Posted by Tim Fierro (Tacoma, WA) on July 19, 2002 at 01:32:12:
Read the agent book/course for your state. Maybe you can pick up a used copy at a book store, or maybe borrow it from a library. If you know of a person who used to be an agent, there are plenty of them around, you could try to get their books/courses and materials. Or if you have a friend who is an agent, borrow their material if they are willing to help.
The book/course that an agent has to take and pass will go over those things that agents have to know to be licensed.
It will cover some things you don’t care about, but it is nice to know anyway since you are reading it. The highlights would be things like: law, financing, fair housing, property management, appraisals, title/escrow, etc…
Now you know as much as the local agents in your area. Throw in what you know about creative investing, and you have more knowledge in techniques than the competition.
After that, learn how to deal with people. You don’t want to know how to do things, but not be able to sell yourself. Sellers, and buyers, need to be comfortable with you. You can know the exact solution to someone’s problem, but if you come across as a jerk, they might just walk.
Good books? I can’t suggest one that is geared towards agents in particular; nor would I necessarily buy them because it is being marketed towards agents. If the overall content of the material is relevant to something I want to learn, then I will purchase it.
Find books with education of investing that you are interested in, and also learn how to speak to others. I don’t believe in mind altering books that have too much Rah Rah in the book. I would not be the kind of person to buy a book by Tony Robbins? Dr. Phil? or anything with personal enrichment that has hit Oprah’s book club list.
Brain education on what real estate is and how it works, combined with personal skills to put all the pieces together, put a little ‘mojo’ on it, then get jiggy with it.