Q: “Denise, I am new to my area. I am trying to get up and running quickly in my business and I have been approached by a listing agent for a new housing development who is wondering if I can work with buyers who come in. On the one hand, it would be great to get connected with buyers in the community so I can get on my feet. On the other hand, I am concerned about putting so many eggs in one basket. What do you think I should do?”

A: This is an interesting dilemma. With a decision like this you are balancing the expectation of security with your available time to do the things you need to do to get up and running. It can be difficult to break into a new market and it can take time to get those first few paychecks. From that angle, I think it is a good idea.

However, when we are too comfortable and the pressure isn’t on (because you have transactions coming in), that can actually stall your business building in the community because you may not be as driven to reach out and make connections. You may get very good at selling the amenities of your community, but you only have so much time to learn about other communities and what makes them special.

My final answer, therefore, is a personal one. It depends on you, your personal self-discipline, and your plan.

I happen to know the agent who asked this question. She is a supporter personality type with analytical as her secondary type. This means she will do a good job of connecting with people at the new housing community, will work the follow-up plan, and will provide the details these buyers need to make a decision, even if it takes weeks or months to convert them. This also means that if I provide this agent with a plan to learn about the larger area in terms of statistics, trends, previewing properties and more, even just an hour every day, she will do it. I also know that if I advised this agent to take on some additional lead generation by way of writing letters or prospecting a niche market, she will do it. So I am not so concerned that this agent will only learn about the new construction community and won’t make connections. In addition, people who are analytical need stability, which this position will provide.

Now, if this agent were a promoter, my answer would be different. Promoters are hunters and could use a little pressure. It is difficult to get a promoter to do an hour of power consistently. So, depending on the circumstances, I would think twice about this for a promoter.

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