Do you know what makes a successful real estate agent? Listen to this week's episode, 4 Traits of a successful Real Estate Agent and lean about the model that will establish clients for life.
Welcome to another episode of Market Talk Weekly. When I first became a realtor, I honestly didn’t like the idea of being a sales agent. And the reason being was because my idea of the typical sales person was someone who was very outspoken, sometimes a bit pushy and, based on some of my experiences, dishonest. Now of course that doesn’t mean every salesperson is like that and I have had some good experiences with salespeople too.
Another contributing factor to my not wanting to be considered a sales person was due to my background. I came into this business from the human services industry and more than anything I wanted to help people.
Even after I took my required state class and passed the state exam, I still wasn't 100% sure that I wanted to be a real estate agent. I just didn't want to turn into a shark and I didn't want to be in a Shark Tank. What I mean by that is, I didn’t want to be put into a situation where I'm competing with the people in my office and I can't trust them and I always got to look over my shoulder.
I also didn’t want a career that was all about money. Now you may be thinking, just be your own person and don’t allow yourself to be influenced. Well, let me just tell you, in my 50 plus years on this earth I’ve learned that the saying, bad company corrupts good morals is so true. You have to be very careful when it comes to putting yourself into a new environment.
Well today I want to share with you 4 traits of a successful real estate agent. 1. Successful agents are particular about the people they surround themselves with When I took my class to become a real estate agent, I remember sitting there with roughly 40 other students and feeling extremely out of place. I had been working as the Director of Shelter Services at a large faith-based Rescue Mission and I was surrounded by like-minded people who were there for the same reason as me, to help hurting people.
As I sat in the class the instructor gave the impression this was all about the money, and look out for yourself above all else. Not only that, his language was anything but professional. He didn’t think anything of dropping the f-bomb or telling a dirty joke. It was due to that instructor that I almost didn’t get into this industry.
What I did after passing my state exam is what every person should do in that situation, I started interviewing brokers. So many new agents jump into business with the first broker they talk to and that’s such a bad idea. The broker you choose will either add to your success or failure.
To be a successful agent you should be very particular about the agency you join. You want a broker who is going to build you up and help you be the best you can be. If you are in a brokerage right now and either don’t trust your broker, don’t feel like you can ask for help whenever you need it or aren’t getting the tools and resources needed to help you succeed, get out! Get out now. The longer you stay the more likely you’ll fail. There are a lot of good brokers out there who you can trust, who will help you be successful and who aren’t about creating a revenue stream based on a lot of unnecessary fees they charge agents. 2. Successful agents focus on Building relationships not making sales I told you I didn’t like the idea of being a salesperson and even today after being in this industry for years I don’t consider myself a salesperson. Rather than being sales focused I’m relationship focused.
I teach the state required pre-licensure class for prospective agents and I always tell my classes, you don’t have to be a salesperson, you don’t have to be the most outgoing or social person but one thing you do need is to like people. If you are getting into this industry and you don't like people, you're in the wrong business. It would be like becoming a teacher but you don’t like children. It’s a really bad idea and you're setting yourself up for failure. When you put focus on relationship over sales you are cultivating clients for life.
When I get a call from a potential client who either wants to buy or sale a property, my number one goal of our initial meeting is to make a connection, it’s not about the sale for me at all. I listen closely to what they tell me. When I take notes, I’m not only noting what they want in a house but what their names are, children's names are, if they mention a hobby or an upcoming event they’ll be attending. I ask open-ended questions and then I listen, so I can learn all I can about them. If they told me they have two children but one is at home sick with a relative, the next time I talk to them I’ll ask how their child is doing. It’s not a racket, it’s about being attentive to people and caring about what matters to them.
I also follow their timeline, not mine. If they are in a hurry and need to get moved fast then I’ll get on the fast track and discuss a strategy with them to ensure my idea works with them. I also communicate often with my clients. One of the number one complaints home buyers and sellers have with agents is a failure to communicate with them. Lastly, when I’m with a client I’m with them and don’t allow for outside distractions. There’s nothing worse than feeling like the person you're with doesn’t want to be there or they are in a hurry. By the time I get to the closing table with most of my clients, we’ve become friends, they trust me and believe I did the best job I could for them.
Being a relationship focused agent not only builds clients for life, it also adds to your quality of life, it instills a sense of purpose and will provide you with emotional satisfaction.
First, just because someone isn’t pre-qualified to buy a house doesn’t mean they're not qualified to buy a house, and even if they aren’t qualified it doesn’t mean that one day, they won't be qualified. Nor does it mean that they don’t have friends or family who aren’t qualified. I’m not saying you should keep showing homes to someone who isn’t qualified. What I’m saying is, treat people kindly.
When a potential client calls and asks to see a house, just show them the house. Don’t try and prequalify them over the phone. It comes across as disrespectful. Let’s say you meet this person and come to find out they don’t qualify, what have you lost out on by treating them respectfully? Do you want to be the person who they trash to all their friends, family and co-workers or do you want to be the agent they praise to their friends, family and co-workers?
I had a gentleman call me several years ago and ask to see a house. I agreed and met him and we toured the house. As we were finishing up, he turned to me and said, “thank you”. I said for what? He said for showing me this how and for showing me respect. He told me he had called two other agents and both had asked him on the phone if he was pre-qualified to buy a house. When he told them no, they refused to show the house. He told me those agents made him feel low and it was really upsetting to him. He said he was kind of leery about calling any other agents, and so when I said that I would meet him without asking him anything about pre-qualification he immediately felt better about me than the others.
I came to find out he didn’t qualify for a house however I stuck with him, got him hooked up with a really good lender who was willing to work with him and about 18 months he closed on a home and let me tell you there is not another real estate agent in the world to this man. Not only that he has referred other to me. I am his real estate agent for the rest of his life. 4. Successful agents maintain professional integrity Lastly, successful agents maintain professional integrity. Be very cautious once you're starting to build a relationship with the clients that you continue to maintain your professional integrity. Not long ago I was in a store and someone who I knew but hadn’t seen in a while stopped me and we began a conversation. He shared with me that he had his home listed with this agent and it was really causing him a lot of stress. He said his agent continuously drops the f-bomb and she talks about the other agents and her broker. He said he didn’t use that language and her behavior made him feel very uncomfortable.
Now you would think that people know that type of behavior is wrong, but apparently there are agents out there that don’t know. Or maybe it’s just so ingrained in their personality they don’t realize they are doing it. Either way, it’s bad business.
Now I don’t care where you come from or who you are, using foul language and talking poorly about other people is very unprofessional and should never happen.
Set a high moral standard for yourself. Always take the High Road. Even if your client is using that type of language, or talking about others, telling off colored jokes; maintain professional integrity.
Real Estate can be a very exciting, and rewarding career. I love it and the only regret I have today is that I didn’t get into it when I was younger. However, if you're focusing on the money aspect, not putting your clients' needs first and believe your behavior won’t affect your success, don’t get too comfortable in this industry.
If you want to stay in this business for a long time and be successful, focus on the long run. Surround yourself with positive influences, focus on relationships, treat people with dignity and respect and always maintain professional integrity.
Do that and the longer you drive your business with this model, the more you're going to be looked upon by your clients as a guide or a coach or a liaison, someone who can be trusted and relied upon for all their real estate transactions.
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