Happy New Year Agents! I put together a list of 20 tips to help you achieve a positive 2022.
1. Stay Positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can trust that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.
2. Take a daily “Thank You Walk.” You can’t be stressed and thankful at the same time. Feel blessed and you won’t be stressed.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and less foods manufactured in plants.
4. Talk to yourself instead of listen to yourself. Instead of listening to your complaints, fears and doubts, talk to yourself with words of truth and encouragement.
5. Post a sign that says “No Energy Vampires Allowed.” Gandhi said, “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet,” and neither should you! Watch This.
6. Be a Positive Team Member. Being positive doesn’t just make you better, it makes everyone around you better.
7. Don’t chase success. Decide to make a difference and success will find you. [ Tweet This ]
8. Get more sleep. You can’t replace sleep with a double latte.
9. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control.
10. Look for opportunities to Love, Serve and Care. You don’t have to be great to serve but you have to serve to be great.
11. Live your purpose. Remember why you do what you do. We don’t get burned out because of what we do. We get burned out because we forget why we do it.
12. Remember, there’s no such thing as an overnight success. Love the process and you’ll love what the process produces.
13. Trust that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.
14. Implement the No Complaining Rule. If you are complaining, you’re not leading.
15. Read more books than you did in 2021. I happen to know of a few good ones. : )
16. Don’t seek happiness. Instead live with love, passion and purpose and happiness will find you.
17. Focus on “Get to” vs “Have to.” Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.
18. The next time you “fail” remember that it’s not meant to define you. It’s meant to refine you.
19. Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.
20. Boost your immune system and health. Eat wild salmon, turmeric, blueberries. Take vitamin C, D and zinc.
Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.
The real estate profession can be one of the most rewarding for many reasons. A few of the best things I love about being a professional real estate agent is the flexibility of my schedule, unlimited income potential, and of course, helping people with one of the largest transactions of their entire lives.
Most successful real estate agents are able to provide way more benefits than drawbacks of being a real estate professional. One thing that is rarely discussed about the real estate profession is the alarming percentage of agents who fail to succeed in the business. Depending on the source, the percentage of real estate agents that fail in the business within the first 5 years ranges between 85-90%.
When you think about it, nearly 9 of 10 new agents can expect to fail, which is an eye opener. I hear my coaching clients saying they were working with an agent who was brand new in the business. Long story short, the transaction didn’t go as planned and did not close. The buyer’s agent was pretty difficult to work with and certainly didn’t do his client justice with the service they provided which played a significant role in the deal falling apart.
This led me to start asking myself, is this agent going to make it in the business? What could be the reason why the agent isn’t going to make it?
This week we look at the top 10 reasons why real estate agents fail. If you’re thinking about getting your real estate license, are newly licensed, or are a 20 year veteran, you need to keep in your mind why most agents are failing in the business. Being aware of these reasons why real estate agents fail can greatly reduce the chance that you’re going to fall victim to the startling statistic of the percentage of agents failing in the business.
1. They Don’t Work Hard Enough. – Being a successful entrepreneur takes a lot of hard work. It doesn’t matter what industry, starting a business is going to mean long hours and lots of blood, sweat, and tears. One of the top reasons why real estate agents fail is because they simply do not work hard enough. Successful real estate agents work odd and long hours. There are few successful agents who work “banker hours” of 8 AM – 5 PM, Monday through Friday. Being a successful real estate agent means working many nights and weekends and being available via phone or e-mail nearly 24 hours a day. Advice: Find out what successful real estate agents are doing on a daily basis. Learning the habits of top real estate agents can go a long way. It’s no guarantee that what one agent is doing to build their business is going to work for the next, but the work ethic of top agents is often very similar.
2. They Get Involved In Real Estate For The Wrong Reasons. – Selling real estate is not for everyone, end of story. Another reason why most real estate agents fail is because they get involved in real estate for the wrong reasons. One of the most common reasons why people attempt to sell real estate is because they think all real estate agents make boatloads of money. This is a huge real estate myth and actually is the furthest from the truth. The average real estate agent makes less than $40,000 per year. Another very common reason people obtain their real estate license is because they love “looking at houses” or like watching shows on HGTV. Being a successful real estate agent is so much more than being a professional door opener. Becoming a professional real estate agent for one of the two reasons above is not a good idea. It’s important to get involved in real estate for the right reasons, otherwise, you may be another real estate agent that fails in the business. Advice: Make sure before getting involved in real estate that you evaluate why you want to sell real estate. If the answer is that you have a desire to help people with one of the biggest purchases of their lives, than real estate could be a great career for you.
3. They Don’t Save Enough Money To Live On. – Successful real estate agents spend money to build their business because they know how important it is. Whether it’s investing in promoting themselves to their sphere of influence or using top real estate marketing strategies to sell homes, it costs money. Many real estate agents fail because they don’t realize that it costs money to run their business and when they realize it does, they don’t have enough money to live on. Not having money to make car payments, student loan payments, buy groceries, or to buy other necessities is another reason why real estate agents fail. Advice: Before selling real estate, it’s extremely important you have enough money saved so that you can pay your bills and have money to also buy lives necessities. It’s highly recommended that before you attempt to sell real estate full time with no other means of incoming capital, that you have at least 6 months of money saved to pay all your bills.
