When we think about the rewards that come from a long career, our minds naturally gravitate toward accomplishments. The transactions we closed, the goals we reached, the recognition we received, or perhaps the financial security we created along the way. But after more than 40 years in this business, I’ve come to appreciate another reward … Continue reading The Relationships We Take with Us
In sports, they call it a gut check. It’s late in the game. Your legs are heavy. You’re exhausted. You’ve already given everything you thought you had, and somehow, the game is asking you for more. That’s when conditioning takes over. Business has its own version of the fourth quarter. There are times when the … Continue reading The Gut Check
If the last few weeks have felt a little quieter than usual, you’re probably not imagining it. There’s a rhythm to our business, and this time of year has always had one of its own. From roughly mid-July through mid-August, people are trying to squeeze everything they can out of summer. Vacations are being taken, … Continue reading Don’t Confuse a Quiet Season with a Bad Season
We all have opinions. I certainly do. And over the years, I’ve had to remind myself that having an opinion and adding value aren’t necessarily the same thing. It’s incredibly easy to criticize. We can criticize a decision, a policy, a strategy, a technique, an idea, or the way someone chooses to handle a situation. … Continue reading TERRY TALKS – It’s Easy to Be a Critic. It’s Harder to Be a Contributor.
There’s an old proverb that says, “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” Whether or not those are the exact words, the message has stayed with me for years. I’ve been thinking about that idea quite a bit lately. When we’re young, much of … Continue reading Planting Trees You’ll Never Sit Under
Conflict has a way of showing up when we least expect it. Sometimes it’s a disagreement with a client. Other times it’s a misunderstanding with a colleague, a challenge with the other agent in a transaction, or an issue with a company we’ve trusted to provide a service. Regardless of where it comes from, conflict … Continue reading Victim or Victor?
It’s hard to believe we’re already at the halfway point of the year. Six months are behind us, and six months are still ahead. For me, this is always worthwhile time to pause and ask a few simple questions. What’s working? What’s not? What habits have helped move my business forward? Where have I become … Continue reading The Courage to Change What Already Works
As I reflect on my 40 years in the real estate business, there are countless lessons that come to mind. Some were learned through success, others through failure, and many through simply paying attention to the people who have crossed my path along the way. One lesson rises to the top of the list. Nothing … Continue reading The Privilege of Being Trusted
One of the more interesting observations I’ve made over the course of my career is that success and comfort often arrive at the same time. Unfortunately, so does complacency. It makes perfect sense when you think about it. We work hard to achieve a goal, build a successful business, establish a reputation, earn a level … Continue reading The Hidden Cost of Being Comfortable
If you’ve been in this business for any meaningful period of time, you start to recognize a pattern. The storyline changes, but the theme never really does. When the market is strong, the conversation tends to revolve around how competitive everything feels, how difficult it is to get offers accepted, how buyers are struggling to … Continue reading The Market Isn’t the Problem
TERRY Talks 