Mike Browning

Tag: North Texas real estate

  • Begging Strangers Is a Terrible Strategy

    Begging Strangers Is a Terrible Strategy

    “Thoughts and prayers” won’t pay your bills, proper preparation will.

    I’ve ranted before about people who think they can predict the future—and insist on telling you even though nobody asked. If they really knew, they wouldn’t be here lecturing you.

    They’d be too rich to waste time on you.

    But here’s one prediction you can take to the bank:

    If someone starts with “you know I’m not racist…,” you can bet your last dollar the next word will be “but,” and whatever follows will be racist.

    And when someone says “I’m not trying to be political…”? Same story.

    It’s either about to get political, or they’re pointing out something so obvious it shouldn’t be controversial—although there’s always that chunk of society that will argue with a stop sign.

    So. I’m not being political here.

    A while back, somebody told me their friend got sick—cancer, I think. No insurance. Didn’t know what they were going to do, except maybe start a GoFundMe.

    Apparently my response wasn’t the “right” one.
    Instead of a sympathetic head tilt, I said, “Maybe they should have had insurance.”

    You’d think I’d just kicked a puppy.

    Here’s the thing: insurance isn’t a mythical gift your employer hands you if they’re feeling generous.

    It’s for sale. You can go buy it.

    I do. And it’s not cheap—I pay more for my family’s insurance than I do for our house every month. It sucks. But that beats begging strangers on the internet for treatment money.

    But if you don’t make much money? What do you do then?

    I literally just helped someone price full coverage. For them the total cost—premiums plus max out-of-pocket—worked out to about seven bucks a day. That’s a fancy coffee.

    Don’t mistake this for an endorsement of Obamacare. I wish it were gone yesterday.

    But you play the hand you’re dealt, not the one you wish you had.

    It’s called being prepared.

    If you can protect yourself for $7/day—or even my number—it’s a no-brainer.

    What’s this got to do with real estate?

    Nothing… except that being unprepared there will cost you, too.

    If you own land or lots and there’s even a chance you’ll sell soon, is there any downside to having the most current info?

    Especially considering I’m not going to charge you a penny to talk.

    You know what to do below. But if you’re not subscribed yet, fix that first—before your GoFundMe for “real estate mistakes” goes live.

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  • Faith Isn’t Magic. It’s Harder Than That. And More Than That.

    Faith Isn’t Magic. It’s Harder Than That. And More Than That.

    What works between you and God works everywhere else too.

    When you hear “faith,” what comes to mind?

    If it’s some hazy, mystical just believe and the universe will deliver thing… congratulations, you’ve been sold the “name it and claim it” version.

    That’s not faith. That’s a bad infomercial.

    It’s not insert prayer, get dream house. And don’t get me started on the guys who tell you that if you only send them money, God will pay you back.

    Biblical faith is a lot more grounded—and a lot harder.

    It’s trusting what God says is true even when all the visible evidence screams otherwise.

    Case in point: the gospel says if you’ve trusted in Jesus, you’re perfect in God’s sight.

    Not “getting better.” Not “almost there.” Perfect. Right now.

    But look around your life and tell me how perfect you feel.

    • You still want to do stuff you know is wrong.
    • You still do it—maybe less than you used to, but still.
    • You skip doing what you know you should.
    • You screw up without even realizing it—by forgetting to trust, by thinking you know better, by not even knowing what you don’t know.

    From where you’re standing, “perfect” is the last word you’d use.

    Faith says, “Yeah, but I believe what God says over what I see.”

    In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill talks about faith too—but it’s a different animal. He’s talking about believing you’re going to achieve your goal before you’ve got a shred of proof.

    You carry yourself like it’s already a done deal.

    But when you see evidence your way isn’t working, you don’t just stand there and wait for it to fix itself. You change something. You adjust. You improve.

    That’s the split right there. With God, you’re not the one making the thing happen—He already did it. You’re not improving His system. You’re just trusting it.

    With your own goals? You are building the thing. So you trust the end result will happen, but you also fix what’s broken as you find it.

    Jeff Olson in The Slight Edge doesn’t call it faith, but it’s basically the same principle: small actions, repeated over time, lead to huge results.

    The problem is, most people quit because they can’t see it working yet.

