Kevin Turner has been interviewing top producing agents on his radio program “RE-Uncut” for several years. Recently, Real Estate Coach David Willis held an open webinar with Kevin to discuss ideas that could be implemented by other agents to assist them in achieving similar results. Sold Magazine was invited to listen in to the conversation.
- Have clear plan, an activity plan. Top producers have clear formal goals. It is not an ad hoc situation where they wake up one morning, brainstorm ideas and think – “I’m going to implement that”. These are not “feel good” goals, they are measurable. For them, it is not about wanting to be the best agent in the world; but they can actually articulate exactly what needs to be done. They know their numbers are.
When I first started in Real Estate, I was with George Hadgelias at Ray White Paddington, who probably runs one of the most successful businesses in the Ray White Group. One of the things that I noticed about George very early on was that he would simply walk into the activity board — and he knew from the number of auctions that were on the board and the number of exclusive listings exactly how good his business was going to be in the months ahead. He knew the numbers and he knew how much business needed to be on the board to get it to a certain result. Good people know their numbers and they actually monitor them. They know how many calls they are going to make, they know how many listings they need to get to get a certain number of sales to achieve a financial goal at the end of the year. They measure activities and I think this is an important part of all of this.
It’s not just about the numbers of sales they have made, or the amount of money they are making, they are judging it way before that. Activities come a long way before results. If you are simply measuring your business on how many sales you are making, it is too late because the activities that you did four, five or even six ago will give you tomorrow’s results.
- Don’t just train – Implement! Top producers do not just go to training for the sake of it, and I see so many people in the industry who become “training junkies”. Do a “needs analysis”. Where am I deficient? How can I improve what I do? Then look around for the best people to work with and the best courses to go to – because I think it is important when you go to training that you actually take something away, and you do something with it. I see people who go to training, sit in the front row, they take some notes and go back to the office, the notes go in the bottom drawer and never come out. Big mistake. You have to be prepared to actually do something with it.
I see people who go to training, sit in the front row, they take some notes and go back to the office, the notes go in the bottom drawer and never come out.
At the same time the training top agents complete is ongoing and it gives them good momentum. There is no magic “training” bullet. If you are looking around for that, I think you’re wasting your time and you should get out of the industry. It’s about discipline, it’s about having a plan and it’s about sticking to that plan.
I want to touch on role-play because we spend a fair bit of time in Real Estate Uncut talking about role-play and I think it’s one of those things that has to be a very big part of what you do. Mark Frater is a very good friend of mine. Mark and I worked together at Ray White, Paddington last century. One of the things we used to do when either one of us came back from a presentation we didn’t get, sit down and work out why we didn’t secured it. Then we would role-play ways to make sure we didn’t miss it next time.
One of the things we used to do when either one of us came back from a presentation we didn’t get, sit down and work out why we didn’t secured it.
- Be in control of your market. Top producers have a belief that it is all about controlling the market. If you control the listings, you will certainly control the market. One of the questions I always ask is “would you ever take a listing where you didn’t get vendor paid advertising” and the answer is always universally “absolutely not – I wouldn’t do it”.
Top producers have a well-structured office. They have the systems in place. If something has to be done more than once in a week, it needs a system. So, think about the things that you do. Are they systemised? If you did not turn up to work tomorrow, could someone step into your shoes and understand what you had done and what needs to be followed? You should be documenting all of your processes.
- Think deeply, and long term, about your market. Let me explain what I mean. Top producers are are very good at building relationships. I interviewed Cathy Lammie from the RE/MAX Group recently. She knows her market, she knows it intimately. She named her blog and her website after the market place in which she works. She is a very important part of that market, so for her it is all about building relationships. Good people also have a database type mentality and a plan. They follow up. Aaron Shiner is another great example. Aaron is continually in demand because of the systems he has in place, he has good follow up, and he has a great database system. How can this young guy be traveling around Australia doing as many seminars and training sessions as he does yet still run a multimillion-dollar business. It is because he has the systems in place.
- Be able to articulate expectations of yourself, and others. I mentioned earlier that top producers have high expectations of themselves. They also have expectations of everyone else they work with – and that includes people in their team as well as their clients. They can articulate their expectations during the listing process – “This is what I expect of you, this is what you can expect of me, and let’s just see if we can marry those two together”.
When they meet with a seller there is an agenda to that meeting. That may sound very formal but it is one great way to make sure that you miss nothing.
In addition, when they meet with a seller, there is an agenda to that meeting. That may sound very formal but it is one great way to make sure that you miss nothing. There are probably five or six key points that you want to go through with every seller.
I love a comment that Mat Steinwede made a couple of weeks ago. He was talking about activities. He has what he calls a healthy attitude to activity. He doesn’t see them as a chore, he enjoys them and if you enjoy what you do you are going to get so much more out of it. It will become a benefit to you. Remember, activity comes along way before results.
- Don’t have a bad day. I know you’re going to say “look everybody has bad days”, but the difference with top performers is, if they are going to have a bad day they don’t have it at work. You cannot afford to be “off work” at work. You are there to perform. Sometimes real estate offices just become adult day-care centres where people drop in to have a cup of coffee, a bit of a chat and we waste each other’s time. That is not really what it’s all about. You are there to perform, to work, and if you want to go out and have coffee with your workmates that’s fine, but get out of work and do it. So, be there and give it 110 per cent.
To find out more about David Willis, visit supremesalescoaching.com.au. To subscribe to Kevin Turner’s REUNCUT, visit reuncut.com.au.
