I never understood all that complaining about yearly dues. The legal help lines, the continuing education opportunities, the store, and the new technology were all items that I used every year. Don’t forget about the Christmas Ball, too!

In the last couple of years, I have had the opportunity to work with some of the most progressive boards in America. We have been getting calls from boards and associations asking for non-CE credit courses to help their members move out of low production by implementing tough market systems.

There is nothing wrong with continuing education credit seminars, and I do those all the time. However, the state real estate departments are strict in monitoring which seminars receive credits and which do not receive credits. They have regulations that require continuing education credits only be given to agents who attend seminars that teach them to do better jobs for their customers. Contracts, fair housing, architecture, and ethics are all necessary ingredients to a safe, fruitful, and client-pleasing career.

The other day, I spoke with an executive officer who said, “My agents need to learn how to list more, sell more, price better, and get paid for their hard work!" She went on to say, "If they do not start making money, they can not give the service that their clients deserve, because they start cutting corners!"

It is true that an agent who is desperate for money is more likely to lie and manipulate a transaction for survival rather than putting his or her clients first. Putting the client first is one of the most fruitful ways to increase future business; however, an agent might not consideration that if he or she is trying to pay the bills.

Executive officers are stepping up all over the country to provide the training that their members need. I am getting the greatest requests for the following:

• How to build listing inventories

• How to manage buyers

• How to make faster and more successful listing presentations

• How to use personal websites to attract more sellers and fewer buyers

• How to separate myth and reality of social networking

• How to build low-cost teams and make an assistant profitable

• How to get over the fact that you don’t have an REO account

• How to turn down 50% of short sales

• How to buy at the bottom to become rich at the top

These seminars are not always granted continuing education credits. The EOs are telling me that their membership is taking the required courses online or from many speakers like me who are licensed to provide continuing education. However, the great demand from the agents is for tools that are not covered in the CE courses. We are seeing a rush to provide these tools for boards and associations across North America.

Executive officers spend all day determining what is best for their membership and the new trend is providing seminars where the speaker talks about how the agents can make more money now by using smart business systems. The emphasis is being taken off the regulatory type seminars. I hope you never complain about the dues again. They just may save your business!

Published: August 31, 2009

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Beginning in the late seventies, Walter re-wrote records in real estate particularly in number of transactions and dollar volume. His best year was 1992 with $72 million in sales. In today’s economy, that would equal to over $133 million dollars per year in personal production sales! He sold a house a day for seventeen years. Now, he is one of the most requested trainers in real estate. Franchises request and mentor his systems, which he has developed. Delegation, net-profit strategies, working hard and still having a life are a few of the easy to implement, low-cost strategies that we are proud to bring you. Some industry decision-makers believe Walter Sanford was one of the top agents in North America during the ‘80s and early ‘90s. To contact Walter, you can email him at or by calling 815.929.9258.