Are You Being Fished or Are You Living in the Reef?

It used to be called fishing.  You baited your hook, dropped it in the nearest body of water and well, you know the rest...you waited...patiently, or not so patiently, in my case.  I always liked a great deal about fishing, but not actually waiting for them to bite.  I liked the boat or pond-bank, I liked the serenity and the notion of being in nature, but never really liked waiting for something that was abundant at the store or fish market.  I was told time and time again, that the waiting would make me appreciate the catch even more, but to me, the fish were the fish; they all tasted the same.

In real estate, the same term has been used to describe the act of throwing multiple marketing "hooks" out and waiting for bites. Again, I look at the act of "fishing" for business and have little patience, when there are clients out in need, waiting for guidance, in some of the most obvious places.  If you like to market, then ok.  If you like "being in real estate", then ok. But I like pulling from my ocean because it just seems to make good business sense.  This is how that ocean looks...

I've been a full-time Realtor for 13 years.  Over the course of that 13 years I have closed over 500 transaction sides.  That means helping over 500 individual buyers and sellers across the Triad.  Those buyers and sellers have experienced my service, attention to detail and professional knowledge.  They swim in "my real estate ocean".  The thing is, I don't want to keep fishing.  I like to think of these past clients as a reef of referrals.  I don't need to drop a line or a net and pluck them out one by one, only to serve my hunger.  Nope, these fish are the ones who swim and share with their fellow "reef mates".  When someone moves out of their current "shell", they know who to bring into the "reef" by means of sharing the real estate experience they had with Brooke Cashion.  All I need to do is to be a good steward of the "reef", making sure that it is nourished, cared for and appreciated.  No need to bait and wait, I just have to "dive in", explore and appreciate the beauty of the "reef". These "reef-mates" are more than willing to share info with friends and family that I provide them on current listings and market trends, and they are always looking for "reef-mates" to be in the "club".

So the next time someone is fishing for your real estate business, ask yourself, "Am I being fished? One time and done?" or "Am I a part of the "reef", being nurtured and cared for throughout my real estate lifetime?"

Brooke