4. They’re Selling Real Estate Part Time. – Another popular reason why real estate agents fail is because they’re attempting to sell real estate part time. Now, before part time real estate agents lynch me in the comments below, I acknowledge that it’s feasible to be a successful part time agent. The reality, however, is that the majority of part time real estate agents fail to make it in the business. Why do many part time real estate agents fail? Well for one, many buyers and sellers have to decide whether to hire a part time real estate agent or not. Many buyers and sellers will avoid hiring a part time agent at all costs, simply because they’re not readily available like a full time agent would be. Nothing against part time agents, but this is the thought process of many consumers. Advice: If you’re going to sell real estate part time, remember, honesty is the best policy. If you’re interviewing with a buyer or seller, explain to them that you’re a part time agent so that there are no problems in the future. If your full time position allows you to answer phone calls relating to real estate, explain to them that you’re able to answer calls and inquiries. If not, make sure you’re upfront about that as well. Being honest with buyers and sellers about your part time position will get you many more victories than it will defeats.
5. They Don’t Set Goals Or Have Action Plans In Place. – Goal setting and action plans are a critical part of any successful business. Most real estate agents fail because they don’t understand how to properly set goals or create action plans. Successful real estate agents are constantly setting and reviewing goals and action plans. It’s not as simple as setting a yearly goal and not revisiting it until the end of the year. It’s constantly being aware of your progress towards your goals and action plans. Advice: A few of the most important goals for real estate agents to set for themselves relate to their sales. Goals such as the number of transactions and number of sales are obviously important. Other goals and action plans, such as, how many weekly prospecting calls will be made, are also critical. Bottom line, setting goals and action plans can make agents more accountable which, in many cases, will lead to better results.
6. They Don’t Know How To Lead Generate. – One of the best things about being a real estate professional are the numerous ways business can be generated. The problem though is that many real estate agents fail in the business because they don’t know how to lead generate. One common trait of successful real estate agents is that they understand how they’re going to generate new leads for their business. For example, there are many PROs and CONs of open houses, one benefit being that open houses can be effective for generating leads for agents. On the other hand, a successful agent may determine that open houses are not the way they want to generate leads and they’d prefer to get leads through online marketing or social media. The commonality is that successful agents will know how to generate leads which keeps new business opportunities coming in. Advice: One of the first things that new agents should do is decide how they want to generate new leads. Are you the type of person who wants to door knock? Hold open houses every weekend? Utilize Facebook ads to get real estate leads? Whatever the answer is, knowing how to lead generate will greatly reduce the number of real estate agents who fail.
7. They Don’t Understand How Or Where To Market Themselves And Their Business. – A fairly common reason why most real estate agents fail in the business is because they don’t understand how or where to market. There are dozens of places a real estate professional can market themselves and their business nowadays because of the internet. Real estate agents fail because they often use the internet as a “look at ME” venue. There are so many real estate agents promoting on their Facebook pages about their latest and greatest listing or about the number of homes they sold in a week. While this may seem like an effective strategy of marketing themselves and their business, it’s actually a great way to get unfollowed or unfriended. The majority of your connections on the internet aren’t in the market for your new listing or don’t care if you’ve sold 3 homes in a week, however, sharing with your connections helpful information relating to real estate may interest them enough to read it or share with someone they know who maybe making a move in the near future. For example, if you were to share on your social networks a helpful article you wrote on the most important steps to buying a house, there is a much higher probability your friends and family shares your post with their friends and family because it’s helpful, not self-promotional. The same can be said about a helpful video you create for first time home buyers in your area about first time home buyer programs and grants. Advice: Successful real estate agents, those who make it in the business for extended periods of time, aren’t always promoting themselves. Successful agents know the importance of providing value when marketing themselves. In the long run, agents who’re viewed as an authoritative real estate professional will be more successful. As your considering a new marketing technique, always ask yourself, is this going to be helpful for others? Is your marketing piece providing value? If the answer is no, resist the strong urge to use the marketing technique as it may end up making your look foolish or even worse, lose friends or potential business.
8. They Believe That Being Successful In Real Estate Is Easy. – Real estate agents fail to make it long in the business not only because they don’t work hard, but they also believe that being successful is easy. The top agents in any real estate market didn’t get to where they are easily, in fact, they’ve likely worked for years and years perfecting their skills and talents. For example, the top real estate agents in ________ didn’t drink a magic potion that made them multi-million dollar producers. These agents weren’t just “given” business, they’ve earned it. The same can be said in any city in the world. Being successful in real estate is anything but easy. Advice: Even though there is a common misconception that top agents often get to where they are easily, don’t fall for this misconception. Being a successful real estate agent is not easy and also doesn’t happen overnight!
9. They’re Difficult To Work With. – When you’re working in a profession that deals with other people, it’s extremely important that working with you is enjoyable. Another common reason real estate agents fail to make it very long in the business is because they’re difficult to work with. Whether it’s because buyers and sellers don’t enjoy working with an agent or other local agents don’t enjoy working with an agent, being difficult to work with is a surefire way to fail as a real estate agent. Advice: When working with buyers and sellers, always keep in mind that there are hundreds or even thousands of other agents in any given market they could chose to work with. If working with an agent is difficult, it’s easy enough for a buyer or seller to find a new agent that’s easy to work with. An agent who has a good reputation with other agents also has a greater probability of making it in the business. Many real estate agents fail because they’re difficult to work with and other agents will do everything they can to avoid working with them.
10. They Don’t Know How To Overcome The Tough Times. – There are dozens of reasons why real estate markets are different, in fact, markets can be significantly different even if they’re close in proximity. This means that one market could be strong while another is weak. Another reason why real estate agents fail to make it in the business is because they can’t make it through the tough times. While a real estate market is strong, it’s common to see the majority of agents doing well and thriving in the business. Since real estate is cyclical, it’s inevitable that a tough market is in the future, which is when you get to see if a real estate agent is going to fail or not. Many real estate agents fail because they cannot power through a poor real estate market. Advice: Always plan for tough times ahead. It’s extremely important to continually grow your pipeline, number of contacts, and your overall business even during a strong market. Successful agents are always learning and evolving how they can market themselves to strengthen their business further. Bottom line, don’t get complacent during a strong real estate market!
