Have you often wondered whether you’ve got what it takes to go out on your own and start your own agency?
Area Specialist Founder Michael Choi says it’s probably a lot less complex than you might think.
Here, Michael shares the five traits he looks for when considering applications to join the Area Specialist national network and reveals it’s as much can-do attitude and character resilience as it is about having runs on the board.
1. You have the confidence to back your own ability
I’m a big believer in the saying, “If you don’t back yourself, no one else will”.
That doesn’t mean putting on airs and graces or falsely beefing up your results, it just means backing your ability and demonstrating it.
Sometimes though, you might do exactly that and still feel as though you’re hitting a roadblock at work.
Maybe you feel like you’re just another cog in the wheel or, at the end of the financial year you look at your bottom line and feel as though what you earn correlates with the hours you put in.
Congratulations, you’ve seen the light.
Repeating what you have been doing in the past means you’ll likely produce the same outcomes, so if you want to see change you need to make it happen.
And to do that you need to back your own ability and either find a new employer or strike out on your own as your own boss and really take control of your career.
That way you can build your personal brand rather than someone else’s.
Confidently backing your own skills and ability is the foundation for a successful career and that comes with non-negotiable No 1 – whatever your decision about the next step, you know you will make it work.
2. You are prepared to outwork your competition
Yes, past results are a strong indicator that you have the skills to do even better in a more encouraging workplace.
Maybe you are already one of the top agents in your area and your negotiation skills are second to none.
But plenty of newcomers to real estate quickly become top performers because they will always work harder than their competition to serve their clients and help them achieve their dreams.
If you want to be the best, you have to outwork the current market leaders.
Passion, drive and the work ethic to prospect harder, generate more listings and make more sales in the future is just, if not more powerful, than what you’ve done in the past.
3. You are a problem solver
Not only that but you learn from every problem you solve along the way.
That kind of resilience builds long-term careers in real estate. We all can learn something from people who bring fresh ideas and a different angle to look at problems in the workplace.
One of the reasons you are looking to make a new start could be that you are frustrated that your good ideas have been ignored.
Of course, if you want to aggressively grow your business and brand to the next stage there will come a time when you need to show your ability as a leader, and to work well at the head of a team.
Those with the capacity to plan for the future and carry through those plans are people who will lead well in practice.
If you are reading this column, the chances are you are dissatisfied with your present employer. Perhaps they don’t give you the flexibility you need to find a sustainable work-life balance.
Why do you even have to be in the office sitting through another unproductive meeting when you should be selling property?
If you are a problem solver, you already know the solution to these problems. You need to find the right environment so you can put them into action.
4. You already are an area specialist or driven to become one quickly
Contacts aren’t just names on a database but satisfied customers who will work with you into the future.
Good real estate agents will already have a deep engagement with their community through clubs, organisations and schools.
They generate most of their business and clients themselves. These are all indicators you are certainly ready to be your own boss.
5. You are dedicated to growing your income year-on-year and believe your current employer can’t help you achieve that.
Do you believe you have done all the hard work but still don’t seem to be able to get ahead with your present employer?
Our results show that people who join our network at least double their income.
They receive 100 per cent of their commissions, rather than sharing those commissions with their boss or franchisor.
When joining Area Specialist you pay a flat fee for our support.
The more you earn in GCI the more income you keep without handing over a big percentage to someone else.
These are the people I am looking for: confident, knowledgeable agents who love helping others while ensuring their future and the future of their family is secured by the success of their own business.
