PREP Professional Real Estate Partners

Time for another great book to review!
6 Steps to 7 Figures by Pat Hiban

If you’re in real estate and feeling stuck somewhere between “busy” and “burned out,” this book is a strong reminder that success is not accidental — it’s intentional, measurable, and repeatable.

Pat Hiban takes readers through the exact mindset and systems that helped him grow from earning $13,000 a year in commissions to building a billion-dollar real estate career. What makes this book different is that it isn’t just motivational fluff. It’s practical, honest, and filled with actionable ideas that agents can implement immediately.
My biggest takeaways:

• Track EVERYTHING — goals, lead sources, expenses, net worth, and time.
• Focus on dollar-productive activities instead of staying “busy.”
• Stop reinventing the wheel and learn from those already succeeding.
• Build relationships and community, not just transactions.
• Leverage systems and people so your business can grow without consuming your life.
• Long-term wealth matters more than chasing short-term commission checks.

One of the most refreshing parts of the book is that Pat openly discusses evolving from being a workaholic into someone who intentionally built more freedom and balance into his life. That message hits especially hard in today’s real estate world where so many agents feel pressured to always be “on.”

As someone who believes deeply in relationship-based business, coaching, teaching, and building a legacy beyond just transactions, this book reinforced something important for me:
👉 You do not build a 7-figure business by doing more random things.
👉 You build it by consistently doing the RIGHT things.

Some of those “right things” include:
• Lead generation every day
• Building relationships instead of just transactions
• Tracking the numbers instead of relying on emotion
• Staying visible during tough markets
• Investing in personal growth and coaching
• Creating systems that bring consistency and freedom

The one quote that really stood out for me was "Successful people do consistently what others do occasionally."

What's one business book that has truly changed the way YOU think?

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm actually thankful for the conversations agents across the country are having about protecting both homeowners AND personal information because some of the newest real estate scams are getting incredibly convincing.

Recently saw a message from a "buyer" that sounded normal. They said they were very interested in a new listing I had and preferred a Zoom meeting because phone calls at work had connection issues. Professional. Polite. Believable.

That's exactly WHY people need to be careful.

Some of these "buyers" will communicate for DAYS before suggesting a Zoom call. Then they send a fake meeting link to steal passwords, banking access, stored browser information, and personal data once someone logs in.

This is also an important reminder for homeowners thinking about selling on their own. Real Estate transactions involve sensitive information, and unfortunately, the "bad guys" know that too.

Please SLOW DOWN, verify links carefully, and never assume a professional-sounding message is automatically safe. In today's world, protecting your digital safety matters just as much as protecting your home.

Sunday Scoop Book Review

One thing I kept thinking while reading "More Than the Tattooed Mormon" by Al Carraway is how much this applies to leadership, coaching, and real estate.

In this industry, it can be easy to judge people by appearances, production numbers, confidence levels, social media presence, or first impressions. But behind every agent, client, buyer, seller, or coworker is a real human being carrying experiences, fears, struggles, hopes, and insecurities we may never fully see.

Some of the greatest agents I have known were not the loudest in the room. Some of the best clients are the ones who simply needed someone to believe in them. Some people blossom when they finally feel seen instead of judged.

Great coaching — and honestly great real estate — is not just about transactions. It is about people.
Listening.
Encouraging.
Believing in potential.
Helping others recognize their worth.

This book was a beautiful reminder that people are often capable of far more than the labels the world gives them.

Have you ever read a book that completely changed how you viewed people - or even yourself??

Time for another book review!

Rich Habits: The Routines Millionaires Use Daily That Will Help You Build Wealth

This one was pretty simple, practical, and highly actionable - especially for people like me who want to improve their financial life without feeling like they need to become Wall Street experts! Wealth is often the result of repeated daily habits - not luck. AND this book IS NOT a get rich quick book by any means - it's about building systems that compound over time. Here are my key take-aways.

Millionaires tend to:
*Wake Up Early
*Follow Routines
*Prioritize Goals Daily
*Limit Wasted Time
*Take Care of Their Bodies (I need to work on this one!)

Relationships matter tremendously and we should associate with optimistic, growth-oriented professionals and avoid negativity. We do work in real estate so this one really connects because our business is highly relationship-driven and consistency-driven!

We need to spend more time reading educational materials, listening to learning content, and improving our skills. I have this one down with all my designations & certifications and teaching CE classes really helps. I am trying to learn all the new AI but it is changing almost every day!!

We need to write down our goals, review them daily, track our progress and have a long-term vision.

Now, the hard one for me was to exercise, eat healthy, sleep, and stress management. This section becomes more meaningful as we get older because energy becomes our most valuable resource.

Small consistent actions compound over time - in wealth, relationships, health and business.

What's ONE daily habit that has positively changed your life?

Time for another book review! This one is Selling Luxury Homes by Jack Cotton.

