Any body interested in having an accountability partner?! Someone to report back to and motivate you to prospect hard!!!?

I tried this kind of thing with others for different things in life...study groups, weight loss, prayer, and work. Each time I ended up being annoyed or was annoying. LOL

My "accountability partner" is my bank account. When I see it start to go down...I need to work on getting it filled up again. ROFL

You are always there for YOURSELF so you have to find motivation within.

Whenever I feel lazy or tired I think of what will happen if I don't do it and the people counting on me.

That works fine.

My accountability partner is my wife. If I'm not out prospecting, she tells me to get a 9-to-5 desk job.

That usually does it for me. :P

That's brilliant and it is the truth, there is no hiding from the
hard facts.

Look in the mirror and ask that person what the Competition would be doing?

Then, do it BEFORE the Competition does.

I think this post has gotten away from its intent.

Im pretty sure usmcrealtor is looking for someone like minded to work with to take each others production to the next level.

I would be interested. Please feel free to PM directly and we'll set up a time to talk.

If there are others in the forum that are also interested please feel free to PM me as well. Perhaps we can set up a weekly mastermind group.

Good for you usmcrealtor for sticking your neck out there and being proactive!!

Best to stick his neck out there and be proactive in giving his clients the best possible service. THAT'S the best and most honorable way to get new business.

Accountability partners, coaches, and all this new age nonsense is just an excuse for people to be lazy and useless, but huddled together for warmth and comfort.

These relationships end up being organized beotch and moan pizza sessions.

Seminars, Craig Proctor, Tony Robbins and clones, DVD's, magic formulas, accountability partners, motivational gurus: All of it is nonsense. Just do it. And do it right. All the business will come to you, just like it does with ultra-high quality practitioners in all other fields.

For some reason, real estate agents, and probably all sales professionals, seem to be the biggest suckers in existence and especially ripe for hustlers and huxters. No other field produces more nonsensical help systems than this one.

It's funny, but then again it's sad...

I have to agree that the bank account is a perfect motivator.

It would seem that some training can help those with less than automatic sales skills. But the funny thing for me when I watch the training videos my broker shows us, they are always perfect examples of sales people that annoy me... ;)

Basically in this business you have to learn to depend on YOURSELF because YOU are the ONLY person you have absolute control over.

Honestly, my opinion is - if you lack the gumption to stay motivated on your own, you should reconsider your decision for this business. While it's good to get support, training and some coaching, ultimately your success is going to depend on YOU.

I gave a little more thought about the role this person is to fill, and have concluded that the perfect person to fill it would/should be your Principal Broker . . . . after all, he/she already has a vested interest in your success or failure.

I am laughing at this Caravan. It reminds me of the Seinfeld Episode where everyone was either a mentor or a protege, but no one did anything.

We had another seminar in the office today. I never go. Last week they fought over who was bringing the pizza. How's that for accountability?

For me my accountability partners are my kids and wife who expect me to be the bread winner. And as Perky and others wrote, the balance in my bank account tells me all I need to know about what I need to do the next day to generate income.

You know, for some people, the idea of an accountability partner works. That is the basic idea of coaching! I don't do it but I certainly don't think there is anything wrong with it. It might help someone with prospecting avoidance to have someone to talk it out with.

I would look for someone in my own office IF I wanted to do it. That way I could see if they were lying to me about their production. (one reason why I think anonymously posting one's statistics in a forum like this is kind of uninteresting).

I took Floyd Wickman's cold calling program back in the day. It lasted 10 weeks and you were kicked out w/no refund if you didn't list a property by week 5. Accountability works sometimes!

I couldn't agree more with Perky REALTOR! You have to "want to" help people naturally, and to be inherently driven to do the job better than any other real estate agent. If you have to "create" your motivation, then your "sales techniques" will fall short of being genuine, and your yield will not be maximized.

You can want to help people naturally, and be the bestest agent on the planet, but there are a lot of agents out there like that failing miserably. The reason is that most of them feel that prospecting for business is sleazy and/or they are afraid of rejection. It is hard to go out and prospect for business.

It's easy to say "just do a great job for you clients and the world will beat a path to your door." That only works when you have clients, after you have been in business for a few years. But how about when you are just starting out?

Imagine that you are in a new city, know no one, and have to start making a living that will pay your bills every month. How far does motivation and a great work ethic get you? Nowhere! Without the basics of finding prospective clients, whether it be FSBOs, expireds, total cold calls, or doorknocking and asking for business, you've got nothing. You can be a great realtor once you find a client and still suck at prospecting. That is where accountability could help. To push past the call avoidance and do the unpleasant part that gets you to the good stuff.

Look, people, I just came home from my second tour overseas and am trying to get my business going as quickly as possible. I haven't had much opportunity to work in real estate!

I agree motivation comes from within and you are your number one accountability partner. But, it can't hurt having someone to bounce ideas off of and to call your [censored] when you slack off.

If the concept is, too, new age and sissy for you I'd suggest you talk to the United States Marine Corps, because while we are outside the wire, searching for and destroying the enemy, we have an "accountability partner" called a battle buddy. He makes sure you remain vigilant because in war there is no room for complacency!

I really appreciate everyones input! The suggestions and comments you made were a GREAT gut check!!

