Chapter 13Key Lesson #2: The Hardest Workers in Any Room
A few years ago, I heard one of the most awe-inspiring business stories of my life. Joe Sitt, through his extremely hard work ethic, was able to acquire a renowned property in Manhattan even though he was not the highest bidder. He paid $2 million less than the highest bidder and the owner sold him the property. How is this possible, you may ask? Putting aside the fact the Joe is a credible buyer with a good reputation, it was because he—and other people from his team—called or emailed the seller every day for seven years. For seven years!
Hard work is often mischaracterized as just strenuous physical labor, but it can also be intense dedication, sharpened focus, an intricate study of the capital markets, repeatedly calling a prospect with news of an excellent deal, and so much more.
How many people do you know who would have implemented this superhuman work ethic like Joe and his team did? Odds are, very few people. You see, these Real Estate Titans work tremendously hard.
I asked Joe Sitt what had happened in his life to drive him to work so hard. How could someone be motivated to pursue a property for such a long time without giving up? He explained that when he was very young, back in the 1980s, he did a short internship in the real estate department of an Asian manufacturing company, and he got to work in Shanghai, Jakarta, Istanbul, and Manila. One important common characteristic he noticed with the different people ...