“Don’t just fix problems, avoid problems.” Joe Rand shares this bit of wisdom in his book How to be a Great Real Estate Agent.

Of course, not all problems can be avoided.

But think of all the windows that can be cleaned before they get dirty.

Here are just three of the many windows where the sun can come shining through for me as a residential real estate agent:

Clear Communication:

• Communicating with your seller clients on a regular basis about showings and other listings and the market. So that when you need to have a hard discussion - about say a price reduction - it’s easier because you have been talking together already.

• Communicating with your buyer clients on a weekly basis so that the relationship remains alive, informed by your knowledge and understanding - and sharing - about the market.

Clear communication beats dropping the ball.

Clear Commitment: • Committing to working on something of import to your professional success by scheduling an hour or two of deep work alone (no interruptions) on your calendar each and every day - and following through with doing the deep work alone (no interruptions) each and every day.

Earl Nightingale said “Success is really nothing more than the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” Committing to daily deep work is the way to progress forward.

Clear commitment beats nonstop distraction and the hustle-bustle shuffle.

Clear Completion: • Following up as soon as possible. Sooner rather than later.

Recently, I was called upon to complete a complicated Comparable Market Analysis for a property with four units in two buildings. I needed to reach four different tenants by telephone to schedule a time to see each of the four units. I then needed to think about the value of each unit separately as well as the value of all four units as one package. I called the tenants on Monday; I scheduled visits with each of them for Wednesday; I researched relevant sales on Thursday; I wrote up the CMA on Friday and sent it out.

Clear completion beats procrastinating and having this task pile up with something new that emerges next week.

Don’t clean the windows when they get dirty. Don’t let them get dirty.