Floating

We see so much on social media about doing MORE—I know I post about it a lot myself. While it’s no secret that I LOVE my work, it doesn’t feel like work. It’s truly a passion however, sometimes I feel the need to unplug and slow down.

Many articles and blog posts have been written about self-care—so many, in fact, that I think sometimes we tune out when we hear the phrase.

But I’ve been thinking a lot about what self-care is, and working to make time and space for it in my schedule. I am by no means perfect at it! There have been weeks where I didn’t do nearly enough, if anything, to rest and re-charge.

I keep trying to do better! Perhaps you are too. Maybe we can help encourage one another.

One of the most enjoyable ways I have found to unplug is floating. Float centers are something that entered my awareness fairly recently. Basically, it creates an environment in which external stimulation such as sound, touch and light are eliminated or significantly reduced. You enter a tank which contains about a foot of water, rich in Epsom salt. The salt makes you extremely buoyant, so it’s easy to float. You can read about some of the benefits of floating here.  

I’ve seen some physical benefits from floating. My lower back pain and headaches have diminished significantly.

The forced unplugging has had less tangible benefits too. I’ve had the most amazing encounters in the tank while I pray/meditate. I have remembered much-loved songs from my childhood, which has brought me so much joy. (If you know me at all, you know about my passion for music.) I’ve had dreams from a long time ago jump up and down and say, “hello again!” while I’ve been floating.

Some floating sessions are just quiet and peaceful. I don’t have any inspiration strike or walk out with a significant take away. And that’s great too. Sometimes all I want is time to rest and just chill. That’s important to keep in mind. Just the act of relaxing is a win.

If you just find being in or near water calming, I recommend a book called the Blue Mind. It's a great read about the relaxing power of water. (Note that the link above is an Amazon Affiliate link, which means I receive a commission should you purchase the book through that link. If you’d rather purchase the book without using my affiliate code, you may do so here.)

If you are interested in trying floating, here are some of my tips:

• Schedule it for a time that allows you to go home and rest after. Your hair will be wet. You’ll be relaxed. The last thing you’re going to want to do is go back to work or run an errand, etc.

• Have a prayer, meditation or song to focus on while you’re in the tank. Certain places give you the option to listen to music. I prefer listening to music at the beginning and at the end. But I prefer silence in the middle. I need quiet so that I can be receptive to the words and songs God wants to give me. 

• You might feel a bit itchy when you first get in.. it’s normal and it will pass. Don’t freak out. Just breathe, let go and enjoy the full experience.

• Don't drink caffeine beforehand—you want to be as calm and relaxed as possible. One time I had a diet coke before I went in and it was enough to amp me up and prevent me from relaxing and quieting my mind. 

• Follow the float center’s instructions regarding the cooler shower beforehand and using ear plugs and vinegar in your ears afterwards. 

If you’re in the Tacoma area, the float center I go to is the University Place Urban Float. I highly recommend.

The Thing We're Not Supposed to Talk About...

There's a list of things that we're not supposed to talk about in polite conversation, right? And money is one of them. But sometimes things need to be said and we have to get real and get honest because when we do we can help other people save money or make more of it.

The former is the reason for this post.

When I meet with aspiring agents, or with people who are starting to consider real estate as a career, I share the information that I think is critical for them to know. And some of that is about the costs associated with studying for a license. (There are others associated with actually being an agent, but I'll address those in another post.)

The online course I recommend, and the course we follow in our office when we teach the live version of the class, is Rockwell. It's not cheap. As of this writing, it runs approx. $489 plus tax.

Yeah.

That face you're probably making now is the same expression I see on the faces of many of the people I meet with during career orientations.

And some of them look at other education providers, many of which are less expensive than Rockwell.

So why do I recommend such a relatively expensive study program?

It's really, honestly because I think Rockwell is the best. That's all. The curriculum is comprehensive and strong; you get access to online courses AND textbooks with quizzes and final exams; and their test prep (the CRAM section and 12 sample exams) set you up for success on the real thing like no other system I've reviewed.

I have had students who chose one of the less expensive options succeed on the exam. But more often than not, I'll get an email or call from them because they're frustrated by the material or because they took the licensing exam and failed after weeks or months of studying. They then usually end up paying for the Rockwell courses, so when it's all said and done they've paid the $489 plus another $200-$300 for the other course and a failed licensing exam.

Not a huge savings after all.

Success rate-wise, Rockwell boasts an 86% and 87% first try pass rate on the National and State exams, respectively, in Washington. The average for the others is 58% and 63%, National and State. So, if you're a person who prefers statistics to anecdotal data from an agent and blog writer, that's for you :-)

(By way of a disclaimer, I'm not on Rockwell's payroll, they don't send me free stuff and they have no idea I'm writing this post.)

As always, feel free to leave your comments and questions below or watch my 1+1=4 Math Video here. Thanks and I'll check back in here again soon!

