It is one of my favorite times of the year to be a sports fan. Last year it was crushing to watch the young men and women not able to compete. I think a little part of me died that day!
This year the energy is even higher with the gap of not having this tournament to be able to watch with friends and family. I don’t know about you but there are so many similarities to hoops and life.
Right now each team is preparing for their opponent and making sure they make it to the next round. Every team has all of the nerves, scheduling issues and school to make sure they are balancing, and then also go play a game :)
As I am getting ready to start watching our Badgers and so many wonderful teams, I can’t help but think about what our clients feel like in a market that has never been like this before. I have been in the real estate business for 18 years and many have been there longer and they can’t remember a time when this was a market that we have now today.
Still, with market shortages in some price ranges and locations, and the ever present competition that our clients are having, we have to do what we can to keep them in the know but also be their coach to keep their mind in the game.
Right now our skills are not just about knowing the market and negotiating a contract, we have an element to this market where we need to keep them focused on their goals, don’t allow too much emotion to control where they are going versus where they want to be. Communication is key and trust in systems. We have strong systems and standards that our team has created so that we can make sure that even when the market is doing what it is right now, we have the tools and skills to help our clients be successful.
My favorite memory to wrap this mindset up is when Kobe Bryant and Matt Barnes match up in the NBA finals. Matt Barns was trying everything to get in Kobe’s head. This went on most of the game, but in a dead ball situation where Orlando got the ball out of bounds, Matt Barnes was the inbound passer. He thought he would try one more trick to get Kobe off his game. He faked a pass within inches of his face. Kobe DID NOT MOVE!! This was the moment that Barnes knew he was toast.