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Rainmaker
5,583,278
Barbara Todaro
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Happily Retired - Franklin, MA
Previously Affiliated with The Todaro Team

 I had 4 subdivisions with builder/developers hanging by their fingernails.... they dropped the prices, and I made a score with referral fees made on all of the listings of new homes and condos.... 

Nov 16, 2016 04:42 AM
Rainmaker
4,319,419
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, Broker, Tacoma Washington - the faith! I can do it!

Nov 16, 2016 03:29 PM
Rainmaker
2,224,473
Debbie Laity
Cedaredge Land Company - Cedaredge, CO
Your Real Estate Resource for Delta County, CO

Well I got my license in 2007. That was a bad year to get your real estate license. I found all kinds of ways to stay in the business. 

Nov 16, 2016 10:43 AM
Rainmaker
711,852
Lynnea Miller
Bend Premier Real Estate - Bend, OR
Premier Real Estate Service in Central Oregon

This was my job and my career.  My husband (general contractor) and I scraped by (barely!) and came out the other end  much wiser in how we conduct our professional lives.

Nov 16, 2016 05:31 AM
Rainmaker
1,844,301
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

I going to say I was just plain insane. I had already spent a good portion of my career & did not want to change professions at that time. I still feel the same way that I am good at what I do.

 

Nov 16, 2016 05:21 AM
Rainmaker
2,781,173
Richie Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

I finally learned how to make Real Estate do most of the work

Nov 16, 2016 04:53 AM
Rainmaker
4,882,355
Richard Weeks
Dallas, TX
REALTOR®, Broker

I knew I could not control the market all I could do was find that one person who wanted to buy or sell.

Nov 16, 2016 04:26 AM
Ambassador
1,076,551
John Meussner
Mortgages in AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IN, MD, MN, MT, NC, NJ, NV, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI - Fair Oaks, CA
#MortgageMadeEasy Fair Oaks, CA 484-680-4852

Persistence - the market got bad just as I got in, so I've never known a 'normal' market - only the great recession and the stagnation we've seen since.  A mentor once told me if I could weather 08-09', I'd never look back - they were right!

Nov 16, 2016 03:52 AM
Rainmaker
1,052,211
Candice A. Donofrio
Next Wave RE Investments LLC Bullhead City AZ Commercial RE Broker - Fort Mohave, AZ
928-201-4BHC (4242) call/text

Referral and repeat business and multiple income streams.

Nov 16, 2016 03:38 AM
Ambassador
3,345,091
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

Absolute determination. Quitting was not an option. 

Nov 16, 2016 02:56 AM
Rainmaker
1,466,207
Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, Broker, Tacoma Washington Hard work!

Nov 16, 2016 02:36 AM
Ambassador
3,727,873
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@Properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

I kept making money and was still having fun.  Those are my deep criteria.

Nov 16, 2016 02:27 AM
Rainmaker
3,988,007
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

I knew it would come back around, it always does and I would be ready and have less competition.

Nov 16, 2016 07:11 AM
Rainmaker
1,712,676
Joe Pryor
The Virtual Real Estate Team - Oklahoma City, OK
REALTOR® - Oklahoma Investment Properties

Adaptability.

Nov 16, 2016 05:34 AM
Rainmaker
1,239,901
Sam Shueh
(408) 425-1601 - San Jose, CA
mba, cdpe, reopro, pe

During the Great Recession we had an army of high tech casulties. All the young and not so young found FT employment with benefits so they left. A few died of cancer. I am still kicking.....

Nov 16, 2016 04:01 AM
Rainmaker
1,513,143
Raymond E. Camp
Ontario, NY

Procrastination!

Og and did not want to go back to auto sales!

Nov 16, 2016 02:30 AM
Rainmaker
4,800,082
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

It was either hard work or stupidity.

Nov 16, 2016 11:28 PM
Rainmaker
1,725,996
Sandy Padula & Norm Padula, JD, GRI
HomeSmart Realty West & Florida Realty Investments - , CA
Presence, Persistence & Perseverance

I have too much fun in this business.

Nov 16, 2016 11:05 PM
Rainmaker
3,071,489
Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers
Serving the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale Metropolitan Area - Scottsdale, AZ
Haven Express @ Keller Williams Arizona Realty

Short Sales

Nov 16, 2016 09:33 PM
Ambassador
6,393,609
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

I saw it as a time of opportunity, and increased the real estate part of our business.

 

Nov 16, 2016 11:39 AM
Rainmaker
900,128
Olga Simoncelli
Veritas Prime, LLC dba Veritas Prime Real Estate - New Fairfield, CT
CONSULTANT, Real Estate Services & Risk Management

Don't know; I got in after that time.