There is plenty of business to go around in the real estate industry. The percentage of real estate agents failing is way too high. It’s extremely important that all real estate agents, whether new agents or seasoned veterans, realize why real estate agents fail. If the number of strong real estate professionals entering the business increased, it would be good for the industry and profession. Stronger agents entering and staying in the business would mean a better experience for buyers, sellers, and other real estate professionals.
1. Treat Yourself with Some Self Care. – One of the most important goals that you need to achieve is Self-care. It is necessary for every professional that they must take care of themselves first, both physically and psychologically. This will help make sure that they are sharp and ready to take on any and every challenge that their work-life throws at them.
2. Reconnect with Old Peers. – When you are working in a professional paradigm, you need to understand that every person that you know, or meet is a potential asset that you need to keep in your arsenal. The best asset is your old classmates and peers from your schooling days. Why? Because they are most likely a part of the professional paradigm as well, and they can help you connect with numerous potential clients, no matter what your area of expertise is. So keep those peers close as they can prove to be quite beneficial business connections for you.
3. Revisit Your Career Goals Every Year. – You must have set your career goals when you were in college, or even earlier than that. This is the normal scenario for a lot of professionals out there, but what will set you apart from all of them is when you would revisit all of the career goals every single year. Many people suggest revisiting these goals every 5 years, but what this year has taught us that you can never wait that long to make some major life changes that actively shape the way you live your work and personal life because it can all change without a moment’s notice.
4. Leverage a Task Scheduling App. – If you want to achieve your bigger work or personal goals this year, you need to start using a task scheduling app, such as nTask. A task scheduler can make your work easier in planning, organizing, reminding, executing, and reporting on the tasks set by you. nTask app is available on iOS and Android devices. It will keep you in the loop of your goals so that you won’t miss anything. The task scheduler app such as nTask will help you create tasks, set due dates, give priorities, get notifications, assign tasks to team members, manage workflows with Kanban Boards, and visualize the progress with the help of a Gantt chart.
5. Maintain a Proper Sleep Schedule. – Sleep is not just for beauty; it is the most important personal trait that you have to gain control over if you want to keep a hold on your sanity while performing so many professional tasks. Maintaining a proper sleep schedule is a prime example of a common entity among personal and professional goals. That makes it a very important work goal that you need to achieve in 2022.
6. Keep Funds Ready for Emergencies. – One of the most important things that the pandemic has shown us that no one’s job is secure. Every one of us is disposable and you can be evicted from the house you called home for so many years, in a matter of days. This is why you must set a personal and work goal to save money whenever possible. That money will help fund your personal and work life in an emergency.
7. Keep a Daily Journal. – Many of us already have this amazing habit where we document every happening, or write-up the most relevant of happenings from our day into our personal Journal or diary. This helps us keep a record of what our shortcomings and positive aspects have been over a long period and can help us to make different personal and work-life decisions in the future. The majority of experts recommend journaling for 5 minutes in the morning and at night, but most of us cannot do that even once in the day. So, if you cannot get yourself to do the daily writing, you can try doing it weekly, but the problem with that is that you cannot remember so much from your day when it has been 6 days. So we would recommend doing it daily and maintain consistency.
8. Travel More. – One thing that you MUST do is to travel. Our lives have been made quite stagnant by our work priorities, even without the help of the pandemic, and the only way to liven things up is to get out of your normal routines and travel to different locations where you are bound to learn some new things. These new things can be beneficial to both your work and personal life, in addition to throwing you into an effervescent state known as ‘Holiday High’.
9. Keep a Healthy Diet. – Since you are working from home right now and even when you go to the office after this nightmare is over, you need to make sure that you keep a healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables, and meat if you are into it. This diet will provide you with all of the different nutrients and elements associated with physical and mental health, which will strengthen your immune system and make you more active and healthier for the personal and work challenges you face every day.
10. Keep a Gratitude Journal. – We have already talked about keeping a Journal but that was to write-up all of the different happenings in your day. This journal is establishing a more positive outlook on your life. A gratitude journal is a great way of recalling different aspects of your life so that you can have a more positive attitude while tackling the different challenges that you face in your personal and professional life.
11. Maintain a Morning Routine. – Whenever we look at the most common traits among all of the successful entrepreneurs and businessmen people around the world, the first thing that pops up is their morning routine where they wake up early and start their day way before anyone else. This is because the most productive hours in your day are when you wake up and when those hours are in the morning, you get to enjoy the peace and serenity of the morning before the hustle and bustle of the day consumes you. This is why maintaining a morning schedule is an excellent work and personal goal that you have to achieve in 2022.
12. Read More. – Reading has always been an amazing personal trait. It enhances your vocabulary and helps stuff your mind with some amazing facts about life and work, and also many other things depending on the books that you are reading. Experts suggest that you should read at least 12 books, one for each month. Some people already read more than double that, but it is a good start for people who are not habitual of even reading a single book in a whole year.
13. Arm Yourselves with More Skills. – The professional paradigm is a war. You and every single one of your peers is competing with each other, and just like in war, victory is always given to the people who have the best arsenal under their command with the mind to wield it. This is why you need to arm yourselves with more skills because, in the professional paradigm, the best weapon to be victorious is a diverse skill set.
14. Drink More Water. – The next item on the list to keep yourself hydrated. You do not need us to tell you how important water is, so we’ll skip the lecture. Just remember that keeping yourself hydrated is useful for keeping your mind and body fresh, which will help you defeat all of the challenges that your personal and professional life put in your way.
