The theme of my Black Belt test last year was "Take It to the Next Level." At that time, it meant taking my workouts to the next level, kicking it up a notch and performing better each time to achieve Black Belt Excellence.

Now that it's behind me, I carry the lessons learned from the experience into my real estate business to take it to the next level. How can one take it to the next level in real estate?

Imagine a dentist performing a root canal using the same systems, technology and procedures of 20 years ago when he or she first started in the business; in other words, staying at the same level as Day 1 in practice.

Yikes!

Yet I see this often in real estate with agents who use the same technology, systems, and procedures as on Day 1. Don't get me wrong...there are some good agents out there! But I work hard to focus on improving each day and finding ways to set myself apart from the general marketplace.

I am not content with status quo, and I don't want to be average in my business. I am not interested in shortcuts or the easy route (although I do delight in efficiency for getting routine things done easily and also thoroughly!).

I consistently read the latest trade magazines/ business books and attend seminars looking for innovative ways to make the home selling and buying process (a stressful experience by nature) easier and smoother for my clients, without taking shortcuts to skip to the end. All of the necessary steps need to be taken with the i's dotted and t's crossed.

Here are some new services I have recently implemented in my business practice that I am excited to share, in an effort to take real estate to the next level in 2007:

• online scheduling - for appointments of all types: sellers, buyers, lunches, & more! Click the link to see how simple it is to set an appointment with me. BTW: The phone works fine, too...just give me a call!
• e-signatures - easy, saves paper, secure, & legal! Imagine: no printing, manual signing, and faxing...just open the document online, click, and you're done signing. My clients are loving the convenience and ease of signing contracts using e-signatures! Click the link to view a short 2-minute demo of how this works.
• American Lifestyle Magazine - a special subscription for my special clients and business supporters, beginning in March and delivered every other month thereafter. Click the link to view a sample (it may take a few moments to load).