Last week I was in Toronto presenting our brand new Turning Point to over 1200 fired up real estate and lending professionals. Over the two days, my partner in crime, Joe Niego, and I presented powerful new content on topics like the 16 Referral Systems, the 5 Reasons Salespeople Fail, the Right Way to Handle Money and How to Avoid the Detours to Success. I’m excited to equip you for this new era - not just in real estate - but also here at Buffini & Company.

Next year I’ll be doing introductory workshops in each Turning Point market. These workshops will encapsulate some of the most insightful and funny parts of our past presentations coupled with how to win in this new era. I’m excited for you to be able to refer your friends and colleagues to this new, complimentary workshop that transforms, impacts and improves the lives of people.

It’s a new day in real estate, it’s a new day at Buffini & Company, and I can’t wait for 2010 to get here.

It’s a good life!

Brian

I’m not a Harvard trained economist, I’m just a salty business guy who’s been around the block a few times or maybe has been put through the ringer, but it seems to me that we bottomed out about 3 ½ months ago.

As I travel around talking to brokers and seeing the general flow of business it appears that the market has stabilized for now. We do still face some challenges with high unemployment, increased national debt and the Alt-A mortgages starting to default, but I believe we’ve entered a period of relative stability in the housing market and the larger economy.

It appears that people have gotten over the initial shock, adjusted their lifestyles and begun living within their means, and are now beginning to make sensible purchases again.

The key ingredient in this market is making sure you are providing a lot of value and being cost conscious for your customers. If you’ve checked out Buffini & Company’s three Coaching Solutions you’ll see we’re starting to lead by example in that, and while it’s not time to throw a parade just yet, it is time to cancel the pity party.

Keep plugging along; things are going to be just fine.

It’s a good life!

Brian

I’ve been in my office today reading hundreds of notes that you’ve written following this year’s MasterMind and the most common theme has been, “It was just what I needed.” Nothing surprises me about our Members anymore, including the fact that 3000 of you showed up in San Diego for our annual Client Party/Seminar.

Now let me share something with you.

This year’s MasterMind was just what I needed! I can’t remember the last time I attended an event where I felt so rejuvenated, refocused and implemented so many action steps right away. After a two-year hiatus from a decades-long practice of journaling I now find myself carrying my journal with me everywhere I go - capturing what I did, what I felt and what I thought. It’s as if a big part of my life that was missing is back. On a side note, so many of you have generously sent me journals that I have enough to last me the next 20 years! So I thank you, and if you must send a housewarming gift send a bottle of wine to fill my new cellar! :)

In counting my blessings I recognize how privileged I am to do the work I do for the people I get to do it for. And this year the gift of serving people came back to serve me in a way I never would’ve imagined. This year’s MasterMind will go down as a life-changing event for all who attended and the one whose life may change the most will be the lad who presented it. MasterMind was just what we all needed. See you next year!

It’s a good life!

Brian

This just in...According to the National Association of Realtors, existing homes sales rose 3.6% to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 4.89m in June. That’s up from a 4.7m rate in May – good news for the housing market and the economy in general. In addition, despite interest rates rising slightly to 5.14%, just a year ago the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage was 6.63%. Sales of new single-family homes jumped 11% in June – the biggest monthly gain since December 2000 and far outstripping economists outlook for a 4.5% rise.

So tell me this; in a market with great affordability, rates and choice, are you getting your fair share?

It’s a good life!

Brian

The sun is shining and the Summertime Surge is in full swing. Are you?

Over the years at our events you’ve heard me tell the story of the Spanish conqueror, Cortez. Reaching the Eastern shores of Mexico it became apparent over time that he and his men were going to have a battle on their hands. Problem was the men didn’t want to fight; they wanted to return home to Spain. Cortez had a mission, however, and so, he and his lieutenants went on board the ships one night and set them alight. Knowing that the option of ‘going home’ might lead to the men mutinying or refusing to fight, he took action to remove that possibility. Left with no choice but to go into battle and fight, they duly did just that.

There are times to burn your bridges, be committed and make what can feel like difficult decisions. My encouragement to you is to put yourself in a position where the only choice you have is success. At the end of the day this is all about your commitment to the business so it's time to hang tough. There are a number of people who want to tuck tail and run right now, but those who stay are not only going to win this fight, they’re going to prosper for years to come.

