How many times have you heard, “I was just in the right place at the right time?”

A good 15 to 20 years ago, I heard something I will never forget.

I was attending a seminar on how to negotiate with large advertising agencies placing television buys. The skills I learned are great for negotiating real estate deals, but that wasn’t what changed my life.

I had one of those moments that created a freeze-frame in my brain. I don’t remember what city I was in, or the people I was traveling with. But I have a vivid picture of where I was sitting: in a white plastic chair, on the center aisle, about a third of the way down.

The speaker was a man, in his mid 40s, wearing a gray suit. He was using an overhead projector, with piles of clear plastic sheets printed with outlines and key points. He had a red dry-erase pen to add words and circle things.

The moment I remember was not listed on his prepared sheets. It was one of those rare times when speakers pull away from their notes, and simply share something that inspires them.

He said, “People are in the right place at the right time many times during their lives. What separates the successful people from the rest of us is that they know when they are in the right place at the right time, and act on it.”

He proceeded with some examples, but I wasn’t listening. I was thinking back through my own life, of lost opportunities, and of times when I had followed my instincts and done well.

Something clicked in my brain. That weekend, I was in the right place at the right time, and I knew it. I had gained a guiding principle that I use nearly every day.

I knew that life was full of possibilities, if we just learned to recognize them.

How does this relate to real estate? When things shift in any business cycle, it creates opportunities. There will be some who will take a chance and follow their instincts.

Just last night, my brother-in-law, Doug, called on the phone. He has never owned any real estate save his own property. Over the past six months he has called several times describing a home for sale in his neighborhood that he thinks he should buy. So far, he has stopped short. Today, I think he will follow through.

It starts with that little sense of excitement deep inside: “This could work.” “This is something that feels right.” Are these really just instincts? With advances in brain research, we know there is a larger, quieter part of our brain that is working day and night processing little bits of information on our behalf. If I was to modify what I heard in that seminar years ago, I would say that we know we are in the right place at the right time if we just listen to ourselves!

Every successful person will tell you that they make mistakes, often large ones. This is how we learn. All the data is added to the superprocessor in our heads and a more refined result comes out the next time. I would rather reach out and make some mistakes, than to miss out on all the glorious things that life has to offer.

To help avoid mistakes, you need to be prepared. Educate yourself. The more knowledge you accumulate, the greater chance your gut feeling will be on target. Keep your debt low and your credit scores high. Get pre-qualified for a home loan.

Right now there are many real estate opportunities. I see them everywhere. I wish I could jump and grab them all, but I can’t. Maybe Doug will trust himself enough to buy a house today. Maybe some of the deals are for you, if you just open your eyes, and see that you may just be in the right place, at the right time.