Belt Auction

Real Estate motivation?

I am 20 years old and currently a realtor. I will keep my story brief because I can only type so much. I started working with remax 08/06. I was VERY motivated! I got 2 listings after 2 months. My manager told me to give her half of the comission because she was going to help, I accepted. I had both houses in escrow by Jan, and I noticed that she would never help me when I asked her too. I started getting mad because after all she was getting half. I went through escrow on my own on both transactions, and things went well. I decided that I wasnt going to give her half of my commision, since she did not help me. I gave her $500 for helping me before with some paperwork. She really killed my motivation around jan-feb 07. I left companies and joined century 21 04/07. I have no been able to get myself together since I left! I dont know what happen to me. I just feel like the fire in me isnt their. I have not been to training since I started with century 21.How can i motivate myself I went from being the top agent from the new salespersons to nothing. I also feel like im too young at times. Should I wait, finish school and then get back into realestate? I am confused! it really has nothing to do with money. I live at home. my split is a little better at c21. I find it very hard to get back on track. I got all my business cards, for sale signs ready. I just find it hard starting all over again.

Public Comments

1. At your age and with your experience, you should consider being an agent full-time unless you are living at home w/ the 'rents or have some other form of financial support. You may also not be motivated because with ReMax you were getting a 100% commission minus office fees. I am guessing that C21 is taking 50% of your commissions. Perhaps the money is not as motivating combined with the significant decline in the market this = a lack of motivation. If you think the money may be the issue, I would recommend looking into Exit Realty. They offer you 70% commission from the day you walk in the door. I only do real estate part-time for friends and family which is why I chose Exit. That extra 20% goes a long way and you don't have the fees you get with ReMax so you can push low volumes and still make good money!
2. never give up
3. You didn't close the issue with yourself you just "ran away". Now your with another company and feel as if you lost yourself in the process. The fire is still in you, you just got to dig a little deeper inside yourself thats all. Also that manager had no right in asking you to give her half your commission. She knew you were new and preyed upon you like I'm sure she has done before and will again. This manager needs to be put in her place which is very easy to do. Put in a formal complaint at the Board of Realtors. That is what they are there for and it will be in her file. It also gets sent to the state license board so that it is on record. She will get a notice stating that there was a complaint filed. Don't worry she can not do anything to you. Sometimes the wrong people are given the wrong position. She is also one of the bullies who can't pull her weight as an agent. Once you file the complaint you should feel better that at least you have done something about it. Now C-21 is a good company but they don't really motivate someone who has come from another office especially coming from Re/Max. Now not all Re/Max offices have managers like that. Also being new you have to be very thick skinned when it comes to the listing side. I would suggest you work as a Buyers agent so you can learn the ropes and get a better understanding of the process, egos and other misc things they do not teach in the book. That is not saying you are wrong for going after listings, but get a few transactions under your belt first because when you start dealing with seasoned agents you need to know what you are doing and that they don't take advantage of you being new. Watch every contingency on every Purchase Contract that is written. Take a blank Purchase Contract and really read through it. There are some things that are standard but can be changed by either agent in writing, or by an amendment. The Escrow Instructions are taken from the contract and will be followed by all parties involved. I have worked for various real estate companies including twice with Re/Max. I have also worked with over 300 agents and can tell you stories you probably wouldn't imagine. If you need motivation, email me. I can help you with that.
4. I will be blunt with you and hope others will too. First, welcome to the "real" world. You've just had your first lesson on the reality of a real estate career. However, if your market is like ours in Texas, as long as you have a pulse and a license, you will be accepted by most any company anywhere because real estate is a numbers game. The more agents a company has, the greater the probability of profitability. A real estate company (C-21, Re/Max, and others) are in business to make money off you just as Walmart is in business to make money off it's worker bees. This better be what you're in business for as well. Decide what you're looking for in a company and then YOU pick the company, not the other way around. Otherwise you'll be bouncing from one company to the next year after year. Second, if one bad experience sours you on running a successful business and destroys your motivation, I'd say find a job somewhere. Being in real estate is running a business and business is often ugly, with people taking advantage of you (when you let them) and others using you to make their dreams come true, not yours. You'll have to get much thicker skin if you want to make it in real estate or any business in which you are the CEO, CFO, COO, Director of Marketing, Accounts Receivable/Accounts Payable Manager, etc. As an independent broker/owner, I get motivated by having lunch once a week with another very positive broker (commercial) and we talk about everything positive in our businesses and our lives, what our short, medium and long term goals are, when we'll take our next vacations, what houses we found to flip recently and what we plan to do this next week. So have lunch with a like minded friend, read an inspiring book each month (for at least 30 minutes each evening at bed time), listen to an inspirational CD each week as you're driving and visit frequently with people who already know, trust and like you because in the first couple of years this is where the bulk of your business will come from. Lastly, and simply put, no one is going to make you successful except you. You should be thankful that your last manager taught you a valuable lesson so early in your career. That in itself should give you some motivation, not take it away. Also, as you read inspiring stories about successful people from the last 100 years, you see the one trait they all possessed was perserverance. If you check out of the game now, your last manager wins....she made some easy money off you and then pushed you to the curb until the next victim comes along. If you keep putting one foot in front of the other and become successful, she will ultimately lose because she made you the success you are only made a few hundred bucks off you. Quitting simply should not be an option for you at this point unless you're sure you'd be better suited as an employee rather than a CEO. PS. If nothing else motivates you, look at your checkbook.at the end of each month. That's always a great motivator too. Best of luck!