Last summer we gave you tons of suggestions for your real estate summer reading list and (surprise) most of the books were real estate-specific. You can find that list here.
This year, we’re giving you a list of books that aren’t not all real estate-related, but still packed with brilliant information.
Learn more about each book by clicking on the “Amazon.com” link, under the title.
LISTING BOSS: The Definitive Blueprint For Real Estate Success, by Hoss Prat
4.9 stars with 140 Amazon.com reviews
Do you have any idea how hard it is to get 4.9 out of a possible 5 for anything sold on Amazon?
There’s always a couple of people who just can’t seem to find anything they like about any product and end up leaving one star, which drags down the ranking.
This book, however, gets zero 1-star ratings. And, for good reason; Coach Prat covers a lot of ground in this book.
From systems and tools to lead conversion and marketing, Prat nails it in so many ways. Reviewers laud his thoroughness and lack of fluff. Instead of vague concepts, he offers strategies that you can use.
If 2019 is the year you plan on focusing on listings, Listing Boss needs to be number one on your real estate summer reading list.
Lead with Heart by Tom Gartland
5 stars with 1 Amazon.com review
My friend Kris Lindahl from the Twin Cities raves about this book, which is why it’s so hard to figure out why it has only one review at Amazon (and it’s not from Kris).
Gartland is the former president for Avis Budget Group, North America (from 2008 to 2014). His duties included “management of more than 20,000 employees in 5,000 locations, overseeing over 350,000 vehicles, which accounted for more than $5 billion in annual revenue,” according to his website.
Lead with Heart is the addition to your real estate summer reading list if you’re a solo agent considering forming a team or if you’re already a team leader and want to be better at what you do.
Chapter 8, Creating a Purpose and Strategy that Connects with your Team and Chapter 9, Connecting with the Hearts of your Customers, are especially pertinent for real estate professionals.
7L: The Seven Levels of Communication: Go From Relationships to Referrals, by Michael J. Maher
4.8 stars with 705 Amazon.com reviews
If there’s an agent on the planet who doesn’t want an all-referral business, please raise your hand.
If, on the other hand, you’d love nothing more than to step off the hamster wheel and have business come to you, add 7L to your real estate summer reading list.
“This book is about so much more than referrals. This is about building a business that not only feeds your family, but also feeds your soul,” according to Michael J. Maher, author and “North America’s Most Referred Real Estate Professional.”
Negative reviews of the book don’t like the third-person narrative and some say it’s simplistic.
The positive reviews (91 percent of them are 5-star reviews), however, tell a different story.
“It’s a great reminder of what real estate professionals need to be doing to achieve success. It’s a great reminder that it’s all about ‘them’ and not about ‘you.’ This book is a must-read for any REALTOR®”
Another agent says that “To this day, I have read the book 5 times and I share the book in my office to agents that want an alternative to cold calling. There is a way, and the strategies are in this book.”
If you need a communications skills refresher or you’re new to the business and want to hit the ground running by raking in referrals, this one is worth a read.
How To Be A GREAT Salesperson…By Monday Morning!, by David R Cook
4.7 stars with 119 Amazon.com reviews
Number 4 in Amazon’s “real estate sales” category, David R. Cook has written “THE BOOK” for agents looking for ways to increase sales. It’s the book you will “wish you had when, according to one reviewer.
Cook has an innovative system that he walks you through and offers “practical advice that can be put to use immediately,” according to another reviewer.
He touches on a lot of what experienced agents already know, but act as awesome reminders. Like how laughter breaks down barriers, stressing the benefits of working with you first and foremost, the importance of urgency and more.
Here’s hoping you can find the time this summer to sit down with a good book. Happy summer!
Looking for a different kind of real estate summer reading list? Read through these top 10 real estate websites – and what they’re doing to stay #1
For a smarter way to network, check out these tips for organic networking: