Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman

1.2. Step Two: Get All the Education You Can

When I was just starting my career in real estate, I knew another guy who was just getting started. Each of us took an entirely different approach. While I dove right in and started selling houses, he was taking every real estate course he could fit into his schedule.

He was a GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute) before he had ever listed his first house. He was a CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) before he showed a house. He took every class, went to every seminar, and signed up for every workshop available. I used to say, "How crazy is that? The guy doesn't make any money. He's getting all this education—for what?"

Although this agent was not making money right out of the gate, he quickly achieved success and became the fifth or sixth top agent in the metropolitan Detroit area. He was probably pulling in a quarter of a million dollars a year. What he did was to take the doctor or lawyer approach to real estate. He went out and got his education first.

1.2.1. Doing It My Way

My approach was to start making money immediately. I figured I didn't need all that education. All I had to do was work my butt off and the money would start rolling in. I enrolled in the college of hard knocks, earning my street smarts, and working like a dog to make things happen. I had to overcome my lack of education with the sheer number of hours worked and energy spent.

In the long run, we both became very successful agents, but I had to work much harder ...