking into. I really couldn't afford it but I was working like a crazy girl going for broke and if it helped me overcome something that might have held me back, even if just mentally, it was worth it at the time.

Last year in my MLS, over 1,100 homes sold that were under 300,000. Homes that were over 300,000? About 1% of that number...142.

Just sayin'.

I drive an 04 Honda Civic with 170k miles...it's a little beat up too cause I have 2 kids and a dog and I'm not the world's greatest driver. BUT I LOVE THAT CAR! Never fails me and it is cheap and reliable. I was stressing a little because sometimes I'll pull up to a half mil house along side the owners nice new flashy cars. I really thought...man I need to have alittle flash...after a lot of thinking I've decided against it. I can afford a nice new flashy car...but it means nothing to me. I have yet to lose a listing for my little beater. In fact a few months ago I accidentally mowed down the mailbox with my little beater on my way out of a listing appointment. Got the listing anyway.
I wont let go of my baby until my son finally gets his license..and then I'll likely buy another 2-3 yr old Honda. A CRV this time though likely. I dont care how much money I have. Fancy cars mean nothing to me, and if my clients make their decisions about me, based on what I drive...well I don't want those clients anyway.