We have all experienced challenging times in the midst of our real estate journey. Mine came in August 1974 as I began my real estate career.Ā My yearās hard work had produced no closings and my real estate future looked dismal. I turned to God in deep discouragement and asked for a positive signājust 3 valid transactions during the month of August. At the same time I enrolled in graduate school, preparing to return to the field of education.
The month slowly passed day by day. Then August 27 and 28 brought great hope with the sale of my only listing plus a first-time-buyer.Ā My prayers were being answeredāI was now two transactions down, had one to go and a full three days remaining! Perhaps real estateĀ wasĀ the career for me.
August 29 and 30 came and went without any activity and I became angry. How could I fall just one transaction short of my goal?Ā I needed more faith and more patience. At 10:00 a.m. a phone call changed everything-it was a buyer.Ā I showed them two homes and truly felt as if there was magic in the air. Ā My third transaction was about to materialize. After all these months, I felt as if real estate success was within my grasp.
My joy quickly disappeared when the client told me they could not buy from me because they had been previously working with Lillie Mae Tillman, another local agent. She had shown them numerous homes and bought them lunches and dinners. And ultimately they felt their loyalty had to remain with her. I knew these buyers had reached the most ethical decision, but I was heartbroken. I had been so close to, what I felt was success. It was the lowest moment in my real estate career.
At 7:30 that evening the clients called me with the news that during a conversation with Lillie Mae, she had told them to āDo the right thing and buy the house from Mo Anderson.āĀ I could hardly believe what I was hearing!Ā Lillie Mae Tillman, an elderly, quiet, reserved Century 21 agent had changed my life with four little words ā āDo the right thingā.Ā That was when my real estate ball began to roll.Ā The next six months brought 35 transactions; I went on to build my own company and then Keller Williams Realty entered my life. Through it all I have never forgotten precious, wonderful Lillie Mae Tillman and the impact her integrity had and continues to have on my life. She taught me that when we ādo the right thingā it is possible to literally change the course of someoneās life.
As we enter a new decade, letās renew our commitment to ādo the right thingā in all aspects of our lives.Ā And, just as our integrity is able to impact and change the course of the lives of those around us, it has the power to change our world!
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How to Become a Realtor
So you want to be a Realtor?
Obtaining a real estate license in your state, or other states in which you may have interest in doing business is not difficult, if you know what to expect, and can fulfill the requirements. How you get a real estate license will vary from state to state, but will usually involve minimum age requirements, certain education and/or experience requirements, applications and fees, and other state-specific details. So you must be sure that you know the relevant information from your state before you get too deep in preparing for your real estate exam.
In most states and provinces, a minimum requirement to joining a real estate brokerage as a real estate sales agent is to have already earned a real estate license. In some states, however, a new agent needs to obtain a sponsoring brokerage prior to pursuing a license. Realtor licensing requirements typically involve coursework and passing a state test (Most states also require that you be a high-school graduate or hold an equivalency diploma). You can check with your state or province to find the names of licensing schools near you. Some states also require post-licensing coursework immediately after you earn your license; and most states require continuing education throughout your career to keep your license active.
Keller Williams Realty agents in the United States and Canada are required to be members of their brokerageās local real estate board and complete certification training and contract-completion training, and perhaps additional real estate training through that board. So, if you want to be a realtor, enroll in an approved real estate licensing program through your state/provinceās real estate licensing website below, and then submit your interest in a real estate career at Keller Williams Realty!
Congratulations Keller Williams Realty: We are #1!
With a net gain of 12,000 associates in the past year, Keller Williams Realty is now the largest real estate franchise in North America. The announcement, based on publicly available agent count data as of September 9, 2013, was made during Keller Williams Realtyās Midyear State of the Company presentation. Keller Williams is now home to more than 90,000 associates around the world.
āWe are not a company of complacency,ā CEO Mark Willis said. āWe have the best business model in the industry and itās leading to increased productivity, profitability and profit sharing that are at all-time highs for our company and unrivaled in our industry.ā
In recent months, Keller Williams Realty has shattered its monthly records for listings taken, contracts written, commissions earned, owner profit and profit share:
- Year over year, units are up 8 percent, closed volume is up 17 percent and gross commission income is up 18 percent.
- Ninety-five percent of the companyās offices are profitable year to date ā a figure that far outpaces the standard for franchise businesses.
- In the past 12 months, the company has distributed $58 million in profit share to associates, a 33 percent increase over the previous year.
The strong growth, productivity and profitability gains follow a year of milestones for the company:
- The release of the Keller Williams mobile app ā personally branded for each of the companyās 90,000 associates. In the past 30 days, more than 58,000 consumers have downloaded the app to their Apple and Android devices.
- Publication of co-founder Gary Kellerās new book,Ā The ONE Thing, which has appeared on 117 bestseller lists, includingĀ The New York Times, where it has been on the business bestseller list for 5 months, andĀ The Wall Street Journal, where it earned the #1 spot.
Willis used concepts fromĀ The ONE ThingĀ to illustrate his presentation, which took place at Mega Camp, the real estate industryās premier educational and networking event for top producers. āKeller Williams leaders, what youāre doing is lining up a perfect domino run,ā he said. āBeing #1 in agent count in the United States was our first domino. Weāre on our way to knocking over bigger and bigger dominos until weāre #1 in agent count, transactions and volume all across the world.ā
Keller Williams Worldwide President Chris Heller also announced the companyās expansion into the United Kingdom. In recent years, the companyās global division has announced franchise agreements in Austria, Germany, Indonesia, Southern Africa, Switzerland, Turkey and Vietnam. Heller touted the achievements of the companyās regions outside of North America and welcomed more than 100 international guests from countries including Brazil, China, Colombia, Ghana, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Poland and Russia.
āAround the globe, entrepreneurs, brokers and agents are looking for and asking for what we offer,ā Heller said. āThey crave our models, systems, training and technology. And because Keller Williams can offer all of those at a level they have never seen before, we are attracting tremendous talent and gaining momentum.ā
āSuccess leaves clues,ā Keller Williams President Mary Tennant said during her State of the Culture update. āAnd your unprecedented achievements this year all flow from the culture of success, caring and opportunity you created and are enhancing every day.ā