What Does It Take To Be Great In Real Estate?
July 21, 2014
By: P.R. “Randy” Cooney
Publisher, Arizona Journal of Real Estate & Business
After being in real estate for many years, I have seen agents develop their own recipe of day-to-day tactics in an effort to be successful. One of the advantages that I have as a publisher and an instructor at the Arizona School of Real Estate & Business, is my exposure to a number of agents in the industry that share refined or new recipes with me routinely.
I put together a list of some fundamentals that may help you refine or even develop your own recipe for success.
• Develop systems that lead to consistency. As a real estate professional, you are an independent contractor. Believe in yourself as your own company (You, Inc.) Track your performance weekly, monthly and annually.
• Maintain regular business hours. Structure that includes consistent lead generation and follow-up can help you achieve maximum productivity.
• Specialize! This is the era of “niche marketing.” Find a group of people that you enjoy working with and for – learn all you can about them and customize your services to fit their needs.
• Prospect every day! Create clever, unique promotion pieces. Include information about your life. It is not the quantity of the pieces that matter as much as the quality of your promotion. Videos are becoming an internet sensation for sending out short promotional clips and/or market updates.
• Show enthusiasm! Be excited about your job. Read success stories, listen to CD’s, podcasts, watch videos, webinars or download a new app to help with productivity and to keep you motivated.
• Remember your wins in the real estate industry; never dwell on the losses. When the going gets really tough, do a good deed for someone else. It will make someone else have a better day and it will make you feel better about your day.
• Commit to learning and use of technology including digital communication. Take one class a month to stay in stride with the ever changing methods of communication and dissemination of information.
• Invest in yourself. Approximately, 10 to 15 percent of what you earn should be reinvested in YOU, INC. Invest money in quality business cards, a video, brochures, personal stationary with envelopes and memorable gifts for your clients. Buy some personalized “For Sale” signs. Create an attractive, user friendly and resourceful web site.
• Adopt a zero-tolerance for mistakes. Take pride in anything and everything that you send out to your clients.
• Remember that you are in the customer service business, not real estate. Do what is best for the client and you’ll always be doing the best for yourself. If a client calls with a problem, remember the client’s problem is yours to assist in solving. Become part of the solution by listening and working with the client to reach a satisfactory resolution.
• Make time during the year to do what you enjoy doing most. Take a vacation as often as possible to help keep things in perspective – one day a month is ideal. If you can get away once a month, do it.
I may be biased, but I believe real estate is the best industry to work in. It provides us with daily opportunities to make a difference in our own lives as we make a difference in others. The points above are ingredients that I believe make a recipe for “greatness.”
“Give to others what they need and you will be given what you need.”