I don't think looking for a accountability partner is dumb at
all. My mother was a big agent in the area that I grew up in
and when I started real estate she sent me to an area were I
knew nobody and didn't know the area either. I had very little
money and needed to get things going. Off I went door knocking
speaking to 50 people a day face to face, I listed my first
home the second week and the rest is history. Were an accountability partner can help is making you feel less lonely.
There was nobody else in my office that made calls, there was
nobody to compare notes with and or share ideas. After a morning of prospecting in -10 weather and an afternoon of follow up calls with no results can weigh very heavy on you.
Having a friend in the same boat I suspect can be comforting
during these times. In time I made friends with agents from
other companies that also made calls and this helped, although
we were competing with each other.

The prospectors I know only call me when things are not working, I do not call them, I think it's a sign of weakness
and will be remebered for a long time. Although a lady friend
of mine was out door knocking last winter in -17 weather and
she wasn't complaining, this made me feel like a girly guy
because I wont go out if it's below -10, my mouth gets so
cold I cant pronounce words properly, kinda sound drunk.

Find a guy with a lot of experience who doesn't work in your
area and hook up with him, you will learn a lot and it will
help keep you going through the trying times.

I guess what I'm trying to say is to have someone to speak to would make
the whole experience less lonely and scary, that in it itself would be helpful.

USMC, I am glad you are back, safe and sound! congratulations on your career choice. My son just arrived in Afghanistan, his third tour in the "sandbox".
I have found it difficult to find fellow agents that had my work ethic to partner with. I have been fortunate to find a great broker with a team of agents willing to give me advice and encouragement. I think your office and broker are paramount to your sucess. When I re-entered this career, I spent many hours at the office, listening and learning and my broker gave me many opportunities with leads. I have been sucessful over the last 4 years.
You have found a great website to lurk and learn but don't get bogged down by the negative comments that are sometimes posted here.
If you still need someone to direct and encourage you, don't hesitate to reach out to me! PM if you would care to.

I think for some people, this is a great option, but you have to remain consistent. If you know what you need to be doing on a regular basis, then do you really need someone else to tell you to do it? I see myself as my biggest motivator; if I don't do what needs to be done, I don't eat. Therefore, I have to be the biggest influence on myself. Find what drives you and hold yourself accountable.

Real estate is much tougher than the military. The military is constructed so that everyone functions together under a tight command structure. Creativity, spontaneity, and individuality are condemned. That's probably as it should be, given the danger of the mission. But the military "mentality" is much like the "union" mentality and is generally a detriment to being an entrepreneur. There's no one to tell you what to do, and many returning vets are lost without someone giving them orders.

What you have going for you is DISCIPLINE. If you follow a daily routine similar to what Mike Ferry advocates you will be in the top 20% of realtors within 6 months.

One of the top agents in Toronto is an ex Olympic Athlete, he
designed a schedule and followed it religiously, one component
of his routine is to consistantly go out and look for business
every day no matter what. All the agents are in awe of his
consistancy and discipline, none of them can touch him.

Use your strengths, just pretend your routine is written by
your CO and of you go. One last thing selling real estate is
not rocket science, all you are doing is helping people.

Hunter I appreciate your help, and I know your son will be well!! I sent you a PM

@Brent. Your absolutely right

@Navarac, I don't know what service you were apart of but the majority of your post is B.S.!!! The Marine Corps' entire premise is decentralizization of command. Even as a boot Marine you are given an assignment and you have to figure out how to get it done. Ingenuity and adaptability are EXTREMELY valued.

I don't know. Seeking an accountability partner would seem to illustrate the union/military mentality which I referred to. Attributing creativity to the following of an order is novel, but it neglects the presupposition that an order was given in the first place. That is the problem many returning soldiers face. There is no one to tell them what to do...

Navarac, it is ridiculous to think that it's harder to be a Realtor than to be in the military. Where do you get your information on what problems "many returning soldiers face"? Do you just make this @#!# up? It's beyond insulting!

usmcrealtor deserves our thanks and respect for a job well done. If you don't have anything helpful to add, how about showing a little respect?

usmcrealtor

Semper fi and many thanks for your service.

I am sure that if you direct any questions you may have to this forum, that any one of the readers would be more then willing to help you in any way they can.

Welcome Home

I have an accountability partner. This is one of the reasons I decided to work as a team instead of on my own.

A person does not get my respect for simply entering the military. For many, it is simply the equivalent of a civil service job choice. And let's face it, many of the kids who enter the service are burnouts who do not see a lot of other options.

You do get my respect if you actually see combat and face actual risk, but otherwise, it is just a job for the VAST majority of entrants.

And, I am quite tired of the mentality that exists that because someone enters the military, they automatically get to demand entitlements such as free education and all kinds of free services for the rest of their lives.

Military service is NOT selfless service, nor should it be, nor should it be admired for that aspect. Most Americans do not understand that.

I think the majority of Canadians and Americans share and have shared one thing in common for decades and which is described in the words of a song by Merle Haggard.


http://www.classic-country-song-lyrics.com/thefightingsideofmelyricschords.html

Probably not the best idea to take ones philosophy from country music...

A modern version of a traditional Irish song used to welcome home and to thank the returning soldiers. Still in use by the IRA, it's in Gaelic but basically means "thrilled to see you back, thank you for killing the foreigners and keeping us safe". The song is over 200 years old.


Oro, Se Do Bheatha 'Bhaile

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JmUYF7kHro&feature=related