Short Version

1. You’re (still) awesome!
2. Do the math (the business math that no one else is doing)
3. Think about, write about, talk about; what truly matters to you.

What stories are you telling yourself?

Are they helpful?

What stories are you telling yourself?

Are they helpful?

Do you need new stories?

Bottom Line

Stop believing in other peoples bullshit stories, or in your own bullshit stories.

Start believing in yourself!

Long Version

We don’t ‘sell’ mortgages.

We deliver results, by advising and understanding mortgages as only a dedicated expert can.

This is a fact.

Here’s another; We’re not starting from ‘zero’ on Jan 1.

Keep in mind that when our output is measured in ‘files complete’ the work essentially never ends.

Not at 5pm

Not on Friday

Not at the end of the School year

Not ‘in time for the holidays’

And not on Dec 31st!

There’s no ‘end’

Results are always in demand, 24/7 – 365!

The work we choose to do is essential, and also… essentially endless.

Just one more call, one more client, one more app, one more submission, one more commitment, one more file complete.

Leading to what?

There.

Is.

No.

End.

And to this end… Key (repeated) Point; You’re not ‘busted to zero’ on Jan 1.

It’s a ridiculous notion designed to swipe one of your most precious resources – self-confidence.

The New-Year-New-Me industry is just that, an industry – trying to sell you something, at this time of year trying to sell you the idea that you somehow need a major overhaul… few of us do. Most of us just need to keep building on the good habits we already possess.

Ask yourself’ is all that we’ve accomplished in 2023 now erased?

All the grinding.

The work.

The lessons learned.

The targets hit.

The goals crushed.

No.

There is No way that you should think of yourself as being at zero.

Don’t listen to anyone who says you are.

They don’t know you.

You’ve climbed mountains!

Some of you climbed taller & steeper one in 2023 than ever before, some opted for sheer rock faces, others were given no choice but. And in many cases you needed special gear and for sure special people to get you to the peak, or even close to it.

2023 was not a solo event, not really.

There’s always a special partner, in business and in life, or if you’re really lucky, a special team of people committed to helping you hit new peaks year after year..

Are you really going to tell any of those amazing humans they’re back at zero as of January1st?

No.

Of course not.

We are, each of us, going to build on the foundations of what we accomplished last year, the year before that, and the all the years before those.

We’re going to add another floor to the high-rise building that’s our business, that is our life, and the air will get clearer, the view better, new goals will appear on the horizon.

And the little things will bother us less… no really they will.

Sure, it’s a competitive marketplace, sort of… but not really.

Not when you know the real numbers for your market.

And one number to never lose sight of is #1.

You.

You are #1.

You are a 1 of 1.

Also the other #’s

How many mortgage transactions are there per year in your market?

Let’s do the math…

Nobody does the math!

I get it, math sucks.

Except it doesn’t, it is in fact your superpower, your critical driver of advantage.

People will complain about nonsense such as ‘the interest rates’ or ‘new government regulations’ but I am here to unburden you of such negative notions and point to a reality – none of this noise matters.

You matter.

Your people matter.

Your clients matter.

Your attitude matters.

Maybe not in that order, but you get where I’m going with this, I know you do or you wouldn’t still be reading and saying ‘Hell Ya’ with me!

And hey, how many people decided they liked you enough to work with you last year?

How many?

Say the number out loud, write it down.

Here’s the good news, this year, that same number of people will like you, in fact you can double that number if you want to. the only thing stopping that from happening is… you!

Your 2023 number, it’s your baseline, and we don’t go backwards in this business – or at least not for long.

All you need to do in order to win 2024 is what?

Be as likeable as you were in 2023, or better yet become more likeable.

Present yourself a bit better, appear a bit smarter (which is different than having to be smarter), do these small things, and you’ll have an even better year.

Because for all the talk of what could happen, were you not paying attention to what did happen?

A massive rate spike happened!

And ya, you got rocked. Your ARM clients really got rocked, so did the VRM clients.

But, despite the challenges, people continue to do all the life things.

They move, renovate, landscape, etc.

Kids still want to move out… most of them.

And the parents want those kids to move out… most of them.

Can we say early inheritance?