15. Workout. – Fitness is a drug that is universally accepted as the salvation for the human race – i.e. if we want to defeat the rampant obesity that is all around us. For many of us, that reality is not clear enough and they are still prone to left swipe the option to choose a healthier life for them. When this is the case, then workout might not be for them. What they can do is that they can do other activities that can keep them fit and healthy like meditation or hiking. Something to keep them moving and keeping them releasing those endorphins so that they can have a fresher and healthier personal and professional life.
16. Maintain a Clutter-Free Environment Around You. – One of the best things that you can do to keep your mind away from distractions and also keeping the environment around you pleasant, is to make sure that the everything around you in perfect symmetry, and if you’re not prone to OCD cleaning then you can just keep your surroundings clutter-free. This will keep your mind away from all of the distractions that a cluttered workspace or home can fester in your mind. Declutter your home, be happy.
17. Spend Less Time Online. – The Internet is everyone’s friend/ enemy in the 21st century. It is a complicated relationship that can only be fixed when you can control your urge to being online 24/7. You need to try at-least to distance yourself from the internet because the constant flow of information has made us all immune to all of the stuff that is happening around us in our lives. To do that, you need to spend more time outdoors camping or doing some physical activities with your friends and family that will not only keep you happy but also keep all of the people in your life happy, who have been avoided by you because you were busy on the internet.
18. Get Rid of a Toxic Habit. – The next item on the list is removing a toxic habit from your life and let’s face it, we all have something attached to is that we want to get away from. It can anything like smoking or sleeping a lot, and we understand that you have tried to get away from it but failed to do so. Just remember that life isn’t fair to anyone and you have to keep trying and trying until we get exactly what we want. Don’t give up and one day you will succeed.
19. Maintain a Monthly Budget. – If you are reading this article, then you are someone who is independent and wants to keep their boat from capsizing in the ocean of bankruptcy. To do that, you need to maintain a monthly budget and take control of every little expense in your life. This will make sure that everything you earn and spend is documented and you don’t empty your pockets while spending money on unnecessary things that provide no benefit to your personal and professional life.
20. Join a Club. – You need to make a list of all of the different interests and hobbies that you have and find out which of them is your favorite. When you have done that, find a club whose workings match your hobby and join it. Joining a club is a great way to meet people who have the same interests as you, which can help you grow meaningful connections and make sure that you have a safe space to talk about your thoughts and hobbies. It also helps you make some amazing new friends with whom you can do a lot of fun activities in your free time.
21. Create a Work-Life Balance. – Last but not the least, you need to make sure that both aspects of your life, work, and personal life, are balanced out and either one of them doesn’t smother the other one. Doing so will assist in removing all the burdens that you are currently carrying in your work life or your personal life, and ensure that you are of the sound of mind to tackle any challenges that your life throws at you.
22. Improve your time management skills. – Time is everything — you have to live and die by it. There are a lot of different people in the industry who will fill you in on different solutions to all of your problems. Especially if those problems are related to deadlines, completing milestones, and such other things. If you don’t have the skill of time management in the bag, you really can’t save yourself from the fast-moving storm that is going to swallow you whole. Make everything count. Do a retrospective of yourself and see where it leads.
23. Improve your emotional intelligence. – If you want to approach anyone, whether it is a potential partner in life or a potential client, you need to up your EQ game. EQ is emotional intelligence. What it does is that it makes you a little more responsive and accommodating about your emotions and the emotions of the people around you. The next time you want to sign a client or invite someone to coffee, make sure that you understand their emotions and answer them with the same depth and gusto as they do unto you.
24. Always find new challenges to complete. – Finding new challenges is a great way to make any job role exciting and fulfilling. It is a great way to make sure thatyou don’t have a boring day at the office. Ever. The problem is that finding new challenges and facing them head-on is not possible for all of us. Many of us have problems interacting with the challenges that are already in our lives. We understand that. That’s why we recommend that you take things slow and find out what your strengths are. Once you’re done with that, you will be aware of the things that you can do and what challenges you can take on. This will help you and your organization to flourish beyond belief, whenever there is a change in the wind. Finish 2021 strong and start 2022 new and alive!
Over the last several years I have had the privilege of having Focus coach and author Les Hewitt speak into my life as a personal and professional coach, to co-present together and also become good friends. Les co-authored the extremely popular business building and life changing book The Power of Focus along with Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, which has to date sold over a million copies.
I remember when Les and I began working together in coaching he said eventually you will just spend your time playing and focus on your strengths and what you enjoy best, and do best and focus only on the activities where you are at your best and the rest we will automate, delegate or remove from my schedule. At the time I thought that was impossible but over the years thanks to his lesson my time, energy and efforts are spent on what I am gifted at and enjoy doing the most.
This week I want to share one of the most important lessons I learned from Les which was the four foundational truths proven to radically change your personal life and real estate business forever. As a business coach, author and professional speaker I’m often asked, “Why is it some people do so well in life—professionally, personally and financially—and yet so many seem to constantly struggle?” It’s a valid and important question. Based on my 30 years business experience and the opportunity to work with literally thousands of clients from a wide variety of industries, the most practical answer I can provide is this. Truly successful people focus on The 4 Fundamentals.
These fundamentals are: GOALS, PRIORITIES, RELATIONSHIPS and HABITS. This is powerful. It’s also simple. Fundamentals, as the name suggests, are time-tested truths that don’t erode when a new “flavor of the month” idea is launched by some self-styled management guru! These principles are thousands of years old; they’re obviously built to last. Any time one of our clients is faced with a crisis, for example, a financial crunch or a new competitor, we have always—and I do mean always— found a solution by focusing on the 4 Fundamentals. Let’s have a look at each of them….
