Trevor Koot, BC Real Estate Association CEO (and, full disclosure, my boss’s boss’s boss), recently wrote in REM, “I’m sure every one of the roughly 150,000 Realtors across Canada can point to a happenstance, coincidence, or fluke that contributed to where they are today.”
In the article, which covers themes that run throughout conversations with small business owners and how they can inspire Realtors, the power of “luck” is the ninth and final theme. My years in real estate — 55 so far — lead me to the conclusion that, while luck alone cannot be relied upon, it still deserves a higher rank.
Thirty-five years ago, in a training session for Realty World, the late Bob Clements shared this observation: “Cream is pushed to the top by the milk sinking. Nothing rises alone.”
Before you congratulate me on my memory, let me tell you how I know what Bob said. I was there and wrote it down.
In 1986, my best partner ever (“outside of marriage,” he added hastily), Marilyn Jarvis, gave me a blank, red, leather-bound notebook. Up to that point in my career, I had been collecting newspaper and magazine articles, conference notes, and famous sayings in the bottom drawer of my desk, under the bottle of Scotch.
Today, that notebook has 126 pages containing the jetsam of other people’s wisdom. After reading Koot’s excellent article, I was inspired to turn to the Red Book to see what I could harvest about “luck.”
Making your own luck in real estate
We’ve all read about the multi-lottery prize winner. On a smaller scale, we’ve met or even had on our sales team the person who always seems to win, whether it’s an open-house bottle draw or a sales contest. We shrug and ascribe it to the winner’s ability to attract random chances.
What does the Red Book say?
“I’d rather be lucky than skillful,” said Jim McNeal, a good friend and former managing broker.
Real estate trainer David Knox expands: “You make more money by being there than by being good. Get your people off their aspirations and show up.”
Show up? Why? Ben Franklin reminds us, “The Constitution only guarantees the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”
Before the accounting firm Arthur Andersen LLP crashed and burned in 2002, its founder offered, “The most important ingredient in any business relationship is frequency of contact. Go there! Go there! Go there!”
A more recent business partner of mine, Randy Forbes, reminded our salespeople that “The world is run by the people who show up.”
Turning luck into success
Yeah, but where do I find success? In the great movie Any Given Sunday, a football coach played by Al Pacino gives this locker-room advice: “We’re going to win this game inch by inch — and the inches we need are everywhere around us!”
Why aren’t people more successful? Lessons wouldn’t be the same without something from Thomas Edison. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
David Foster had this to say: “‘Good’ is the enemy of ‘great.’ I have known people who could have been great but stalled at good. I have no pity for them because if they aren’t working Saturday and Sunday, somebody else is.”
And on our theme, he said, “Luck is when hard work meets opportunity.”
Making the most of opportunity
So far in this article, I’ve overlooked what baseball can teach us. Listen to Hall of Famer and former Toronto Blue Jays coach Bobby Cox: “Show up on time and be ready to play.”
Put it this way: Showing up — while important — isn’t enough. You also have to bring your “A” game once you get there. In the words of former Seattle Mariners coach Lou Piniella, “You’ve still got to play baseball when the umpire says, ‘Play ball!’”
In real estate, and in life, luck is never guaranteed, but it’s always waiting for those who show up, work hard, and are ready for opportunity. Success is rarely the result of chance alone. It’s the product of persistence, preparation, and the willingness to embrace the unexpected.
As you move forward in your career, remember: Luck favours those who are present, engaged, and open to possibility. Show up, bring your best, and let luck meet you halfway.
Since June 2023, Marty Douglas has held his current role as a Professional Services Support Advisor at the BC Real Estate Association (BCREA). He previously served as a Director and President of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board and was named an Honorary member in 2010. He has also served as President of BCREA, Chairman of the Real Estate Council of BC, Chairman of the Real Estate Errors and Omissions Insurance Corporation, and Practice Standards Advisor at the BC Financial Services Authority.