    Faith, in Olson’s world, is knowing those boring little actions are paying off—even when the scoreboard says zero. So you keep doing them.

    Biblical faith says: trust what God says, even when the evidence doesn’t back it up. Hill’s faith says: trust your goal enough to take every step like it’s already yours. Olson’s edge says: trust the process long enough for it to work.

    The difference is who’s doing the heavy lifting. With God, He’s the Creator. You rest. In your life when you’re the creator, you adapt.

    Either way, the key is the same: live and act today like the unseen thing is already real—because in the ways that matter most, it already is.

    I’m not even going to try to tie this one to real estate—you either see it or you don’t. But I’ll still ask you to subscribe…

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  • Relax — I’m Not Talking About You. Probably.

    Relax — I’m Not Talking About You. Probably.

    Unless you’re ready to sell your land — then I’m definitely talking to you.

    I talk about all kinds of things here, then twist myself into a pretzel trying to tie it back to real estate brokerage. With varying degrees of grace.

    I always make it back to real estate — just not always smoothly or convincingly.

    Most days I’m writing about whatever catches my eye. Lots of times there are other people in the picture.

    The principles are pretty universal, and the stuff I write about happens to most of us. So you might wonder:

    Is he talking about me?

    Almost certainly not.

    Although… a while back, a new subscriber popped up who I had definitely been thinking of when I wrote one or more of these.

    And no, it wasn’t the Coexist Lady (as far as I know).

    I’m not trying to single anyone out, so I keep things vague.

    At least most of the time.

    So if you think I’m talking about you, I’m not. Unless I am. But usually not.

    If you own lots or land, I’m probably not talking about you — but I am talking to you.

    Unless you’re these people.

    When you’re ready to sell, you want someone who’ll shoot you straight (me) without shooting you in the foot (also me).

    I won’t try to hurt your feelings, but if you’re allergic to honesty, this might not be the partnership you’re looking for. No hard feelings.

    If you’re fine with it — you know what to do below.

    P.S. If you haven’t subscribed yet, hit the button. It helps me, and you might even enjoy it.

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  • Reading Between the Bumper Stickers

    Reading Between the Bumper Stickers

    You’re signaling all right — just not what you think.

    So I was driving up Preston Road this week, looked at the back of the car in front of me, and there it was.

    The Coexist bumper sticker.

    Always displayed by someone trying to signal that they’re tolerant, smart, and above the fray — while convincing nobody but themselves.

    Tolerant? Anyone who’s dealt with these folks knows they’re rarely as tolerant as they claim.

    Smart? We all agree it would be nice if everyone got along. But to act like centuries of conflicting worldviews can be squared with a one-word bumper sticker? “Smart” isn’t the right word.

    Above the fray? Only until you say something — probably by accident — that contradicts one of their beliefs.

    In truth, the sticker’s a red flag. Stay clear.

    One thing they don’t coexist with is critical thinking.

    There are plenty of other examples of people thinking they’re sending one signal while the rest of us read something very different:

    • The 50-year-old who brings up their college in every conversation — wants to sound educated, but really shows they haven’t done anything impressive in 25 years.
    • The guy with the aftermarket exhaust — thinks it’s swagger, but it reads like overcompensation.
    • The middle-aged woman getting tattoo sleeves — aiming for youthful and edgy, but looks like chasing something that should’ve been outgrown decades ago.

    It happens in real estate too. The classic is overtalking — trying to impress a potential client with a flood of knowledge. It might fly in the housing market, where most buyers and sellers know little beyond their own home and some market generalities.

    But in land? Owners tend to know a lot more. It doesn’t take long to spot when someone is saying things that sound good but are flat-out wrong. And that makes all of us look bad.

    I try to avoid signaling as much as possible. I want to be seen as smart, but I’d rather be trusted than flashy. If I say something, it’s because I’m as sure as I can be that it’s right.

    Give me the less flashy guy I can trust over whatever else is out there.

    And as long as we are talking about signaling, how about this:

    I voted for Trump.

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  • If It’s Time, Don’t Waste Time

    If It’s Time, Don’t Waste Time

    If you’re ready and the market’s open, take the shot.

    Yesterday I was talking about how landowners are rarely under pressure to sell.

