Why You Get Happier as You Get Older and a Sneak Peek at What’s Coming Next Week
On Wednesday June 14, 2023, I’ll be speaking at the California Association of Realtors WomanUP! Event in Oceanside, CA. I’ll be on stage with my good friend Leslie Appleton Young to Discuss, “The U-Curve of Happiness, How We Get Happier as We Age.” 
The research shows that, on average, life satisfaction drops during midlife and begins its recovery around age 50, reaching its peak at the end of life. In other words, people are happiest at the beginning and the end of their lives (hence the “U” and not an arch). Why? (Hint—our bodies make more oxytocin as we age. Oxytocin has often been called “the love” or “feel good” neurotransmitter).
The same day from 12:30-1:15, I’ll be doing a lunch and learn called, “Building Wealth through Real Estate.” This is based upon our new initiative that we’ll be launching next week. I’ve worked on this project for almost a full year and am incredibly excited to see it launch at WomanUP! next week. If you’re attending the conference, please make it if you can.
Give Your Heart a Break
Are you interested in reducing your risk of heart attack? Do you believe that you have to jog daily and eat perfectly to limit your risk of heart disease?
Surprisingly, you can dramatically reduce your risk of heart attack by how you take your breaks. Dr. Pearsall, in his book The Heart’s Code, describes the factors leading to heart attacks as well as the factors that support your heart’s
health.
One of the best things you can do to support heart health is to spend time with your loved ones whether it’s family or close friends. Specifically, eating five leisurely evening meals a week with your loved ones dramatically reduces the incidence of heart attacks. If you follow up the meal with an activity that makes you laugh, you not only reduce your risk of heart attack, but you also strengthen your overall immune response as well. If you’re not in the habit of doing this, there’s no better time to start than now.
Tag Your Listing Videos Verbally
Today most agents post photos and videos online to market their listings. Regardless of the type of video you post, be sure that you include the location, your name, address, as well as several descriptions of what the video/picture contains.
It’s important not to embed this information in a photo or as an image on the video. The reason is Google cannot “read” the visual content contained in a photo or on the video itself. What Google does do, however, is it now takes the audio portion of your videos and converts them into searchable text.
“Tagging” your videos verbally will help you obtain better search engine ranking. Better yet, it makes it easier for people searching for listings in your neighborhood to find your listing videos and photos.
Avoid These Two Mistakes Many Agents Make
Here are two very common mistakes agents make on their websites.
#1: Have you ever visited an agent website with great community information, but with no reference to the city or the state? For example, if the agent references the “Sunny Hills” subdivision in Paris, are they referencing the “Paris” in
California, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, or Texas?
To avoid having this happen to you, when you describe the market areas you serve on your site, be sure to also reference the city, state, and zip code(s) where they are located. Failure to provide this information means that search engines will be unable to match your website with potential clients who are searching for homes in your area. If Google can’t find you, potential clients probably won’t be able to find you either.
#2: Most agent websites have their phone number posted on their home page, but very few have their phone number on every page of their site. The reason for making sure that your phone number is on every page on your website is simple. After a website visitor views a listing including a virtual tour and multiple pictures, it can take a substantial amount of time to scroll back to the agent’s home page to find the agent’s phone number.
Consequently, make sure that you always include city, state, and zip code for every one of your listings that you post online. Also remember to post your phone number on every page on your website. If you don’t, that great website lead will end up with someone else.
Never Say, “I’m Sorry”
Here’s something that might surprise you. When something goes wrong, never say, “I’m sorry.” Here’s why.
An apology requires an explanation. When you try to explain why something went wrong, the net effect can be that you escalate rather than calm the situation. This results because explanations can easily become excuses.
As you try to justify your part in what went wrong, even if it wasn’t your fault, you’re now adding more energy to the situation rather than diffusing it. When you try to explain away what happened, it’s as if you’re saying to the client, “Look, I know I goofed, but there’s no reason for you to be angry about it.”
Instead of saying “I’m sorry” or trying to explain away the situation, a better approach when someone is angry or something goes wrong is to ask, “What can I do to fix it?” This is the best way to defuse the situation rather than having your client think you’re trying to dodge the blame.