How I Doubled My Business

Re-upping this quick video to share how I doubled my business.

If you have any questions or comments—maybe you’ve also set ambitious goals for yourself and want to share how you achieved them—please post them in the Comments section below. I’d also love to know what other topics you’d like me to write or create a video about, so feel free to share those here as well. I’ll check in here again soon. Thanks for stopping by!

Are You a Single Mom? Do You Know One? Read This...

Are you a single mom?

I've been there.

I will never forget the day I had to go look at apartments alone. I had been living in a huge, beautiful house as a family. But now it was time for me to face the reality of renting a small place for just me and the kids.

Divorce sucks. Until you're a single parent, you can't understand the stress and pressure that goes along with it. I know I didn’t until I experienced it myself.

But I refused to believe that I couldn’t have a successful, joyful and financially secure life.

It was hard. I'm not gonna lie. But I found other single moms to inspire and encourage me. I refused to believe the lie that everything would be a struggle because I was on my own.

If you are where I was, I want to help.  I have learned to, not only survive, but THRIVE on my own. Fast forward a few years and I even found a way to buy a place of my own. I built a great business and I truly believe that you can do the same.

Watch this video and then send me a message at rebeccad@kw.com. I can't wait to hear from you!

What's Your Hourly Rate?

Have you ever stopped to consider how much you are worth an hour? Let's go through the steps together and I trust you will come to the conclusion that you should work less! I mean it ;) Stay with me here.....

220 work days of 8 hours each day in 1 year. $100,000 a year would equal $56.81/hour however I don't know about you but it's not true. You don't work a total of 8 hours in one day. Let's just say that 3 hours a day are TRULY working hours of productivity. 

220 work days of 3 hours each day. $100,000 a year would equal $151.51 an hour. 

So knowing that you are earning $151.51 an hour, let's reconsider the tasks that you do throughout the day. 

• Driving

• Shopping

• Consulting

• Selling

• Counseling

• Encouraging

• Researching

Does it change the way you look at the tasks you HAVE TO DO? It should. 

I remember years ago, I sold Partylite candles as a candle consultant. I loved the work. I would have friends host a party and invite all their friends and co-workers and neighbors over for our candle party. I would come up with themed parties, call everyone to confirm the guest list, present the latest and greatest candles and scents then collect the orders. When it was all said and done, a "great sales night" could be anywhere from $2000-$3000 in sales which was great however when I stopped to think about the time, effort and energy I put into it, I wasn't making much an hour at all. I knew I had to find a way to work SMARTER not HARDER. 

That's when I came across the book "Life Makeovers" by Cheryl Richardson.  I loved this book because at the end of every chapter, there was a suggested reading list and take action type questions. I remember thinking I want to make an impact on peoples lives by being a real estate agent. But I was clueless. I had no degree, no formal education beyond some college... who would trust me? Where would I find training and mentoring that I desperately needed? 

I researched online and studied to get my real estate exam and never looked back. I have shared my story about real estate numerous places but this quick video sums up how I found a way to create 4 income streams. Check it out and let me know if you are ready to learn how? I am looking for others to mentor and train. Message me for more info. 

Retire Out of Real Estate

If you have your real estate license, you know the true definition of hard work. You know the grind. You understand the time, energy and compassion it takes to do your job well. What if you feel called to something more? What if you are bored and are ready to start a new adventure and don't know how to transition out? 

 Did you know that we have a real estate business acquisition specialist who can sit down with you and help you put together your exit strategy?

Click "contact us" for more info today and book you career visioning consultation. 

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!