And ya, in some cases one partner wants out. Out of a business, out of a relationship, either way it takes money to make it happen. And rates are what they are, they may slow this stuff down… but they do not stop it.

People will move out, up, and on. People will refinance, buy a second home, an investment property, their kids will go to school in another province and they’ll buy that kid a condo to live in for the 4-7 yrs. Residence has returned.

In any event – here’s the one thing that matters… the one thing that your success in 2024 depends upon more than any other thing.

This dictates it.

This one thing… it’s everything!

What is it?

It’s the economy…

Specifically the economy between your own two ears.

So…

What do you believe?

Markets become the stories we tell about them, and so to will your business and your life.

So what’s story are you telling yourself?

I implore you to actually do the math!

What math you ask?

1. How many properties in your province? (BC is ~1.9M)
2. How many have mortgages? (~60% or 1.14M)

Forget purchase/sale transactions – ‘assume’ they go to zero in 2024 which is, as all assumptions are, bad ideas…but let’s do it… zero!

Forget equity take outs, and also refinances – assume again they’re all gone as well.

Dumb again… but there’s a point to stripping these numbers down, hang in here.

Let’s further assume that all mortgages run a full 5yrs, and all there’s only renewal business.

See how crazy assuming is, but what does this leave us with?

1.9M properties x 60% (with mortgages) / 5 (years) = 228,000 potential transactions per year.

But not really, because 128,000 homeowners are foolishly going to sign the first renewal letter they see.

Why people why?

We can’t help those who don’t want to be helped!

Those are the ‘fish in the barrel’ for the lenders, and you don’t’ get access to the barrel.

Lenders are in the barrel business, we are not.

We work for each client, catching them one at a time.

But if not a barrel, you better have a bucket.

That would be your database!

Anyways, 100,000 clients are swimming free, making calls, looking for advice. Waiting for your call!

They are out there just waiting for a trusted advisor, an expert – like you! To turn up.

Are you going to get after them?

100,000 potential transactions, purely based on renewals alone, in the province of BC – just BC.

Average balance $450,000.00

Average commission – knock it down big time and call it $3,500.

Now ask yourself, if a politician can get 51% of the vote, can’t you get 51 people to like you?

Not 51%

Not 51,000.

Just 51.

That’s zero point zero zero zero five percent.

0.0005%

If you believe you can, well hey, you just earned $150,000.

But why stop at the lofty goal of zero point zero zero zero five percent?

You’re gonna be even more likeable than ever in 2024 right?

So lets aim high, crazy high, let’s go for zero point zero zero two percent.

Again, not 2%.

0.002%

And even if you only get half to that goal, that’s 100 files funded, something a normal human can do on their own, easily. And that’s you, a normal human!

Also, re this whole ‘becoming more likeable’ thing…

What’s the #1 way to become more likeable?

Stop whining about that which you have NO control over.

You’re wasting your time and mine.

Especially stop whining about that which you DO have control over.

Get your act together and address it.

Work it out!

Start Winning!!!

But wait Dustan, you don’t understand… ‘nobody calls me’

OK, figure out why, and while you’re figuring out why – make 80 outbound calls per day.

Not 18.

80.

Eight-Zero.

Because what else are you doing all day?

Focus on that amazing economy between your own two ears… opportunity abounds!

Make It Happen!

Look again at that mortgage math, the business is out there, it will always be out there, unless you bring it in here!

Let me remind you, just one more time, that you’re not starting from zero on Jan 1 – not even close.

Jan 1 is just another day, another day in the infinite game.

In fact many of you already have a decent January on the books – Feb/March as well, because you’ve been working your database, working your phone, working you eblasts.

And I repeat this message; don’t wait for week-52 to take time off – take ALL your evenings off, 3 or 4 of them anyways, and take your weekends off, again 3 or 4 of them (each month) anyways.

The work is there.

It will always be there.

Do the damn math.

All that matters is what you believe in, so stop believing in bullshit and please, for me, for your family, for your friends, for you team and for your own damn sake…

Believe in yourself!

I do.

And hey, if you’re not telling yourself you are awesome, who is?

I am!

Join me.

2023 out!