Geez, I have not posted to the blog in more than two months!?!? This is one of the longest stretches of silence ever! Why? I dunno. In part, I’ve shifted my energies (more) to work. Also, I’ve been using other platforms, e.g. Instagram and Marco Polo. The other truth is, once I go for a long while without blogging, I kind of fall out of sync and like any habit that loses steam, it takes more energy to get back into the groove. I can’t tell you how many times in the last month I’ve been meaning to update, but just knowing my writing/storytelling is rusty after the respite makes me even more hesitant. It’s that perfectionism streak in me I guess. Sometimes I’d rather not do something if it’s not going to be good, you know?

Ultimately though, I do catch myself. And certainly, witnessing my father’s perfectionism always lights a fire under my ass to avoid a similar approach to life. And after reflecting some about my blog, and I’ve decided to redirect some of my energies away from general social media (FB and Insta are such time sinks) and back to writing on Asian American Hustle. I would like this to be a higher priority than just scouring generic feeds and such. I want to keep this outlet going (since 2003!) for as long as I can…

So what’s been occupying my time? Well, August was a great month, namely bc I completed two deals. Yes, I can’t lie: my happiness is directly tied to my work. One set of clients continued to reach out well after the transaction closed (and honestly, I like functioning as a problem solver/resource for my clients), so there was a lot of time-consuming research/negotiation in that arena…. A lot of random things, including ventless dryers, electrical outlets, sprinkler malfunctions, appliance repair, etc. While some agents thought I was going way too far above and beyond my duties, in some sense, I saw this as 1) a way to distinguish myself from other agents who may not be as thorough and as resourceful and 2) an opportunity to continue building rapport bc in a business like this, the ultimate goal is to create what agents call a “raging fan”– someone who is so happy with you and your service that s/he will remain loyal AND recommend you wholeheartedly to others. These clients wrote me my first review on Zillow, and they’ve always expressed gratitude for my work and help.

My other set of clients have been pretty quiet– they’re happy too but pretty busy at work and they have yet to get going full blast on home renovations, much less moving into their new home. It’s not a point of stress though: I worked with the hubby for many years at my govvie job, and we’re friends. They’re excited, and I’m told their review is coming…

I also started testing out some new marketing initiatives. I revisited an old realtor site I’d discovered last year, and they’ve really bulked up their content with a nice selection of marketing materials. I created some door hangers (and got a bite!) and then also created a brochure. Yep, I FINALLY got around to a brochure introducing myself and laying out my “unique value proposition.” We’ll see if it helps me drum up more business.

Meanwhile, I’m still doing open houses and still trying to gain insights from my colleagues at this new office. In September, I was feeling a little frustrated with my open house conversion stats, so I attended an open house training to see what I might be doing wrong. Interestingly, it was helpful talking to the other attendees to get their feedback. You see, a lot of the traditional training says that the goal of open houses is to set appointments. It’s not to gather names and numbers. It’s to set meetings to build rapport and convince buyers to work together. So I asked how many attendees had actually scored appointments. Zero! Why does this matter? Bc I’ve been beating myself up about not setting meetings but no one is. I think it’s still a worthy goal, but it’s not the ONLY goal. And in the end, following up and showing homes is still a method that can yield success. Anyway, it was helpful getting some feedback from other heavy hitters. I feel freshly energized and re-motivated. Gotta wrap the year up strong!