Answer this question quickly; How many transactions have you had so far this year?
What about in your entire career, from your very first to your most recent? That’s probably easy for you if you’ve only been in the business for a few years but probably a little tougher if you’ve been licensed for twenty years or more.
Now, tell me how many “families” have you guided to a successful closing?
Do you know any of those numbers? My guess is most of you reading this know the first number but not everyone knows the latter. Closed units are something that your broker or Board of Realtors count. It might be for budgeting or awards or some other measurable data point. The real question that moves it from a real estate business to a relationship business is…how many families have you served?
Some of you might be old enough to remember when McDonald’s used to put a number on the sign representing the number of hamburgers they’ve served. Then it just said, “Billions and Billions Served.” Today, they don’t even say anything but we all know someone in the McDonald’s corporate office knows how many hamburgers they’ve served.
I think there are great reminders in the deals we have done. The successes we did achieve. The finish lines we did cross.
Good for you. High fives, fist pumps, and hugs are coming your way. So are some potentially big commission checks.
But what about all those hamburgers you didn’t serve?
Have you ever had a meeting with Sellers that didn’t turn into a listing? What about a customer who looked at homes but never decided to pull the trigger and become a Buyer?
Have you had lots of conversations about real estate that never turned into anything more than a conversation? Have you knocked on doors that nobody opened? Have you dialed numbers that just rang and rang and rang? Maybe even some that you left an enthusiastic, knowledgable message and never heard back?
Emails that came back undeliverable?
Text messages that were ghosted?
Have you ever posted something on social media that you were certain people were going to like, comment on, and share, only to find it’s been met with crickets? No thumbs up. No hearts. Not even your Mom or team members showed any emotion or support. You almost question whether you should just delete the post altogether.
Open Houses where not a single person, not even a nosy neighbor, stopped in to interrupt a boring Sunday afternoon?
Newsletters mailed out only to show up in your own mailbox marked “Return to Sender” or “Address Unknown.”
And what about those moments when you drive through a neighborhood and see a “For Sale” sign in the yard and, as you get closer, you realize that you sold them the house…and they listed with someone else?
We all have missed opportunities. We have deals that didn’t work out. We have been that proverbial fisherman with the “one that got away.”
That’s okay. We just need to keep calling. Keep writing those notes. Continue having conversations and scheduling appointments. Stay focused on doing the right activities and keep your finger on the pulse of the market.
Barry Bonds hit 762 home runs in his major league baseball career. He also struck out more than twice as many times.
The moral of the story is if you’re gonna miss every once in a while but if you keep swinging, there are some home runs coming your way.