Everyone has a different definition of success — including real estate professionals.
Whether it’s earning more money, gaining more exposure, or having fulfilling client relationships, how success is defined varies from agent to agent.
Research shows the single trait that predicts high levels of achievement is conscientiousness, a quality that’s undoubtedly a must-have for real estate professionals.
Your continual professional growth rests on your ability to be organized, consistently communicative with your leads and clients, and informed on the current trends in your market.
Curious about how revered and respected agents take control of their success by accomplishing the tasks above and embodying the “right” characteristics of a modern agent?
Then it’s time to learn 10 of the most important behaviors and best practices of today’s top-producing real estate agents.
1. Success begins in the mind
The first step towards success is believing that you can achieve it.
Top-producing real estate agents do not spend their time entertaining the possibility of failure. Brandon Jackson of Easy Street Realty subscribes to this mentality in his own business.
“Mindset is crucial to success,” says Jackson. “When you can think about the opportunity you have to help someone else, that puts you in a positive mindset.”
Sure, top producers have bad days like anyone, but instead of getting caught up in their missteps when they don’t see the desired outcome of something, they learn from their mistakes and identify what they need to do differently next time.
2. Planning is the key to attaining your objectives
Think for a moment about the most accomplished people you know. Did they achieve their success by accident, or did they lay out a specific plan to get where they wanted to go?
Successful people don’t reach their goals by accident. In fact, it’s very probable a large amount of the good fortune you see is the result of a lot of hard work combined with a healthy dose of trial and error.
Coldwell Banker’s Sean Carpenter says agents need to approach their business with a flexible sense of purpose.
“It’s almost cliche, but without a roadmap, you end up where the wind blows you,” explains Carpenter. “Plan for success — don’t wait for failure.”
3. Be goal-obsessed, and actually follow through
Measuring the success of your endeavors requires consistently setting and working toward your goals.
Successful people are always setting daily, weekly, monthly, and annual goals so that they reach an ultimate objective. They understand that without these bite-sized projects, they’d lose focus on the bigger picture.
Chicago-based REALTOR® Shay Hata explains her business plan as a series of very sensible actions she can take to grow her business.
“My business plan is very practical steps in terms of concrete actions,” says Hata. “It divides up everyone’s tasks very strategically, for both short- and long-term goals for how we’re going to grow the business.”
4. Avoid burnout by setting a schedule
Successful real estate agents working today understand that they must preserve their resources (and their energy) to continue growing their business.
These agents and brokers make an effort to schedule time away from work for themselves. Anyone trying to make it to the other side of their dreams can understand how easy it is to fall into working 70+ hours per week, but it’s important to remember balance is key to achievement.
5. Prioritize your client communications
An important aspect of determining your ability to attract new clients is how well you communicate with them.
Melissa Zavala of Broadpoint Properties advises agents to put the customer first in their business interactions.
6. Routinely enhance your digital presence
Accomplished real estate professionals know how much value an engaging, informative site provides their business.
To improve user engagement and attract more leads, these industry pros constantly spend time creating and adding relevant content to their site. They also continually measure the results of these efforts so that they know whether or not their site is helping them reach their revenue goals.
RE/MAX Heritage Real Estate’s Carrie Klein recommends prioritizing the listings featured on your web pages.
“Curate your [real estate website],” shares Klein. “Think of how you can offer the most engaging site for your leads and clients.”
7. Actively grow your real estate leads
If you want to specifically target your leads, you need to organize them into a contact list. This task can be accomplished using dynamic customer relationship management software.
Julie Nelson of The Nelson Project at Keller Williams has specific advice on how to grow your lead list over time:
“Database your top 100 coworkers, neighbors, soccer club,” says Nelson. “Get it together fast, and start communicating with them in a systematic and compelling, value-add manner.”
8. Tenacity is a way of life, not a temporary feeling
Committing to real estate success means you’re in it for the long haul.
Astonishingly, 87% of real estate agents leave the business in their first several years. Often this is due to a lack of preparation, or overconfidence in the amount of dedication required.
It takes a special type of person – one who is prepared to contend with setbacks, a fluctuating market, and challenging clients – to persevere and succeed as a real estate agent.
Take the sibling duo of Zach and Cody Vichinsky of Bespoke Real Estate, who note the importance of being relentless.
“We enter each situation knowing there is a right way to get the job done, and we don’t stop until we find the right way,” the agents explain in an interview over at Inman News.
9. Have empathy for your real estate clients’ worries
Becoming a homeowner is the kind of life-changing decision that can inspire lots of nerves and anxiety. That means a slew of questions for an agent to answer, and uncertainties to smooth out.
Real estate trainer Valerie Garcia explains you should communicate value to your buyers and sellers, noting you ought to “appeal to your clients emotionally.”
The more an agent is able to put themselves in the shoes of their clients, the more respect and trust will develop in their business relationship. That extra care and attention is likely to translate to referrals for years — and in some, cases decades — down the line.
10. Discover how to naturally motivate yourself
While some people are naturally driven to accomplish their goals, others need a bit of help to get the ball rolling.
More often than not, those who are fortunate enough to see their business dreams become reality possess thick skin and the ability to be their own cheerleader.
Leigh Brown of RE/MAX Executive shares the idea of being responsible for your own success in real estate.
“Ultimately, it rests on your shoulders what you make [your business] into,” confides Brown.
Download our free guide to discover the real estate marketing approaches of top producers:
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