    In the home market, it’s different. A job transfer, a growing family, downsizing after the kids move out—life timing usually matters more than market timing.

    Land? Almost the opposite.

    If your place has an ag exemption, your carrying costs are basically zero. You don’t live there, you can own it from across the country, and even if you do move halfway across the map, you usually don’t need to sell.

    You might want to sell when the market’s good, but you can wait when it’s not.

    Here’s the catch:

    The land market is the housing market’s moody cousin.

    With houses, there’s always some activity. People always need to move, one way or another. Demand might go up or down, but it doesn’t just vanish.

    Land is different. Most buyers don’t need it—they want it.

    They’d like to build their dream place in the country or have a weekend spot to hunt or fish. If interest rates or construction costs get too high, they’ll just wait.

    That means land demand can disappear almost overnight.

    So if you’re thinking about selling and can get a price that satisfies you, the smart move is usually to do it.

    Decide slow, act fast.

    Like I always say—there’s never pressure from me. I’m not here to tell you to sell. But once you’ve decided you might want to, it often makes sense to move forward before the market changes.

    Because it will.

    In the meantime… is it ever a bad idea to keep tabs on the market with a trusted advisor?

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  • Everybody Wants to Buy a New Car, But Nobody Wants to Buy One

    Everybody Wants to Buy a New Car, But Nobody Wants to Buy One

    Sometimes people say things that don’t really make sense, but also make perfect sense. (Hey, there’s another one.)

    Years ago, ex-Hardline host Mike Rhyner said it on The Ticket. I think it might have been part of a spot for a car dealer, but I don’t remember for sure.

    What the Old Gray Wolf was getting at is this: everyone likes having a new car (or a used one that’s new to them), but nobody likes going through the process. From the moment you walk onto the lot and a salesman makes a beeline for you… to the haggling… to the warranty pitch you don’t need — it’s just a beating.

    Most people hate it. Me? I’ve learned to kind of enjoy it.

    But I negotiate for a living, so going through an adversarial situation like that is more like practice.

    For most people, though, it’s not that way. From the time you arrive, you feel like you’re being pushed along in a process.

    News flash: people don’t like that.

    Even when you’re doing something you want to do (like buying a car), the moment you feel like you’re being pushed, you instinctively want to push back.

    There’s a book called Power vs. Force by David Hawkins. A good chunk of it leans a little “woo woo” for my taste, but the core point is dead on:

    • Force pushes. Power pulls.
    • Force burns energy. Power builds it.
    • Force meets resistance. Power creates cooperation.

    Car sales tend toward the “force” side. And it makes sense — the dealer knows there are countless other cars out there, and if you leave without buying, the odds you come back are slim. So they push.

    Residential real estate can work the same way. Lots of supply (even in tight markets), and buyers and sellers are often under time pressure. Using force can move things along, but nobody likes it — and it’s a big reason the stereotypical agent gets a bad name.

    But land and lots?

    That’s a different world.

    There’s rarely real pressure to sell. If you don’t get the offer you want, you can just wait. Which means there’s no reason to force anything.

    If I try, you’re just going to push back.

    So I don’t.

    I lean into the power side — using cooperation to create a good experience, even if a sale doesn’t happen. It’s better for you, and it works for me.

    You end up feeling like you were dealt with the way you’d want to be, and you’re never left wondering whether I was working for you or just working you.

    No pressure. In this part of the market, it’s not just a better way — it’s the only way.

    I’d never push you to do anything… but is it a bad time to look at the current market for your property?

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  • The Secret to Success? It’s Boring.

    The Secret to Success? It’s Boring.

    The most boring part? Filling out the deposit slips.

    About a week ago I wrote about goal setting, and how most people get it wrong.

    Systems > Goals.

    That’s how Scott Adams puts it in How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big. The idea shows up in other books too—most personal or business development books overlap a lot. Which is a good thing. See a concept enough times, in different words, and it’s more likely to stick.

    In The Slight Edge, Jeff Olson hits the same idea from a different angle:

    Success comes from doing small, simple things you can control—consistently.

    Instead of setting a big goal and swinging for the fences (and missing), you set the big goal but start small. Keep repeating the simple steps and you get a compound interest effect over time.

    That’s the problem though—it’s just as easy not to do them.

