Steven Shewell's (sshewell) Blog

There are three sales secrets that successful sales people either know, but don't acknowledge, accept but don't recognize or experience but don't bother to analyze.  These three secrets are the backbone of their existence.  It's what sets them apart from their competition and allows them to enjoy...

The borrower's past attitude toward credit obligations is one of the best predictors of that borrower's future actions regarding debt payment.  Thus, the borrower's credit history is important.  A borrower who has consistently made payments on time is likely to continue to do so and is, therefore...

2007 has been projected to see another drop in the number of real estate transactions in the five to seven percent range, but with the large influx of new agents, it is going to be more competitive than ever.  Time on market will continue to climb and some parts of the country will even see a shi...

I have a cautionary question for you, about your marketing; how much are you talking about what interests you vs. what interests...them?It reminds me of Napoleon Hill's story of Andrew Carnegie's mother going into the store to buy a little furnace, getting the lecture on BTU's, energy efficiency,...

So many Realtors beat the same bushes in their quest for new business.  "Farm" marketing, where the people receive anywhere from 2-10 letters from local Realtors.  FSBO's, that passing fad of most Realtors until they feel it's "too hard" to make a connection.  Massive newspaper advertising campai...

My previous article dealt with identifying "The Dance" that many agents perform with far too many prospects (suspects?).  Today we'll look at six key points that you can use to avoid wasting your time with people who have little motivation and/or no interest in purchasing a property:1.  Be Time C...

For years, I have professed the benefits of consistent, repetitive direct mail marketing as a highly effective long-term business building solution.  But developing a direct mail farm often causes Realtors the most concerns and brings up the most questions.  So today, I am laying it all out in a ...

Does the owner of a Fortune 500 company spend hours a day putting stamps on envelopes or take all of the company's mail to the post office at the end of each day?  Is a grocery store owner the person responsible for stocking the shelves, unloading the trucks and ringing up customers' orders?  Whe...

You're the greatest Realtor on the face of the earth, right?  I know this because I see your ads placed prominently in the newspaper, magazines, etc. telling me how wonderful that you are.  Heck, you're even a member of the multi-million dollar club (I just knew you can make tons of money in real...

As I travel around, I am hearing more and more rumblings from agents talking about how their business is slowing down.  They don't have any clients to work with, things are drying up...I've even heard of some agents who have gotten part time jobs to make ends meet?  How has this happened?The time...