Are You Stuck in This Vicious Cycle?

(This post contains affiliate links.)

What percentage of people in the United States would you guess are living paycheck to paycheck? Are you one of them?  If I told you that 50-percent of us fall into that category, would you believe me?

If you think that's a high estimate, hold on to your hats because the actual number is worse.  

More than three-quarters of workers (78%) who earn less than $100,000 per year, are one unexpected expense away from a big financial mess. I don't know about you, but that number is scary to me. (You can check out the full story here.)

Additionally, and very much relatedly, 71-percent of full-time workers say they have some kind of debt. Of those, 56-percent of them say they don't believe they will ever get out of it. Think about it--if you're living paycheck to paycheck because of debt, and something unexpected comes up, you go into more debt to pay that expense. So, it's kind of a vicious cycle, right?

Consider the emotional toll that belief takes on a person. Working full-time, unable to get ahead financially, operating under the anchor of debt, and believing things will never be any better. What does that do to our collective mental, emotional and spiritual health? The cost of our debt-culture goes beyond a financial one.

Let's talk about the culture of debt while we're at it. It's become more than just acceptable--it's marketed as desirable. Many people get their first credit card offer at 18--I've heard stories of credit card applications being included in freshman move-in packets at colleges! College itself has become synonymous with debt too. Can't afford tuition? Here's a student loan you can spend the rest of your adult life paying off. Want something now, but can't afford it? Why wait? Just fill out this credit application and walk out of the store with it. You deserve it.

We think it's an unavoidable part of adult life, but it doesn't have to be and it really shouldn't be. It is crippling. If you're struggling with debt or just want to learn how to create a budget and make a financial plan you can live with, I cannot recommend Dave Ramsey's books enough. The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness is one of my favorites and a good place to start.

Freedom

In contrast to that 78-percent number, only nine-percent of full-time workers earning more than $100,000 per year reported that they struggled to make ends meet.

What does that tell us? Well, it tells me we need an increase in income and a shift to a debt-is-not-okay mindset. And it reinforces for me one of the big reasons why I'm such and advocate for real estate and Keller Williams in particular.

Streams

I’m a self-help junkie and every book I read about entrepreneurship or financial freedom says we should have multiple income streams. That we should be diversifying where our money comes from so that our financial futures are not subject to the whims of one bad boss or the ups and downs of one market. 

If I told you that as a Realtor I have four businesses functioning simultaneously and generating four income streams for me, would that pique your curiosity? The first is the most obvious--I represent buyers and sellers and earn commissions on each transaction I close. Income stream number one.

You might be surprised how many agents don't leverage the other three opportunities: referrals, profit-sharing and investing in real estate. Please don't be one of them! I love talking about possibilities and coaching other agents, so click here and let's schedule a time to meet!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Making Money from Maui (or Wherever You Dream of Going)...

"I do it! I do it!" Do you remember when your kids were at this stage of life? Or maybe they are right now... Anyway, I remember my daughter, Bella, saying, "Bella do it. Bella do it. Bella do it," a lot when she was little. That first flash of independence--of wanting to do everything and wanting to do it now--can be such a moment of bittersweet pride for a parent. But that "I can do it all myself," instinct can be destructive as we transition into our professional lives, especially for us business-owners, can't it?

One of the blessings that being a Realtor has given to me is the freedom and flexibility I've needed as a mom. In fact, one of the reasons I chose this career specifically was because I knew I could structure my day in such a way that I could work while my kids were in school and then be at home when they were.

The reality of this business though is that it can take over your world 24/7 if you let it. It will take up the space it's given, which is why we have to be so careful about setting boundaries where and when we can.

You may be asking whether setting boundaries on your business is also limiting what you can achieve. And the answer is that yes, it probably would, but for leverage.

Many agents function in real estate solo. They've structured their business in such a way that if they themselves are not actively doing something, money is not being made. This is just as limiting as setting boundaries, if you think about it. There's only so much one person can do with the hours in a day. And there's only so much you can do before you burnout.

The shift comes when we embrace the idea of hiring people and establishing systems that allow you to leverage other means of productivity to run your business. In a practical sense, leverage means you could be on the beach in Maui while still making money for your business at home.

Do I have your attention now?

Thought so :-)

When we shift from I do it, to we do it to THEY do it, then you know you've arrived. I took a 2-week honeymoon last year. Two weeks of almost no wi-fi or cell reception and my team had sold 4 homes by the time I got back. It's so important to surround yourself with trustworthy individuals who can cover you when you need it, and systems that would allow anyone to come in and keep things thriving, regardless of your presence.

Here are examples of how to leverage your time and effort, taken from specific things I did in almost exactly the order in which I did them.

Pay for transaction coordination as-needed. Once a sale was under contract, I turned the paperwork over to people in my office who would act as a transaction coordinator for a fee. That freed me up to generate leads and meet with prospective clients.

