21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me: Practical Advice for New Real Estate Professionals. [Paperback]

Frank Cook (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2002

Written with humor and insight, 21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me provides hands on advice that will help agents start, or maintain, a sucessful career in real estate. This has real life stories from dozens of sucessful, top producing, real estate professionals will help new agents know what to expect and how to succeed.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Publishing (June 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793154375
• ISBN-13: 978-0793154371
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

330 of 334 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, and brutally honest, December 20, 2002

By 

Gary Frimann (Gilroy, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me: Practical Advice for New Real Estate Professionals. (Paperback)

I am a liccensed CA Real Estate Broker. I ordered the book after I had read a positive review about the book from newspaper real estate columnist/investor/attorney, Robert Bruss. Bruss has never steered me wrong, and I highly respect his opinions.
This book is the MOST straightforward, no BS, book I have read yet about any aspect of the business. I tip my hat to the author, who himself is a real estate columnist, for digging up the information... The truths are universal in this business (which is scary/weird), but I feel that anyone who is starting out in this business MUST read this book so you know what to expect, as I cannot think of any other business that chews up and spits out people so quickly. I imagine some will buy it looking for a way to riches, which this book is NOT about. It is about understanding how the business really works and what to expect, thereby giving one an edge against any disappointment and discouragement a "green" agent will surely feel in the first 18 months of this business. The dropout rate is high, and I think the author offers much encouragement. There has been so much stuff written about selling real estate, and all the "pump up" stuff to keep one motivated, but this book is not about that at all. This book would make an excellent gift to anyone who just passed their Real Estate test and is willing to take the plunge into a business where, quite frankly, every day that you wake up, you are seeking work! After reading it, you won't feel so distraught at the bumpy road which lies ahead.
I'm sure even seasoned vets of the business would appreciate it, and may find themselves chuckling to themselves as they are reminded of the many hard lessons that were learned -and there will be many- as the book points out, or perhaps I should say, the book says "Look Out!"
I read it in one evening, as it entertains the reader as well. Well done, Mr. Cook, and thank you for approaching a subject that I think few have touched upon. Your organization of the subject matter seems well thought out.
The one underlying theme which he displays in various interviews with Realtors is one must certainly rely on hard work, rather than luck (we all know the stories about stepping out for a $4.95 sandwich, only to lose a $20,000 commission to the one agent who answered the phone), to make it. Plus, thank you for mentioning that this is a misunderstood profession, in the eyes of the public, and calling upon all agents to act professionally, and putting the client's needs before our own.
Buy it, read it, and good luck to all the new agents out there. Office managers: make this required reading for new agents and you'll save yourself a lot of hand holdiing...

80 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for general business too, not just Real Estate, May 17, 2003

By 

Mediahound (SF Bay Area, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: 21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me: Practical Advice for New Real Estate Professionals. (Paperback)

I would have to agree that this is a great no-nonsense book for anyone interested or involved in Real Estate to any degree. I would go further and recommend it for anyone interested in business in general. It has lots of useful and truthful information and you don't have to specifically be in the field of Real Estate to benefit from it. This book will let you know if Real Estate is for you, or that it is not for you. It will tell you what you can expect and what you will need to pay attention to in order to be successful.

Even if you are just a curious outsider, you will gleen some insight into the realities that Realtors and business people in general face. It's a book that is easy to read, formatted well, priced right and even entertaining. Equally beneficial for Realtors already in the busines, those studying for their license, people wanting to buy or sell a home, or lost unemployed souls like me who don't know what the heck to do to make money.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Book for New Licensees, June 17, 2005

By 

Just getting started (Ceres, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me: Practical Advice for New Real Estate Professionals. (Paperback)

I am just got my license, and I can tell you, alot of the 'how to be successful in real estate in your first year' and from the various seminars I have attended, they all basically say the same thing - Market yourself, prepare for the rough patches, work, work, work to see results. Nothing really earth shattering or inspiring.

But I liked this book because of it's honesty. Alot of what you hear and read in other books, on how to market your self and get leads - this book breaks it down based on surveys from people who have been in real estate for awhile and are successful.

It tells you which methods they found to work, and how often the others did or did not work for them. Gives you a good idea of which way you want to go, instead of you trying to do doing everything you all at once and spending all that time and money- only to see minimal results.

It also talks about the ruts and dry spells real estate agents get into, and the reasons why as many as 70% of new real estate agents drop out in their first year, and how not to let that happen to you. It also points out some of the smallest (common) mistakes that you could make as a real estate agent - and lose your license!

All in all this is a good book for the new agent. I have been starting off slowly, learning as I go. And I can honestly say this book definitely parallels to some of the stuff I have already done, and just as the books said happened more than not-some of the stuff I did turned up very little to no results.

Wish I would have read it before I got started.