Is the Recession Over ? I Hope Not !
Some pretty big names recently have stated that the recession is over,including the likes of Ben Bernanke, Warren 
Buffett and most recently RE/MAX CEO Dave Liniger. I would agree that Recession is over and the "worst is behind us". The bad news is that once the economy starts to get better, that could negatively impact the future of your business.
You might say "Chris, you are crazy ! How is that possible ? " . I will explain - it is simple. No matter what business you are in right now, recessions and slow downs are the BEST TIME to grow your business and to gain market share.
In the real estate industry, Realtors stop marketing and spending money on growing their business. The marketing you see on many listings are the bare minimum. Realtors stop sending out Just Listed / Just Sold cards and basically stop doing anything that costs money. Or even better, their attitude is negative! They are stuck in the gloom and doom reading about rising foreclosures and buying into "houses will never sell" and "the deals are too hard". So, their lead generation activities come to a halt. Or better yet, Real Estate offices stop advertising and marketing all together, cutting back on costs wherever they can. For example, have you seen less real estate ads on TV (other than RE/MAX of course) ? I certainly have without mentioning names.
Folks, this is the best time that you will ever have to gain more clients NOW to grow your business. When things are going full force there will be more agents again and more competition out there. But for all the potential clients that are out there now, those are the people that a year or two or three from now will be referring business to you. It is the hard transactions that people do not forget. That is where you really become "Realtor for Life".
This is the case with any business. It is during the rough times where fortunes are made and lost, where businesses prosper and fail. The strong survive and get stronger. Below is a good interview with Dave Liniger that started RE/MAX during a depression in the early 70s.
Surviving Recession: The RE/MAX start-up story
What did I do this year ? Just so I am not blowing smoke, I became part owner of a RE/MAX office and am already gaining market share in Philadelphia !
What will you do for the rest of the year to grow your business ?
The opportunity is NOW !
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