FUNDAMENTAL #1
Focus on your most important GOALS. Question: Do you have a crystal clear picture of what you want and why you want it? The answer is simple, Yes or No. Sadly, for the vast majority of the population, the answer is No—97% by actual survey! Goals provide clarity. If you don’t have an exciting big picture vision for your life, then you may end up in your senior years regretting the life you never had, simply because you never took the time to design it. With the number one challenge for businesspeople today being time pressure, then it would also seem obvious that your goals should be well-balanced. At The Power of Focus Inc. we’ve developed a unique system that guarantees excellent balance. There are 7 areas you as a businessperson needs to find balance in if you want unusual clarity, less stress, more confidence and the excitement of achieving meaningful goals consistently. In no particular order of importance, these are: Business, Financial, Fun-Time, Health and Fitness, Relationships, Personal and Contribution.
FUNDAMENTAL #2
Focus on your most important PRIORITIES. What this really means is, focus on what you do best and let go of the rest. In one of our coaching workshops we have an activity called, Calculating your current level of focus. This means the amount of time you spend in a typical week focused on your strengths, those activities that produce the greatest results. Question: What are the 3 things you do best at work, that give you energy, momentum and most of all, create measurable results? If you can’t answer that question in ten seconds flat, you need to take some time away and really ponder this. Here’s why. Most business leaders (CEO’s, presidents, V.P.’s, Managers and Supervisors) have a level of focus that’s less than 50%. For a significant number of people it’s more like 10-20%! In other words, people in leadership roles allow themselves to be constantly interrupted and distracted, or micro-manage everything so much that the greater portion of their time is wasted every week. Putting out fires and reacting to other peoples “emergencies” is not good leadership.
FUNDAMENTAL #3
Focus on your most important RELATIONSHIPS. To enjoy significant success in life you will need the help of other people. In business we call these Core Clients—people who love your product or service so much they become cheerleaders for you in the process. You may have internal or external core clients, or both, depending on your role in the organization. Focusing on building strategic relationships creates great leverage. Question: Can you name, right now, the five most important relationships you need to cultivate in your business that will create the best opportunity for future success? Again the answer is, Yes or No. Excellent relationships thrive in a win-win environment. This occurs when you constantly add more value and when people trust, respect and genuinely like you. This requires a high level of integrity. It also means you focus on helping others achieve their most important goals. Suspend your own self-interest and you will be handsomely rewarded down the road. Sadly, we observe companies using cut-throat negotiating tactics, providing minimal training or that of the “quick-fix” variety. Well trained people are a company’s greatest asset, especially if the rewards and recognition are shared when victory is achieved.
FUNDAMENTAL #4
Focus on SUCCESSFUL HABITS. The bottom line? Better habits guarantee better results. And results are the name of the game, in business and in life. It’s not what you say, it’s what you DO that counts! Question: Do you have any bad habits? More important question; do you realize the consequences that those bad habits may be creating? Not today or next week, but maybe years down the road, when life hits you like a two by four—wham!! And suddenly you’re facing a financial meltdown, a health crisis or a marriage breakdown. Yes, bad habits have a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it—we’ve seen it with so many people. A lack of awareness, not paying attention to the warning signals or being “too busy” to reflect, are major contributors to their misfortune. Understand, habits are a big deal—they will determine your future. Just creating three or four successful new habits every year can dramatically improve your business, provide financial freedom and ensure excellent health and long lasting relationships. Many thanks to Les Hewitt for sharing these extremely valuable lessons to apply to our personal life, relationships and to catapult our real estate business to the next level.
When I began my real estate career at only 21 years of age my father and partner at the time was an amazing mentor to me on money management early in my career. Those lessons I learned were so valuable for me and still guide me 29 years later. What are your money saving practices? What are you financial goals for 2021? “I want to save more money this year.” “I want to become debt-free.” “I want to start saving for retirement.” These are all worthy goals, but that doesn’t mean they’re effective. Perhaps, like countless other people, you set goals like these year after year, but you make little or no progress. Strive to make 2021 the year you finally achieve your financial goals by keeping these do’s and don’ts in mind.
DO rely on systems, DON’T rely on willpower. – Many of us rely on willpower to bridge the gap between the goals we set and the things we want to accomplish. But this isn’t always effective. Instead of relying on your willpower alone, set up systems to help you actually achieve your financial goals. Instead of just “trying harder” to stay on top of your bill payments and set money aside for savings, for example, set up automatic bill pay and weekly automatic transfers from your checking account to your savings account. Systems like these help ensure your financially responsible intentions don’t become an afterthought.
DO focus on habits, DON’T focus on outcomes. – Refocusing your money goals on specific daily, weekly and monthly habits—rather than distant, vague outcomes—could help you follow through. For example, instead of setting a goal to save up for a family vacation this year, turn your focus to the habit that will help make it happen, like transferring $50 to a dedicated vacation savings account at the start of each week. Clearly defined habits are essential in helping us make real progress.
DO stay flexible, DON’T be rigid. – Another common pitfall is failing to update our goals as we experience changes to our circumstances throughout the year. Goals are dynamic, and therefore our approach to them must be flexible. It’s perfectly fine if some of your past goals are no longer relevant. And it’s normal for new goals to take precedence over previous priorities. But as that happens, it’s important to update your financial systems to reflect those changes. Schedule time on your calendar once a month to review your financial goals.
