Taking Care of Yourself Key to Success – Realtor/Author Shares Insights
Reprinted from The Foghorn, a publication of the San Francisco Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors
Thirty years ago, Paula Pagano surprised everyone, including herself, by becoming a successful real estate agent in San Francisco’s tough residential market during a recession with 17% interest rates. She was the top producer in her office for several years, and has served on the Board of San Francisco Association of Realtors and San Francisco Apartment House Association.
“I believe that one of the secrets of being successful is managing your emotions,” says Pagano. “Real estate is tough, because it is the biggest investment people make. The seller wants more money that is warranted by the market and the buyer wants a bargain. What I learned on my road to success is that I needed to be balanced and to be balanced you need to take care of yourself.”
“One time an attorney backed out of a $3 million dollar property. I was stressed at the time, working too many hours, so I told him exactly what I thought – that it would hurt my reputation. My remark did not change his mind, but it did change our relationship. He never returned my calls after that. What I learned is that it is best to stop a conversation before you get hurt or hurt someone else,” recalls Pagano.
Her advice is simply this: take care of yourself. “Taking care of yourself first may sound like simple advice, but most people don’t do it. To be balanced make sure you take at least one full day off a week. Exercise 3-4 days a week. Eat three well balanced meals a day, especially breakfast. And most important of all — no matter what is going on with you financially – invest in yourself by taking classes, reading an inspirational book, taking on a new hobby,” she says.
“Years of pounding the pavement selling real estate, training sales people and writing “Secrets of a Top Salesperson — How Emotions Make or Break the Sale” has taught me how to remain positive even during these tough economic times.” To learn more secrets of successful selling go to
www.SecretsofaTopSalesperson.com.