    Eat right and exercise today? You won’t notice a difference tomorrow. Skip it? Same thing. But do either one for years, and the difference is obvious.

    Which is why it’s easy to put off. Your condition a year from now won’t be much different if you start tomorrow instead of today. But that “tomorrow” thinking can stretch into a year before you know it.

    In my world, I might have 20+ projects going at once—brokerage, investments, business development. I don’t work on them all daily. But there are a few things I do at least every weekday (and try to do every day):

    • Check the prior day’s sales in MLS and update my maps. One day’s data doesn’t matter much, but years of it gives me an instant, detailed comp set. That’s gold for property analysis.
    • Check for new opportunities. Most MLS listings are priced at or above retail. But sometimes one’s a deal, and you have to move fast. Daily comp research makes spotting them easy.
    • Return every call and message. I’m not glued to my phone, but if you reach out during the day, I’ll get back to you. Quick response makes for a better client experience.

    Missing a day—or even two—wouldn’t end the world. But over time, that’s how you lose your edge.

    For me, the goal isn’t just to stay busy. It’s to make sure I’m doing the little things every day that give my clients the best chance to win. It doesn’t always look like much in the moment, but the results speak for themselves.

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  • Please Keep Talking, It’s Helping Me Win

    Please Keep Talking, It’s Helping Me Win

    Less talk = better results. And who’s better at keeping their mouth shut than me?

    A while back, I talked about the value of silence in negotiation.

    The less you’re talking, the more you’re (probably) winning.

    In radio, the worst thing you can have is “dead air.” If nothing’s coming through the speakers, people change the station—and someone’s getting fired. So hosts will say something, anything, just to fill the gap.

    Most people are like radio stations. They can’t stand silence. They start talking just to make it stop. And that’s when they say more than they should.

    If you can sit there and be patient, you’d be surprised what people will tell you. They’ll spill the beans. Sometimes the whole pot.

    That’s one benefit of being quiet—you might learn something useful. The bigger benefit? You’re not spilling your own beans. We’ve all said something we wish we could take back.

    Some of us just learn faster than others.

    Obviously, you can’t stay quiet all the time. But in a professional sense, you should know which side of the table someone is sitting on before you talk.

    In Texas, salespeople and brokers have to hand out a form called Information About Brokerage Services at the first real conversation with a prospective client or customer.

    It spells out who we work for and what we owe them. We must treat everyone honestly and fairly. But for clients, we have to put their interests above everyone else’s—including our own—and share any material information we receive.

    Which means:

    If I’m working for you, you can tell me what you will or won’t accept for your property, and I keep it confidential. Don’t disclose anything but the asking price unless you tell me otherwise. Every licensee is supposed to do this, but you know how it is.

    If I’m working for the other party and you tell me you’re asking $1M but will take $850K? Guess what? Not only will I tell my client—I’m required by law to tell them.

    Here’s the most self-serving thing you might read all day:

    I wouldn’t recommend buying or selling real estate without a skilled broker.

    But if you do, remember: watch what you say. The person you’re talking to may be legally required to repeat it to someone else.

    A good rule: assume the other party is in the room.

    In car sales, the salesman pretends to be on your side against the manager. Everyone knows that’s a lie, so you don’t tell him you’ll actually pay more. Because the first thing he does is walk into that other room and tell the manager.

    In real estate, agency is supposed to be disclosed. But human nature gets in the way sometimes. So just because someone acts like your friend doesn’t mean you should tell them anything.

    I try not to say too much. Maybe to a fault according to some.

    I say it’s one of my superpowers, right up there with being about the most stubborn person in Collin County.

    When you’re ready to talk, click below.

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  • It’s Not Personal, It Just Feels That Way

    It’s Not Personal, It Just Feels That Way

    I know you know this. But maybe your friends don’t.

    I spend a lot of my time on what I call the institutional side of the business.

    Homebuilders, developers, large investors. The kind of clients who are in real estate full time. They’ve got teams, systems, scale, and a pretty clear sense of what works for them.

    Some are better to deal with than others. But I try to only work with the best.

    Then there’s what I call the retail side: individual land or lot owners.

    People who might own a few properties but aren’t in the business. For them, it’s personal — because it is personal. It’s their land, their money, their decision.

