I figured since I made my sarcastic fail post, I should make a how to succeed posting as well. Here is how I have succeeded in real estate (as prompted by one of my lovely clients):

1. My continued education in Real Estate! I not only stay abreast of real estate with continued education and fancy real estate designations, I make sure I understand what is happening more broadly in our world. I received my Master of Public Administration from ASU and trained with the Chalmer’s Center in Faith and Finances . I gain information on local issues by volunteering with government and charities.

Volunteering on the City Planning Committee

2. I am an expert in contracts and negotiations. Type “negotiation” into Amazon and it will render more than 20,000 books! While, I have not read even close to that, the amount of books should tell you that there are different practices of negotiation. I have also seen negotiation tactics change during the time I have worked in the industry, so I am able to employ different negotiation techniques based on the person’s style with whom I am negotiating. The Arizona contract has also gone through lots of changes since I began my career. We no longer have to press hard on 5 copies of paper! Contract writing remains one of my favorite parts of my job, and it helps to truly understand it when negotiating.

3. I invest in real estate myself. I have flipped, rented, 1031’d, and Airbnb’d my way throughout my career. I know real estate by first hand, not just on paper.

4. I co-own a building and construction company with my husband. We have been flipping and remodeling in the Phoenix area (and Cottonwood) since 2005! It has helped my with both businesses to be able to keep current of trends and value.

5. Are you really still reading? ;) See previous post on How to fail at real estate in 5 easy steps. I have remained true to myself in my business, and I consider that a success.