Which do you think is going to serve you best in business & life: “reaction” or “preparation”? At this point you might be tempted to mutter “Another stupid leading question from Mr. Freak’n Internet!”  Wouldn’t blame you if you did. Just one thing though –think about what percentage of real estate practitioners truly take the time to prepare for whatever the business throws at them.  Hmmmm?  Now you know why this is a valid question.

Common human behavior is to react, (and usually poorly) to outside stimulus. Uncommon human behavior is to anticipate, plan and then execute what is necessary to turn the pain of imposed change into opportunity.

From the executive suite on down to the line-level sales associate, this has got to be one of the most reactive of all industries. Players are either “high” or “low” depending upon the news, market statistics and just about everything else that is out of their control. Fortunately though (as always), you have a choice as to whether you react or prepare…

You hit homeruns not by chance but by preparation.

– Roger Maris

Reaction is typically fear-based no matter how the market is (“I’m going to miss opportunities!” / “I’m going to go broke!”). And unless you are being chased by a Saber-Tooth Tiger, action based on fear almost never ends well. By always preparing for what will or might come your way, you have a much better chance of hitting the ball out of the park, no matter how it is thrown…