DO stay committed, DON’T try to be perfect. – Rather than giving up for failing to be perfect when you make money mistakes, give yourself credit for staying committed in spite of your missteps and the challenges you face. You don’t have to be perfect to achieve your money goals, but you do need to remain committed to the process. Recognizing the positive progress you have made can help you do just that.
Here are a few of my recommended reads for those looking to learn more with their money habits:
“Identity is this incredible invisible force that controls your whole life. It’s invisible, like gravity is invisible, but it controls your whole life.”—Tony Robbins
One of the most powerful forces over us is our identity. Identify as someone who is fit and healthy? You’ll prove it by working out daily. Believe that you’re great at math? Then you ace those tests. And when you identify as someone who is “just not good with money,” you will prove that to yourself over and again by quitting a good job, spending recklessly or losing your wallet every few months. Humans are incapable of acting out of line with our identity and our subconscious works tirelessly to make us consistent—for better or worse. If you want to get rich, then, the solution is to change your identity. And THAT starts with changing your thinking.
Here are some questions you can ask that will do the trick.
1. What negative beliefs do you have about money? Dig deep for your own greatest hits. What do you believe about money that’s preventing you from having it? Do you have a rich uncle with horrifying political views and think all wealthy people must be like that? Money is only a tool, and wealth is not correlated to a person’s character or political views. How can you discover your beliefs about money? Pay close attention to the language you use. “I can’t afford it” is a mantra that shuts off your brain. Yes, you can afford it in some future state—you just need to get creative. A healthier replacement belief might be, “How can I afford it?”
2. Why do you deserve money? The most common block about making money is the feeling that we don’t deserve it. We tell ourselves in myriad ways that we’re not smart, kind, attractive, capable, experienced or fill-in-the-blank enough. Challenge that thinking. Make a list right now (yes, right now!) of all the reasons you deserve money. You might write down, like I did, that I deserve money because I’m a kind, ethical man with an abundance of integrity and that the money will be put to use for humanity’s good. Maybe you deserve it because you work especially hard, or take care of a sick loved one, are incredibly intelligent and capable, because you’ve paid your dues—or, because everyone deserves wealth and abundance, including you.
3. Who could I become with money? I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing that formative life lesson that is being broke. I’m grateful for the lessons it taught me, but I’d never want to go back there. As a broke person I was always stressed, which erased my sense of humor. I stopped seeing friends. I stopped buying new clothes and having a beer on a patio in the summer, which made me happy. I lost my self-confidence and self-esteem, and because of that, couldn’t possibly do great work. Learning how to create and grow wealth changed all of that and helped me become a more vibrant, generous, less uptight person—my real self. I like myself much more as a prosperous person. Who would you become without the guillotine of poverty hanging over your head?
4. Who could I help with money? A sole focus on yourself is a good recipe for ending up alone and miserable. The secret to a happy life is to constantly be contributing. We all want to be useful and that happens because of what we give, not what we get. If you had all the money you want now, who could you help? Could you pay off your parents’ mortgage? Send your daughter to the best school in the world? Be less stressed and a better partner at home? Give to charity? Find a reason outside of yourself for creating wealth, and the dollars will flow.
5. What has money already given you? There’s a psychological effect called “disqualifying the positive,” and it happens when we ignore good experiences and focus only on the bad. People do this often with money: We forget how much that money already does and has done for us and see only what’s lacking. We can combat this by literally counting our blessings. On a piece of paper, write down the amazing things you have or had in your life because of money—your home, car, education, lifesaving surgery or medication, vacations, toys, food, or gym membership. Thanks, money! When we remind ourselves of what money is capable of giving us, we appreciate it. And when money feels appreciated? Well it comes to visit more often. There Is Plenty to Go Around “The truth is that there’s more than enough good to go around.”—Michael Beckwith
There’s one specific money belief that’s probably more important than all the others, and it’s the complete opposite of what most people believe: There is plenty of wealth to go around. No, we’re not talking about printing money, we’re still on the subject of beliefs. If you think that wealth creation is a zero-sum game, i.e. that someone has to lose for you to gain, then you will always struggle with money. That’s the scarcity mindset. The truth is, wealth can be created out of nothing—just put an industrious pioneer in the middle of a forest and you’ll see. The economy grows not because of clever tricks by central banks, but because real people are creating real value for other people through a product or service. The pie is constantly growing, and when one person gets a slice, they don’t deprive someone else of theirs. Adopt this belief with full faith, and you’ll stop competing for wealth and start creating it.
Do you own a job or do you own a business? When you stop does your income stop? Then you own a job.
If you are generating business and income while you are away from real estate, then you own a business. One of the greatest challenges for most agents is leverage, automation, systemization and delegation.
This week we look at the question that all agents are seeking the answer to, “When and how do I hire a real estate assistant?” Some even go years contemplating whether or not it is the right time. Many people ask the same questions such as, “should I hire someone now?” and “can I even afford to hire someone?”
Now we know it can be scary to let someone into your business like that but in actuality, it needs to be done sooner than later. If you are constantly asking yourself if you should hire an assistant, then that alone should tell you that you need to hire someone. When it comes to affording one, if they are really doing their job, they will be making you a significant amount of money. Here we are going to break down when and how to hire an assistant through 3 different phases. Each phase comes with 4-5 questions and steps into ensuring you are using the right solution.
PHASE 1
In Phase 1 begin to ask yourself, “How do I know it is time to hire an assistant?” Like mentioned earlier, if you are asking this question, then it probably is necessary. You are clearly starting to become overwhelmed once you start even thinking about having someone to help.
Question 2, Do you stay up late doing non best use of time tasks, also known as “BUT’s”? These include very simple tasks that are more tedious than they are difficult. After a long day of meetings, going to open houses and meeting new clients, the last thing you are going to want to do is work yourself up on those simple everyday tasks you had to keep pushing aside because they weren’t a priority at the time.