It’s a good life!

Brian

When things seem out of control or circumstances feel overwhelming, we’ll often try some grand gesture or radical U-turn to catapult us out of a rut. The benefits of a single day can seem too insignificant to truly have an impact. The reality is, however, that every great journey begins with a single step. Day-by-day, note-by-note and call-by-call, when you keep chipping away and being faithful with the fundamentals of working by referral you’ll weather this market and come out with a great business.

I wanted to share something powerful with you today. It’s a 17th Century French proverb that deals with the importance of doing the small thing right:

For want of a nail the shoe was lost,

For want of the shoe the horse was lost

For want of the horse the rider was lost

For want of the rider the message was lost

For want of the message the battle was lost

For want of the battle the war was lost.

All for the loss of a lone shoe nail

(Anon)

The lead-generation activities we’ve laid out in the Summertime Surge have been designed to keep your eyes peeled for those loose nails so your business is battle-ready. Don’t neglect the fundamentals. Put these in your business otherwise you’ll be biting your nails from fear and worry.

It’s a good life!

Brian

As all of you are Blitzing away and enjoying the Summertime Surge, some of the things we’ve been hearing over and over again are: “Am I too late?” “I was on vacation,” or “I have a friend who really needs this.”

So, by popular demand, as the game show host says, we’re starting our 2nd Wave of the Blitz today. If you have any colleagues in your office, or if you’re a broker who wants to increase productivity, tell your agents they can catch the Second Wave of the Summertime Surge. July 13th will be the last day to register as there’s no point in continuing the Surge past the summer...it’s tough to do summer themed Pop-Bys in November!

We’re hearing great stories and results. People are getting out there having fun, generating leads and making commission checks.

Don’t’ forget to tell your friends and colleagues they can start the Surge today.

It’s a good life!

Brian

I just had a conversation with one of the most important leaders in the real estate industry – a gentleman who has tens of thousands agents in many parts of the world. Without any knowledge of what of our Buffini initiatives for 2009 might be, he asked me what I was planning on doing for the first quarter of next year.

When I asked him why, he said he believed that the first four months of 2009 were as important as any time period in the last 20 years…that so many brokers and agents could continue to have long-standing careers in this industry if they could just find a way to have a good start to the year.

When I explained to him about the upcoming Buffini & Company Blitz, he almost shouted over the phone to me, “How can I get all my people involved in this?” to which I responded, “If they’re not Members we can't help them." I don’t tell you this to self-aggrandize our initiatives or myself but just to let you know how confirming it is when an industry leader affirmed our timing for the Blitz.

As a ClubNet or Referral Systems Member, this exclusive program is absolutely free for you to participate in. We’ve put a huge amount of our resources behind this because we want you to have a good first quarter, stay in business, build market share and be one of the great professionals who come out on the other side of this recession with a great business.

This is my Christmas gift to all of you.

It’s a good life!

Brian 

I’ve been flooded with emails from people wanting to know are we headed for another Great Depression. Now just to set the record straight, neither the Secretary of the Treasury, nor Warren Buffet are calling me asking me for my input…but I don’t mind providing my understanding of where we currently fit into history.

Panic doesn’t cause depression; bad policy does. Foolish decisions regarding increased taxes, trade tariffs, and monetary policy are what caused the Great Depression. A great read on the subject is a book called The Forgotten Man – A new history of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes. You’ll see how the 1929 stock market crash did not cause the Depression.

Another great example of how different a time this is to 1929 is that during the Great Depression countries, especially America, were isolationist by nature and tried to enact a win-lose economic policy. Just last week the Fed, European/British and Canadian Central Banks all lowered rates in unison and even though this cut won’t do much to bring up the credit market, it is a radical contrast to what took place during the Depression.

We are obviously in a recession and will be for a time but, as we are already seeing out West, there’s plenty of demand for discounted homes. Many short sales and foreclosures are in multiple bid situations. There’s money to be made in times like this but it requires us to take the emotions of our fears and apprehension and pour it into the diligence of our daily activities to generate leads.

I don’t know about you, but I am keeping my eye on the situation and then putting my head down and getting back to work.

Hope this helps.

It’s a good life!

Brian