As the saying goes, ‘change is inevitable, but growth is optional’. And that certainly applies in real estate.
Interest rates rise and fall, the market accelerates, softens, then takes off again, and elections bring new policies and shifts.
It’s the agent that can embrace this change and create growth in their business no matter what’s happing around them who will enjoy a sustainable and fulfilling career.
Having had the good fortune to work with high-performing agents over many property cycles, I’ve noticed there is a common mindset in the agents who enjoy sustained success.
No matter what the market does, where interest rates sit or which government is in power, these eight real estate basics create the foundations of their ongoing growth and success.
They know and nurture their data
Agents may facilitate the transaction of property, but our business is built on relationships with people.
We get to know them, understand them, anticipate their needs and then, at the right time, step in to assist these people achieve their aims.
Key to this relationship building is data, which helps us track our customers’ journey and allows us to step up and offer assistance at the right time.
Top performers know the value of this data, they understand it intimately and appreciate the importance of nurturing it.
They invest in themselves
Building ongoing relationships involves letting people know who you are, what you do, and what you stand for.
That’s why the best and most successful agents consistently invest in building their own personal brand.
They recognise the importance of being omni-present and consistently channel around 5 per cent of their GCI back into the marketing that shows who they are.
They play the long game
The seeds you plant today are the trees that bear fruit in the future.
Successful agents know that it’s the work they put in today that will bring rewards in six months or even a year’s time.
They understand relationship-building is a long game, which takes time, an investment of effort, energy, and consistency.
They set high standards
The successful agent sets high standards that revolve around customer service. In their eyes the client comes first.
The outcome that client wants is the one they seek to achieve. And this extends far beyond a successful sale – it’s in every encounter, every contact and every single communication.
Each of these moments illustrates how much the agent values the relationship they have built and also nurtures the one they hope to enjoy in the future.
They embrace perpetual learning
No matter how many years you have in the industry, there is always more to learn. Successful agents embrace the act of perpetual learning.
They regularly sharpen their metaphorical saw, add new tools to their toolkit, and seek to learn from mistakes.
Their mindset is focussed on improvement in the future, not the accolades or record sales of the past.
They invest in their team
Just as the successful agent invests in their knowledge, their marketing and their client relationships, they also invest in their team.
They know they are only as good as the people they have supporting them, and they choose the team they have around them wisely, creating a culture of empowerment, opportunity and growth where success is a shared goal and achievement.
This team then affords an agent consistency, that they can leverage to build relationships and results year after year.
They are focussed
Real estate is simple, but not easy. It revolves key tasks executed well time and again. The successful agent implicitly understands what these high-value activities are and undertakes them as a habit.
In the process, they avoid unnecessary distractions and recognise the need to let go, outsourcing low-value tasks to the supportive team that they have built around them.
They give back
Blessed with an abundant mindset, the agent with sustainable success recognises that success is a privilege that should be honoured by giving back.
They are generous with their knowledge, sought after for their experience and willing to share their insight to make the industry a better place.
Change is coming
Change is a constant but with it comes an opportunity for growth by recognising what you can control and accepting the things you can’t.
Every agent has the opportunity to control the above eight real estate basics, and when they do, what happens around them is irrelevant to their success.
And on that note, there’s an exciting change coming to Eview as we look to embrace our ongoing growth. Watch this space as we reveal more in the weeks to come.
