The saying "be careful what you ask for" couldn't be truer for me right now. My real estate business has been incredibly slow since I started because of my inability to pay for marketing, etc. I've had a few things "on the back burner" for a long time now that I wasn't sure would ever pan out and they all decided to come to life this week. In the past 7 days, I've gotten 2 solid contracts ($325K & $175K), 1 offer being submitted tomorrow morning ($525K), 1 offer possibly coming in in the next day or so ($239K), and I'm waiting to hear back on a $500K land deal (pocket listing - I've got the buyer). If they all go through, that's $1.7+ million sales in a period of 2 weeks! Wooo Hooo! I like this pace! Now I'll be able to afford to start up a hard-core marketing program to try to keep it up! Guess I'll have to re-evaluate this years goal of $3 million in sales! :p

Anyway, thanks for listening. For those of you struggling - just keep plugging away!

Tell me about it. I acquired my Illinois brokers license in late November of last year. Spent the first two months working out my business plan and getting the advertising net cast into the ocean (small pond??) of buyers.
Then the following takes place: A couple I'm working with on an EBA calls last Thursday and is interested in seeing a property. I set the appointment for Saturday and think nothing of it. Friday night I go to print off the MLS sheet for directions, etc. and see it has expired! I call the listing agent Saturday morning to see what the deal is. He tells me the client did extend the listing agreement, but it was now under a different MLS number. I print that out, we go and show the house on Saturday as agreed. They love the house at 11:00 a.m., write an offer, and we come to an understanding at 7:00 p.m. ($236,500 at 2.5%) The listing agent then tells me, "boy aren't you glad you waited until Saturday to show it?" I didn't follow and he asked me to check out the new listing sheet, which had an additional $2500.00 bonus for the buyers agent.. So that was nice.
Then on Monday a client I know said she'd like to sell her house, in passing. I know a buyer who would be interested, but didn't want to get into an undisclosed dual agency agreement. I let them both know about the pros/cons of dual agency and they agreed to move forward. We met tonight at my office at 7:00 p.m. By 9:30, deal was done, contract signed. ($223,875.00 at 6%).
We finish that, and sitting on my desk is an offer to purchase a commercial piece I have listed for $965,000.00 as a dual agent, at 6% with close in 30 days. The year is definitely shaping up... The funny part is, none of these leads came from my advertising efforts. They were all S.O.I. calls that netted me BIG. If you're in doubt, make those calls, stay in touch. I now have around 79,744 reasons to make them and it's only March.

You are violating the cardinal rule of real estate sales: counting unhatched chickens.

Every real estate deal is a bucking bronco, and the horse usually wins.

Lay low, work hard, and don't excited until the deals CLOSE.

Navarac is right. I've had $32K in commissions fall through this month. Glad I didn't already have it spent! Divorce, death, job changes, health problems... they can all sneak in your clients and your check is gone.

I know. I guess I'm just excited that SOMETHING is starting to happen. It's highly motivating!