Question 3, Do you have aspirations to grow beyond where you are now? If you have aspirations to grow financially or even from a team standpoint, you are never going to get there alone. The only way you are going to grow and get the most out of your potential is to have help. Asking for help can sometimes seem as a belittling standpoint but it shouldn’t be. Everyone at some point or another asks for a helping hand and so should you.
Question 4, Do you live in the clouds? Meaning, are you not able to implement in the way you need to? People who are in real estate, especially self-starters and entrepreneurs live in the clouds and you need to take this in account for needing the help with your brain storming.
Question 5, Do you know that you are losing business? The more you wait for help, the more projects you are going to have to shy away from because of how busy your schedule is. The longer you wait, the more money you are going to lose, period. Their job is not just to do the tedious and hard work, it is also to make you money. As they say, you don’t remember what you’ve forgotten.
PHASE 2
Now that you have finally agreed to yourself you need an assistant, it is time for phase 2. What are you supposed to look for when you start looking to hire?
The first thing you should be looking for is if they are detail and system oriented. In order to find someone who is, the best way is to make them follow multiple steps in the hiring process on the application. These can include: using a specific font size, only sending the application through a PDF, use a specific format, include this header and more. Now if they don’t follow the steps correctly you instantly know they are not good with following directions and are not detail oriented. In all, you are looking for a person who can get annoyed with a lack of order rather than too much detail or instruction.
The second thing you should be looking for is a naturally positive person. Now, this can be a little more difficult because in actuality, everyone is “nice” during their first interview. This is why you need to take it further and have multiple interviews in multiple settings. It is known miserable people can only act happy for so long until it takes one thing to take them over the edge. You need to be able to see how they act with more than one or two interactions with them to get their full personality and potential.
The third thing you should be looking for in a potential candidate is if they are self-driven. This person should be looking for ways to make your life easier. You want someone to anticipate everything so they can adapt to what is needed and what isn’t.
The fourth and final thing you should be looking for is someone that must be tech savvy and able to type. Now we’ve all seen how our grandparents and even sometimes our parents use a computer which is funny to us of course, but when it comes to hiring an assistant, it won’t be funny down the line when you are on a time crunch and they are still working on that first email. There are plenty of people in the world, especially nowadays with technology being as advanced as it is, that know how to use specific software and can adapt fast to new software.
PHASE 3
Moving on to the 3rd and final phase, you should now have hired someone but you don’t exactly know what to do next…
The first thing you should do is either take the time to properly train them or take the time to redo their work. You need to set aside time to be able to train them respectively because the quicker you train them, the quicker you will improve your business and make money.
Secondly, you need to give them clear expectations of what you want from them. You only have one chance to create expectation so think carefully. You want to set expectations such as what time they need to be there, the kinds of activities you expect them to do, what they should be able to do in a specific amount of time, etc. Be very clear in what you want out of them so then everyone is on the same page.
Next thing you want to do is teach them a marketing strategy to implement immediately. This is because it will shortly after bring your business making not only you feel good, but making them feel good as well. Try to teach them how to do things such as saving a search in a MLS, emailing listings, saving listings and similar tasks. All in all, they are adding to your business this way and it can only lead to great things.
Lastly, do NOT micromanage them! Many agents respond to this by saying, “but what if they don’t do it right?” Well, it is not that they won’t do it “right” it is that they won’t do it YOUR way. You need to let go of what you’ve been doing in the past to make room for the new because clearly something needs to change. Additionally, in most cases, they often do it better than you which may catch you off guard at first but you need to remember it is only making you and your business greater. You need to give them the freedom to be the person you hired them to be and let them do their thing.
If you haven’t already realized, there are only positive outcomes that will happen if you were to hire an assistant. After going through these 3 phases, you should see a massive positive change in not only the business but with you as a realtor. Now start looking for that assistant before all the good ones are taken!
Whether you are 20 or 50, many of us become so scared of losing what we have we don’t go after what we truly want. We play it safe and hold on so tight to the status quo that we never experience what could be. We believe the doubters and don’t take chances that will move us one step towards our dreams. I call this “playing to lose”. We see this in sports all the time when a team has the lead. They start to think about how not to lose instead of how to win. They hold on so tight to their lead that they start playing safe and scared. You can see it in their energy and body language. As a result, the other team takes chances, plays with no fear, and eventually gains the momentum and wins. To live a life filled with positive energy we must learn to repel the energy of fear. Whether it comes from within or from another person, we must overcome fear and adopt a “Play to Win” mindset. Playing to win requires a commitment to yourself that even if you fail, you will never give up and never let your goals and dreams die.
Those who play to win know success is not given to us. It is pursued with all the energy and sweat we can muster. Obstacles and struggles are part of life and only serve to make us appreciate our success.
If everything came easy we wouldn’t know what it felt like to truly succeed. Obstacles are meant to be overcome. Fear is meant to be conquered. Success is meant to be achieved. They are all part of the game of life and the people who succeed play to win and never give up until the game is over.
I cannot believe it myself the first quarter of 2017 has almost come to an end. Time really does fly when you’re having fun!
How did the first quarter of your year go for you personally and in your real estate profession? Are you behind your goals? Ahead of your goals? Just right where you targeted for your start to the year?
We are now entering into one of the typically best quarters of the year; Q2. My question to you is… is it time to change things up? This week we look at some critical steps to take today if you are not on track:
#1. Take Some Time To Look At Your Status
What is your current situation? What are your biggest challenges or issues you are facing? What were your goals and why you wanted to accomplish those goals?