    Two different animals.

    Usually, the best setup for me is when I can help someone from the retail side navigate a deal with someone from the institutional side.

    I know what the developers want. I know what the landowners need. When it lines up, it’s a win for everybody.

    But that gap between the two worlds? That’s where deals can get sideways.

    One of the biggest differences — and one of the most useful things you can copy — is this:

    Institutional players don’t take things personally.

    You should try not to as well.

    That doesn’t mean they don’t care. It just means they know emotion doesn’t help them make better decisions.

    They’re not insulted if there doesn’t seem to be a fit on price.
    They’re not rattled when a deal falls apart.
    They don’t assume bad faith at every turn.

    They regroup, re-run the numbers, and see if there’s a way to make it work.

    If there is, they propose it. Maybe it gets accepted, maybe it doesn’t. Either way, they move on and stay on good terms with the other party (as far as it depends on them).

    If more individual landowners approached deals this way, they’d get better results. Period.

    But a lot of times, when a buyer asks for more time, or a price adjustment, or pushes back on some detail, the instinct is to think, They’re trying to pull something!

    Especially when the buyer is a developer.

    The assumption is they’re dragging it out on purpose. Trying to nickel and dime you. Working some hidden angle.

    But here’s the truth: Developers want the same thing you do.

    They want it simple. They want it quick. They want to close.

    The difference is, they’ve got more moving parts. More uncertainty. More risk.

    That’s what slows things down — not some secret plan to wear you out.

    And if the deal pencils? Price won’t be an issue.

    But figuring out whether it pencils takes time, money, and effort.

    None of that is free. And none of it is personal.

    You can’t control everything in a deal. But you can control how you react.

    Not everything works out the way we want it to, but rarely because the other side was dishonest or mean.

    Rarely. Not never.

    And that’s where experience matters.

    I’ve likely already dealt with whoever’s on the other side of your deal. And if I haven’t, I know someone who has. If they’re shady, I’ll know — or I’ll find out.

    If we don’t catch it upfront, I’ll know a lot sooner than you if they’re acting in bad faith.

    If so, we play hardball and let them either close or walk.

    Which means you don’t have to learn the hard way.

    And if we have to start over, we will.

    But what we won’t do is take it personal.

    That alone puts you way ahead of the pack.

    In real estate and in life.

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  • If They’re Your Agent, Why Does It Feel Like the Real Sales Job Was on You?

    If They’re Your Agent, Why Does It Feel Like the Real Sales Job Was on You?

    Do you want a guide at your side, or a closer at your back?

    Yesterday I talked about Jerry Jones, maybe the most un-okay guy in the world.

    Today, let’s talk about maybe the most okay group you’ll ever meet:

    Real estate agents.

    You know the type. Fancy car. Designer clothes. Buzzwords. Always closing. Talking fast.

    Not the best listener. (To be polite.)

    Here’s the truth: most of them aren’t making anywhere near the money they project. But they feel they have to look successful. Image is everything.

    That means taking any listing they can, even if it’s not their lane. Fake it til you make it.

    Land, houses, whatever. They’ll wing it. Say whatever they need to say to get your signature before you talk to anyone else.

    And when winging it goes wrong, ethics can get loose.

    Best case? You’ve got a funny story about hiring the wrong person.

    Worst case? You’ve got a horror story.

    I’m a little better at reading people than most. But this one isn’t hard to spot, even if you don’t see exactly what’s going on. You just know something feels off.

    If you’ve ever hired one, you saw the warning signs.

    But you did it anyway.

    Why?

    Probably because you told yourself:

    “They’re a great salesperson. That’s who I want on my side.”

    Except the real sales job was done on you.

    Here’s the question:

    If someone has to work that hard to get your business, how hard will they work to protect your interests?

    I don’t really look the part. I don’t need to.

    I’m not trying to sell you — I’m trying to guide you.

    If I’m doing my job right, you might not see me until closing.

    If we do meet, you’ll notice no designer logos (I don’t advertise for free), no buzzwords, no pressure.

    And no pitch.

    If any selling happens, it might be you telling me why we’re a good fit.

    If you want a pitchman, there’s plenty to choose from.

    If you want an actual professional and honest advocate, click below.

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