The CORE takeaway for this book isn't about bigger homes...it's about higher expectations, deeper relationships, and elevated service. This particular book doesn't really dive deep into social media or AI which I am really doing a deep dive into that right now. The main theme is constant touches, consistent follow-up, & know the data! Luxury clients don't hire uncertainty and want everything done professionally and marketing needs to be top-notch. For instance say "San Francisco Peak views at sunrise" instead of "great home with a view!"

This one is a must-read if you want to:
*Break Into Luxury
*Elevate Your Service
*Build Long-Term High-Net-Worth Relationships

This book is older but it does fit beautifully if you have a high referral business and you respond quickly and provide white-glove service.

This book really can help provide you with a mindset shift. If you have been following this great page - ask how you can get a free copy of this one!

According to Brendan Williams at Guild Mortgage, we're finally breaking the 5-week streak of negative rate movement!! Even with a strong jobs report, softer wage growth, and signs of slowing in the services sector - helped ease some inflation pressure and gave bonds a boost.

Ongoing global tension is still keeping markets volatile day to day. Overall, we're still in that choppy range, just with a little improvement to end the week.

Current: 30-Year Fixed Averages:
Conventional 6.45%
FHA 5.91%
VA 5.93%
Jumbo 6.6%

Wednesday Wisdom

Industry Update: Transparency in the Real Estate Marketplace

There has been a lot of discussion lately across the real estate industry about new marketing models where listings may appear online but certain data points — such as Days on Market or price history — may not be visible.

This raises an important conversation about the role of transparency and exposure in the marketplace.

One of the core principles of the traditional Multiple Listing Service (MLS) has always been cooperation and broad exposure. When a property is shared across the MLS, it allows thousands of agents and buyers to see the listing, creating competition that often benefits the seller.

As real estate professionals, we also have a fiduciary responsibility to act in our client’s best interest. In most cases, that means exposing a property to the largest possible pool of buyers and maintaining clear market data so buyers can make informed decisions.

Innovation and new marketing strategies will always occur in real estate, and sellers do have the right to choose how their property is marketed. At the same time, transparency and broad access to listings have historically helped create a fair and competitive housing marketplace.

It will be interesting to watch how the industry continues to evolve — but one thing remains constant: informed buyers and full market exposure tend to produce the strongest outcomes for sellers.

I was asked why I always do a Sunday Scoop on my personal page but never one on the PREP page. So today we are going to overview a NEW book. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess!

This book is about "Sam I Am" who tries to convince another character to try an unusual meal: green eggs and ham. The other character is very resistant and repeatedly insists that they do NOT like green eggs and ham but "Sam I Am" continues trying. Over 60 pages go by and FINALLY the character tries and decides he does like green eggs and ham!

The simple lesson from this book is to be open and don't reject something until you check it out. I saw this with faith and can see it with real estate as well. Sometimes buyers think they won't like a particular home but end up seeing it was meant to be and is terrific for them! How else would you see how this book applies to real estate?

Just attended a great session with Buffini.

According to Brian Buffini, 2026 is going to be a much different year than the last year.

According to NAR chief economist, Dr. Lawrence Yun, there will be 14% more sales and 20% less agents.

It was interesting to see that in December the mortgage sales rose 5.1% even though the interest rate hadn't moved...

So, as quoted by college basketball coach John Wooden, - "When opportunity knocks, it's too late to prepare."

Brian also noted that the seasonality of real estate is what you should really focus on! Remember what it says in Ecclesiastes 3: 1-2 "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest."

Remember the Dhulaigh Curve from 1952 to 2019? Then, Covid hit & everything got turned upside down. Everyone did their best and yes tons of mistakes were made, but this cycle of real estate got turned up on its head for sure. Brian is predicting the "curve" coming back around again. 40% list their homes in the spring selling season - 20% in the summertime - and then 25% at the end of the year. So the seasonality of the customer is coming back and it is already happening.

According to Brian, the market we saw in 2021 & 2022 will never happen again.

Wednesday Wisdom!

Big Changes are coming to Real Estate - and this one matters.

Starting March 1, 2026, a new federal rule from FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) will require reporting on certain real estate transactions to help combat money laundering and increase transparency.

So, what does this mean in real life?

Here’s the simple breakdown:

✔️ Applies to:

Residential real estate (homes, condos, townhomes, etc.)

✔️ Triggers reporting when:

The purchase is ALL CASH (no traditional financing)

The buyer is an LLC, corporation, or trust—not an individual

✔️ What gets reported:

Buyer entity + beneficial owners (who really owns it)

Seller information

Purchase price + transaction details

✔️ Who reports it:

Typically the title company, escrow agent, or closing professional (not you as the buyer/seller)

✔️ Why this matters:

Designed to prevent hidden ownership + money laundering

Brings more transparency to all-cash deals nationwide

Real Estate is evolving - and so are the rules. If you or someone you know is buying property through an LLC or a trust, especially with cash, expect more documentation and disclosure at closing.

This does NOT impact most traditional financed buyers - but investors and entity purchasers need to be ready.