#2. Measure Your Quarter
What were your numbers for the first quarter? How many calls? How many appointments? How many presentations? How many Listings? How many buyer agreements? Don’t measure your quarter success solely on results but even more important is measure your quarter on activities. You have to be faithful with your activities to receive the success you deserve.
#3. Growth Checklist
Based on the first quarter and what the numbers are saying what do you need to do different? What do you need to do more of? More leads, appointments, follow up, conversion, presentations and contracts this quarter? What changes need to happen to achieve your goals and breakthrough this next quarter in Real Estate.
#4. Working On Your Business
How does your operation, systems and automation look right now? Do you have systems and checklists for everything in place? Are you leveraging with someone or something else that is generating you business while you are busy being busy or getting some sleep? Time to schedule that hour of power a day and work on your business and not always in it.
#5. Time For Help?
Is it time to delegate the low dollar productive activities and free up time for you to focus on the high dollar productive activities? Remember someone or something else doing the low dollar productive activities as better than you doing them, right?
#6. Sales and Marketing
Is what your spending and doing generating a return on your time and investment? How are you positioned in your marketplace? Is your unique value proposition to the customers being communicated in all your materials? Growing your business is no small task and there are many different moving parts.
#7. Income and Expenses
How much are you spending? How much should you spend to meet your goals? Are you profitable? Do you take time and measure your expenses and the R.O.I.? Remember we are in this to make a profit and not all about the gross income being less than the expenses.
#8. Technology
Is technology ruling you or are you ruling the technology? How much technology is enough? Am I relying solely on technology and not enough on old fashion full contact with people belly to belly? We all need to embrace technology because it isn’t something that will just go away. In the same breath we need to not just rely on technology because sales always has and always will be a full contact sport.
So there you have it 8 solid points to help you turn your year around and really make Q2 the best quarter of your year. Take the time to look at your first quarter numbers and your goals and refuel your “why” for crushing it in the second quarter of this year. I dare you!
I can’t believe how quickly time flies and the first half of 2016 has come and gone already. It’s an excellent time of year to reflect and look back on the first half of the year and assess what we did well, what we can do better and more importantly what’s next for us and the second half of 2016.
I strongly encourage you to set aside an hour or so – on a weekend or during your normal weekly planning time – and do a mid-year review. Use this time to reflect back on the first six months of the year and make adjustments to your real estate goals for the remainder of the year.
10 Questions to Ask During Your Mid-Year Review:
Looking Back…
Key Accomplishments. What are all of the great things I got done over the past six months? What goals did I achieve? What things am I most proud of accomplishing? Which of my goals did I really miss the mark on?
Relationship Development. What new relationships did I develop? Which of my existing relationships did I significantly strengthen? Which relationships may I have overlooked or not given enough attention to?
Learning. What opportunities to learn new things did I take advantage of? What were the things I learned most about myself? What were the things I learned most about my business?
Mistakes. What mistakes did I make? What mistakes could I have avoided? What mistakes provided me with the most significant development and learning opportunities?
Time Management. How well did I manage my time? Have I been focusing my time on the most important things in my life? Are there any significant “time wasters” I need to reduce or eliminate from my life? When am I most productive? When am I least productive? Looking Ahead…
Top 3 Work-Related Goals. What are my top three work-related goals for the remainder of the year? Why are those goals important to me? What habits and processes do I need to adopt to support those goals?
Top 3 Personal Goals. What are my top three personal goals for the remainder of the year? Why are those goals important to me? Who can I share these goals with to help hold me accountable to achieving them?
Relationship Development. Which relationships will I focus on strengthening and developing during the second half of the year? Who do I want to meet and get to know? Who can most help me achieve my work-related and personal goals?
Learning and Knowledge. What areas of learning do I most need to focus on? What new skills do I need to develop? What skills do I need to strengthen? What things do I need to “keep current” on? What one skill, if mastered, would have the greatest impact on the achievement of my goals?
Habits. What time management habits do I need to develop and strengthen? What three habits, if developed and sustained, would have the greatest positive impact on my work life and personal life? What habits do I know I need to drop or replace?
Set yourself up for ending your year strong and run through the above questions and review them regularly the balance of the year to remind yourself of what you want out of your life and what you want out of your business. Have you done too much and burned out? Am I out of balance? Am I out of motivation? Have I fallen short? The exciting news is that we have the choice when things weren’t what we hoped in the first half of the year to choose to make this the first day of the rest of the year of what you really want in business and life. I dare you!
Happy New Year Agents! I put together a list of 20 tips to help you achieve a positive 2022.
There was a time in most of our lives when we had no fear. That feeling when we jumped from the jungle gym and slammed our little bodies to the ground. Perhaps it was when we went on our first roller coaster, or when we were in high school or college and felt there was nothing we couldn’t do. No goal was unattainable. We were an unstoppable force that would think of something and then make it happen. Then, as time goes by, the world tells us more frequently we can’t do what we want. The doubters laugh at our goals and try to persuade us from going after our dreams. They say, “You’re crazy. It’s too hard. Why don’t you do this instead? You should play it safe.” They act as if dreams were meant for others but not people like us. They surround us with negative energy and try to instill their own fears and insecurities in us. We not only begin to know the word “fear”, we start to understand what it’s like to be fearful. With so many people telling us we can’t do something and so few telling us we can, it’s hard not to let fear into our lives. Unfortunately, this is how many of us go through life, myself included at times. As a 
I can’t believe how quickly time flies and the first half of 2016 has come and gone already. It’s an excellent time of year to reflect and look back on the first half of the year and assess what we did well, what we can do better and more importantly what’s next for us and the second half of 2016.