September is here and it’s BACK TO SCHOOL time in Brooklyn and around the world.
My wife and I are preparing to send the kids off to school. Phillip is in 7th grade now, and my twin daughters are starting their first day of Kindergarten..oh yes, ALREADY!!!
There are a lot of things I think about as the new journey begins: The anticipation, the hope and wondering of what the future holds is on the minds of everyone involved…even the people that are not directly involved are involved in a big way.

There is excitement in the air.
I wonder if the kids are going to like school? I wonder how the other kids are going to treat them. I hope they get good grades. I hope they are in the right school where they have the most opportunity. As a parent I’m extremely concerned about the children and I know how great it felt when the teacher reassured me that the kids were in the right class and that they will be taken care of properly. The teacher was excited to have our children and that made me and my wife feel better.

Real Estate is like school.

When agents come to your company, it’s like going to school for the first day. I’m sure that there is anticipation and excitement on the side of the agent, but there are others that are also involved in the process also. Sometimes we take those significant others for granted. We don’t realize that this day if very important for all involved.

Are they with the right company? Are they going to be treated fairly? Will they succeed and rise to the top there?
I think that we must realize as a real estate brokerage that we have to be responsible for the lives of all those that we hire and all those that are part of their lives.

We are beginning to spend a lot more time communicating directly to the agents homes with information, newsletters, invites to the picnic, recognition, awards and schedules of classes are all part of the effort.
By communicating with the home, you can keep the families in the loop. Everyone feels better when they know what’s going on. I remember our last sales meeting when one of the wives of an agent came up to me and said, “I’m going to make sure that my husband is going to be in the next newsletter.” Believe me, she did. Times are tough! Why not get all the possible motivating factors aligned to make your agents more productive and in the end, you’re making their families happier…and THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT!

This September, when kids go back to school and agents return back to work harder after their long deserved vacations, let’s remember to realize that it’s about more than just the agent or manager in front of you. A Lot More!

TIPS:

When a new agent starts with your company send a note home to the family welcoming them to your team. Understand the responsibility that you have taken on in hiring an agent. You have to make sure that you are doing your best to show that agent how to make the money he needs to provide the lifestyle that his family is expecting. Let the family know that you care about the agent and the whole family. I think it’s time to broaden our touch in a time when people are too far apart.

If you come and work for Fillmore, you can expect a call from me to welcome you to our team. I might even call your home to say hello to the family!

By the way, it is also a great time to go back to school and freshen up on your sales skills. BACK TO SCHOOL. It’s funny that the best agents at Fillmore are the ones that keep on attending the classes. I wish some of the agents that really need the training would come back to school…they need it!