Nov 16, 2016 10:35 AM
Ambassador
2,684,109
Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate
Fred Griffin Real Estate - Tallahassee, FL
Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker

 I had seen bad markets before.  I knew it would come back.

Nov 16, 2016 10:00 AM
Rainmaker
3,986,258
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

I had no mortgage and a great referral base.  Also No car payment and credit cards were clear.

Nov 16, 2016 09:46 AM
Rainmaker
823,579
Susan Laxson CRS
Palm Properties - La Quinta, CA
Realtor in San Diego, CA & Naples, FL

After 30 years in the business, I knew that there are always cycles and planned ahead for them.

Nov 16, 2016 08:22 AM
Ambassador
3,383,334
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

I started in 2005, but Short Sales helped me build up a business when so many others were getting out.

Nov 16, 2016 07:59 AM
Rainmaker
1,502,998
Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA
https://HugginsHomes.com - Thousand Oaks, CA
Residential Real Estate and Investment Properties

I was getting back in.

Nov 16, 2016 06:15 AM
Rainmaker
5,772,575
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Paul,

The ability to turn on a dime.  A

Nov 16, 2016 05:51 AM
Rainmaker
1,622,432
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

I'm not that long in RE. But statistically speaking 90% of those who pass a state test to get a license, are not in the industry in 1 y. 

Nov 16, 2016 04:47 AM
Ambassador
5,230,113
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Savvy + Company (704) 491-3310 - Charlotte, NC
The RIGHT CHARLOTTE REALTOR!

I have a LOT of financiers for clients so, my sphere were quiet as church mice during the Great Recession!  My luxury market went into the TANK! I moved into the short sale arena and also worked with a TON of first-time homebuyers who were children of friends and friends of my own boys.  I also sent a lot of referrals out to college towns where my friends children were going to school who wanted to purchase condos for their college students rather than pay the hefty dorm fees!!

In '08, I had two in college and one of them was a private college so, I was NOT going to go back to the hospital (my former career) and I HAD to see them through college.  Resourcefulness and tenacity are the words that I would use to describe what had to be done to survive - and it worked!

What about you, Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, Broker, Tacoma Washington?

Nov 17, 2016 12:19 PM
Rainmaker
4,936,705
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

Lucky, I was still doing more business then otheres because of my marketing.

Nov 17, 2016 09:27 AM
Rainmaker
2,810,149
Dick Greenberg
New Paradigm Partners LLC - Fort Collins, CO
Northern Colorado Residential Real Estate

Hi Paul - Luck, reserves and a refusal to quit, pretty much.

Nov 17, 2016 03:46 AM
Ambassador
2,178,603
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

I expanded into property management which gave me a steady income and allowed me to just keep on keeping on.  I picked up 60 rental units and life was good.

Nov 16, 2016 10:50 PM
Rainmaker
989,652
Jennifer Mackay
Counts Real Estate Group, Inc. - Panama City, FL
Your Bay County Florida Realtor 850.774.6582

I had nowhere else to go LOL - and I don't run when the going gets tough - I dig my feet in and get it done!

Nov 16, 2016 10:48 PM
Rainmaker
5,216,409
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

It was the career I had chosen. I sold builder models at discounts and it got me through the rough times!

Nov 16, 2016 10:12 PM
Rainmaker
3,626,530
James Dray
Fathom Realty - Bentonville, AR

I started in 2008 when the market tanked.  I survived by having two retirement checks coming in

Nov 16, 2016 08:30 PM
Rainmaker
4,434,127
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

I knew the market will improve. 

Nov 16, 2016 08:14 PM
Rainmaker
5,104,931
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

I run my business by referral and my past clients kept me solid through the lean years with repeat and referral business.

Nov 16, 2016 08:14 PM
Rainmaker
921,504
Annette Lawrence , Palm Harbor, FL 727-420-4041
ReMax Realtec Group - Palm Harbor, FL
Making FLORIDA Real Estate EZ

The pep talk!

"The market has changed. You must change also. The easy money is GONE!"

Thanks to Bank of America, the easy money was stolen and the rest of us learned a lot about alternative markets, different business models, NEGOTIATING with administrators who could care less,  and how to dance when things go wrong.

What really kept me going was continuously repeating, "If it were easy, ANYBODY could do it!"

Skills still used today.
If it were easy, anybody could do it.

Nov 16, 2016 04:08 AM
Rainmaker
1,157,785
FN LN
Toronto, ON

There was no mass exodus of agents in my board, one of very largest in North America, at that time.  There was mainly a short term drop in the number of new members each month but then it picked up quickly afterwards.

Nov 16, 2016 03:46 AM
Rainmaker
7,836,419
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Income.

Nov 16, 2016 03:30 AM
Ambassador
3,169,508
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Real estate wasn't then and isn't now my sole source of income.  Takes care of the dips in the market. Bill

Nov 16, 2016 03:18 AM