Interview With a Winner:
Rick Jorgensen

San Antonio Avalar Real Estate

2006 Sales Volume: 43 homes, $5.5 million total
Referral Source Mix: 75% website, 25% referral

In Touch Today: How did you get started in the real estate business?

Rick Jorgensen: About 5 years ago I was transferred to San Antonio in a previous career with another company. About a year after I was transferred, the company pulled out and left me high and dry. I had done the negotiations on the purchase and sale of my own homes in the past, so I went into real estate.

In Touch Today: What mistake do you typically see new agents make?

Rick: They see real estate as a glamorous business before they actually get into it. They don’t see how much work is involved. I think they're disillusioned when they actually begin working in the industry, and that is why there’s so much drop out. It takes a tremendous amount of work and effort to get up to where you want to be.

Additionally, while they may go to real estate school, they don’t learn how to do well in real estate while they are there. They don’t learn the art of asking questions and listening to what the client is trying to say.

In Touch Today: What mistake do you typically see veteran agents make?

Rick: Sometimes they don't stay up to date with the newer technology. And they sometimes forget where they came from. They forget to do the basics of follow-up. They get too busy to maintain regular contact. I found that to be a little true for myself this year. It was a very busy year and, at one point, I finally had a little bit of a lull and wondered what happened. I got so busy that I forgot to do the things that made me busy in the first place. You can't forget about basics.

They may also forget that they need to be accessible. I answer my phone anytime it rings. If my phone rings at 8 o’clock in the morning or 8 o’clock at night, the caller is going to reach me. So many times I've called other agents to ask a question about a listing and I never get to speak to them. It goes to a voicemail. Maybe hours later I get a return call. And I think it's a mistake.

In Touch Today: Do you use your website to help you remember to follow-up with your clients?

Rick: I keep an appointment book for jotting notes. And my website is constantly sending me email reminders. I check my email at least three to four times a day.

In Touch Today: If you had a son or daughter entering the business, what advice would you have for them?

Rick: Success in this business is all about your work ethic. You need to have a passion for the business because you’ll be putting in a lot of hours. A passion for it will make your time more enjoyable. The other thing is to not put off anything for tomorrow. I mean, if it can get done today - if you can make that one extra call, if you can follow-up on that one extra lead - do not put it off till tomorrow. Tomorrow will have its own problems and its own agenda.

In Touch Today: What has been your best marketing or sales idea?

Rick: My website. Without the website I'm not even sure that I would be in real estate right now. I've depended on it so much. I've tweaked it, and I've worked with it, and I've spent the money to get my website out there in front of clients. My website has been my number one ally.

In Touch Today: Did you start your website right away when you got in the business?

Rick: No, but I wish I had. I didn't even think about websites back then. In fact, I think I was told by someone not to do it. And not knowing any better, I believed them. I started off every Friday night or early Saturday morning pounding little signs in at corners that read, "zero down, buy a house" or whatever. I got a lot of calls, but from a lot of people who didn’t qualify. Finally someone that I did believe in said "You need a website." They came out to my house, helped me get it going, and from then it took off and it's been the best thing that's ever happened to me.

I started off learning the hard way and just beating my head against a wall. But I can appreciate what I have now, knowing what I had to do in the early years to make a living.

In Touch Today: Who or what has been the biggest contributor to your success?

Rick: As for the “who,” it would be the company that I'm currently with. Their training and their experience in the business has taught me a lot. There is not a Thursday morning that goes by that I don't come out of our sales meeting with a new idea or new thought. The synergy of the office keeps me motivated. As for the “what,” it would definitely be my website.

In Touch Today: If you had a magic wand, what would you change about your current business?

Rick: I'd like more qualified clients. Wave a wand and give them better credit scores. But overall, I feel pretty fortunate. I like the business. Business is what you make of it, and if you can accept things, move forward and embrace them, you’ll do well. I learned from Zig Zigler and Dale Carnegie not to stress over the things I have no control over and to work on the things I do have control over.

In Touch Today: What are your current goals?

Rick: Right now I can't work any harder. I want to learn to work a little smarter. I want to learn to be a little smarter with my time. I'm into time management and I'm trying to make every minute count. So my goal for 2007 is to work smarter rather than harder, and then, of course, increase my volume. If I do what I did this past year, I can live with that, but if I work smarter as well, maybe I’ll get a little more time to enjoy life.

The person who owns this company works 24/7. She does $40 million a year. But she never stops. She doesn't take time off. And you can't either. If you want to be successful and do the big numbers, you're always doing real estate.

In Touch Today: Is there anything else you'd like to share with others who aspire to the type of success that you've created?

Rick: Love what you do. Fall back in love with it daily and just enjoy it. I do. The pleasurable minutes certainly outweigh the bad times and the problems. Problems are just part of the business. And you should always put the client number one. Don't start counting the commission. Don't start thinking about what you make. Client's needs are number one. And if you remember that, you'll get what you deserve.

And another important resource:

 

It may surprise you how lucrative getting “back to basics” can really be…

Real Estate Prospecting Postcards

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