Hire a part-time (or full-time), licensed executive assistant. Give anything that doesn't require your active involvement to someone else. Scheduling, maintaining your website, ordering office supplies, dealing with vendors, marketing tasks, etc. can all go to a skilled and trained assistant. They can get you involved in a task when you're needed.

Take advantage of automated systems. Keller Williams has tons of systems in place for agents to use, including email campaigns. I enroll everyone in my sphere of influence into one campaign or another. The campaign sends out regular communication to my contacts and reminds me of important follow-up activities. My team and I also create systems, customized to our business. We make everything as simple as we can and follow the procedures we establish. We have procedures for responding to client leads, for developing CMA's, for hosting open houses--you name it, we've probably got a system for it.

Hire other team members as dictated by your business. This may mean brokers, listing coordinators or contractors to help on specific projects that you don't have the expertise to complete efficiently. It doesn't help my business if I spend 100 hours designing a website, when a professional would have done it in 10. Those 100 hours are hours I'm not meeting new business leads, so it's not the highest and best use of my time. Speaking of which...

Find your highest and best use. This will be different for everyone, but for me, my highest and best use is generating client leads. Almost everything else can be delegated to someone else on my team.

iPhone Laptop

Maybe you're a mom like I was, looking for extra income. Or maybe you're not a parent, but are ready for a career change and love the idea of having your own business. Real estate could be the answer! Contact me and let's chat. I'm happy to share my experience with you.

Thinking About Being a Part-Time Real Estate Agent? Here's What You Should Know...

For a while now, I've wanted to write a post about the topic of being a part-time real estate agent. But it's a bit tricky to strike the right tone, so it's taken me a while to organize my thoughts and get them in writing. On that note, a quick disclaimer before we get started. It is possible to be a great real estate agent even if you aren't devoting 100% of your work life to it. (I started out part-time myself.) So, by no means do I want anyone to interpret this post as a criticism of part-time agents. In fact, part of this post is about how to effectively serve your clients and make a living when real estate isn't getting 100% of your professional attention.

But it is also important for new agents to know some of the disadvantages to pursuing real estate as a side business or a part-time venture, and to have a plan for addressing those potential challenges. So that's what this post is about.

Let's start with what I mean when I say "part-time." Unlike other jobs where part-time is defined by the number of hours you work per week, in real estate I think of part-time in terms of the professional attention and energy you're devoting to it.  If real estate isn't your sole professional obligation--if it's not the sole way you generate your income--then I consider you part-time for the purposes of this discussion.

Time for Change

There are many moving pieces when it comes to the laws, rules and forms that govern what we do, and they are often changing. This is one of the challenges to being part-time. We have monthly trainings for agents at our office about all of that, because it's so important. Attending trainings and getting lots of repetitions completing transactions, and their accompanying paperwork, is crucial to serving clients well and feeling confident as an agent. If you're working another full-time or part-time job, it can be difficult (and sometimes impossible) to attend those trainings, get that daily practice and stay on top of industry news and laws. And the financial/business consequences for missing something or making a mistake because there was a bit of information you didn't know, can be serious.

The more transactions you close, the better you get at negotiations. This is a really critical point. The skill of negotiating and communicating on behalf of your clients is one you get better at the more you do it. It's like a muscle that gets stronger with practice. I pay attention to things that the agents I'm negotiating with do and say. The things that are really smart and effective, I remember and use myself the next time I'm in a similar situation. The things they do that are ineffective, I make note never to do. You can learn so much by observing agents on the other side of the table from you. Learn from their successes and mistakes.

Ask

You might be wondering what to do if being a part-time agent is the best fit for your life right now. As I said, I started out as a part-time agent, and I want to leave you with some advice if that's the road you need to, or want to, take yourself. There are two ways to structure a part-time real estate career that I think are really solid approaches.

Join or build a team. On a team you'd have someone to serve as your transaction coordinator. This person would manage the extensive paperwork process involved in the buying or selling of a property and provide you with accounting and administrative support. Someone else might host showings for your clients, or conduct the initial meeting with new listing clients for you. At Keller Williams you can do this by paying these support positions on an as-needed basis. Transaction coordinators are paid per transaction completed and other admin support is paid on an hourly basis. So, if you're devoting 50% of your energy to real estate, in this scenario you're hiring out the other 50%.

Build a career on referrals. I think I mentioned this in the post about ways to structure a real estate career, but this also applies if you want real estate to be a part-time or side venture. Get your license but don't fully activate it. At Keller Williams, if you refer a client to another agent within the company you will receive a percentage of the commission on whatever transaction comes as a result of that referral. You don't actually show any homes, represent any buyers or negotiate any transactions in this career model. This works really well for some people.

These are probably not the only ways to structure a successful part-time real estate business, but they are my favorites. If you're a part-time agent who's had success using another model, feel free to post about your experience in the Comments section. And as always, please ask any questions you wish via Comments or by contacting me here.