California, here I come! I’m flying to the famous wine country of the Golden State today, and it reminds me of my years growing up in Austria. Back then, I worked in my family’s vineyard and at our Heurigen where people came to enjoy our wines. The thought of selling homes in Phoenix never crossed my mind. But recently I have come to realize that the vineyard lessons apply to real estate, too.
- The quality of your product or service is key to your success. Austria has many small wineries that compete with each other, and the big cooperatives and mass producers can always out-advertise and out-market the small independent. Quality is the one factor that will set your wine apart and bring people back for more. As a REALTOR®, the quality of your service – honest, ethical behavior – will set you apart and create referrals.
- You cannot control everything. You can do everything possible to ensure a good vintage, but you cannot control the amount of sunshine or rain your grapevines receive. You can also do everything you can to make sure a real estate deal goes smoothly from offer to settlement, but some things are beyond your control. How you deal with the bumps in the road will say a lot about what kind of person you are and your ability to survive and thrive in the business.
- Success is built by doing what’s needed every day. Caring for vines that will produce excellent grapes is not something you can do just when you get around to it. The vineyard needs tending every day. Your real estate “vineyard” – your business – needs tending every day, too. Your long term success depends on doing the daily essentials like responding to clients and verifying all the details of every sale.
From vine to bottle, a fine wine takes time and care to produce. The nurturing of real estate clients is not that different – it also takes time and care. The delicious reward is happy clients and a business that grows and prospers.
