Troy McClain

*Ok so here I am four years past one of the greatest experiences I had in my life which if most of you don’t know I was on the first season of the Apprentice with Donald Trump. Now today I am still traveling the country delivering speeches to corporations and groups alike talking to them about what I have learned from the greats. Last year alone I did over two hundred thousand air miles flying out to meet with people or talk to some group or another. All of them wanting to know what the great business men and women do to be successful. Everyone thinks there’s some magic wand or something or some secret. The truth is the greats simply do basic hard work applied everyday and they take advantage of information and that other people are willing to share. Anyways last week I was flown to California to do a speech to the mortgage and real estate people in the area to try to lift some spirits and give hope, direction and offer up some tools for these people to continue to keep going in this supposed down market. The promoter had said they all wanted to know the secrets to success and everyone was willing to give their left arm if we would share what we knew. There were over one thousand people that registered for the event and even bigger names than little ‘ole me were showing up to share the information they had learned. Large name’s like Barry Habib, the first person in the mortgage industry to fund over two billion dollars in his career. On a twenty year average his annual fundings are over one hundred million per year each and every year. Mind you that number is based on his personal production and no one else’s. Not only has he done this he also started a company called Mortgage Market guide which is an automated system that lets you know every time the market changes for the good or the bad. This guy is hired by every Major Corporation and news channel around just to hear what advice he has to say. If there was a person to listen to on how to make it in this market this would be one of the guys I would recommend. Then the next speaker was Jim Camp, a Vietnam fighter pilot, NFL pro scout and writer of the number one selling book “Start with No” this guy is the real deal. He is a professional negotiation coach who is hired by companies and countries to negotiate out there differences. The FBI uses this guy’s strategies, governments use his methodologies and top real estate professionals like Barry himself uses him, heck I would use him too if I could afford him. Point being is here we are in a down market and every one is crying for help in the real estate industry everyone wants a direction to go to learn how to hold on to what they have made in the past. They are all looking for the secret to success. So here’s the secret everyone work hard and take advantage of free information. Here was an event that over one thousand people registered for and oh by the way it was totally free of charge all you had to do is show up. Even if you did not want to here from me, God forbid you would want to here from a kid with a 2.1 GPA who has managed to build up a million dollar company and has worked with some of the most successful and powerful people in America today, but that beside the point, take a look at the two greats that were there giving away free advice and information for the day yet out of the one thousand people who had registered only four hundred showed which made me think….. Do we in the industry really want to hold on to what we had back in 2005 and 2006 and are we really willing to work for it or do we just want a hand out like we got in the past?

If it was Trump would the room be packed and if so does he really give us the tools we need for success in this real estate market? Does he just entertain us and make us feel good for the moment and then move on. I’m here to say I have seen Trump speak and wow what a performance and entertaining evening but I have also seen Barry and Jim speak and I have to say Wow I can truly use the tools they have giving to me in my business today. It’s true they were not on TV and its true they are not worth billions, hundreds of millions maybe but no billions but if we really want to use the secrets of success then we need to start listening now. This reminds me of something my friend Jeff told me awhile back and although I tend to disagree with his strong left point of view at times I have to say he was spot on with his story. I’m sure this is not the exact story line but here goes- A man in Mississippi is stuck in a flood and looking for help. The water is waste deep in his living room and he pray’s to god “ God please help me I’ll do anything” a few minute later a boat comes by and yells out “ Get in the boat before it’s to late!” The man yells back “No I’m waiting for God to help” the boat leaves and water rises even more. Soon the man in standing on his roof and the water has flooded all the way to the top of the roof and then some. He is chest deep in water and he repeats “God please help me” Soon after another boat comes and says “Get in before its to late” The man replies again and says, “No I am waiting for God to help me” Of course the floods are to much and the man dies. When he arrives at the gates of heaven he asked God “Why did you not help me when I asking for help?” God replies – “Who the heck do you think sent the boats!”

Back to my point- I have heard over and over again people in the real estate industry say quote “I would do anything to make what I made in the past two years, I would work my tail off and invest in the tools that showed me how to hold on to what I have built up” Yet when offered a chance to “do anything” which by the way was not much only show up and listen. I want to be clear I am proud of the forty percent that showed and proud they took advantage of the information but it’s the other 60 percent that I question.

Did the last couple years give us stupid money? did it make us stupid- Here what I saw in the last couple years- I saw people who used to make thirty to forty thousand a year start making three hundred to four hundred thousand a year. Tens times the amount they used to make and I saw them working less and playing harder. The deals were just coming in and the money was stupid. Now I see these same people saying “I will do anything to keep it” Well it’s called work and hard work at that. Here we are in an industry that has increased our income to a point no one every thought possible yet we are not willing to work for it anymore we want to have fall in our laps again like the old days well guess what those days are over and be happy you were lucky enough to be in them but the money is not over just the stupid money is. It’s back to the basic of forty hour weeks and common sense.

The money is still there you just have to w-o-r-k for it now and why not. I heard a person talk to Barry that day after the speech and say something I hope I never hear again. He told him he doesn’t understand “Barry you don’t get it I was making five hundred thousand a year and now I will be lucky if I make two hundred thousand this year if I bust my tail trying. It just isn’t worth it” Later I asked this guy where he was working before and what was best tax year he had before joining the industry. He said he was a DJ and had made up to one hundred thousand dollars in one year before becoming addicted to the real estate industry. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! Let me ask this again are you kidding me? Here’s a guy who made at most one hundred k per year and worked his ass off as a DJ for all things then joins the industry of real estate during the stupid money days and makes upwards of five hundred k and now he’s complaining that if he works the most he’ll make is two hundred k per year! Am I the only one that see’s this as stupid?

I say we get rid of the stupid and get back to the basics of making money. When you have a free event that offers up tools go to it don’t sit around complaining “the sky is falling” Yes its tough but look at where you are at today compared to yesterday. Get off your butt and start working again or don’t complain anymore. If you stick to the basics you won’t know the difference between an up market and a down market you’ll just keep working and it will work for you.

Oh yah I know what some are going say- Troy we don’t have the product we use to have how can we sell without our product? Are you talking about the 100% stated income no money down investment property with a 600 fico – Duh you shouldn’t have been selling it in the first place- This industry was started on a concept called common sense lending now its turned to stupid lending. Let’s get back to common sense and start making dollars out of it again.

Both Jim Camp and Barry shared a wonderful colorful story about life and business both of them shared how they had failed in life over and over again but both of them also shared their firm belief in the basics and hard work. Is looking beyond the obvious just getting back to the obvious in the first place?

Troy

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