When I started on the path of coaching real estate agents and brokers 24 years ago, my singular goal was (and continues to be) to help my clients excel at their jobs and enjoy their lives more.
Well, I got some good news earlier this summer when I learned that 51 of my clients are ranked in the top one half of 1 percent of the more than 963,000 Realtors nationwide by being named to “The Thousand Real Estate Professionals” list. This is an exclusive national honor from The Wall Street Journal and REAL Trends. And actually, this is the seventh year in a row my clients have appeared there.
This just makes me want to work harder and help more agents. With that in mind, I’m sharing the top five ways agents and brokers can increase their business and land on the Top 1,000 list:
1. Design the best culture for you – Stop for a minute and look around you. What feeling do you get when you do this? Is your environment (your culture) positive? Does it make you want to be the best every day? If not, make the changes that help you achieve an optimistic and productive culture. This is so important because your culture is like water to fish – it surrounds you every day, all day. It all starts with you taking control and becoming the CEO of your company. Remember, your whole life changes the day you make a commitment.
2. Build the right organization – Part of your culture depends heavily on the kind of people you surround yourself with. Choose to work with those who are hungry for success and who believe in living the values you’ve based your company on. Hire assistants who can do all the support work and who take pride in those tasks. You should be focused only on four things: listing, buying, selling and negotiating.
3. Know your numbers – Earlier I mentioned becoming the CEO of your company. As CEO, you have to know your numbers. There’s no substitute. Numbers are your measuring stick, and if you don’t know where you are, you sure as heck won’t know where you’re going.
4. Get a coach – Big surprise I’d say that. Hey, I’m a coach! But let me put it this way: you simply can’t get to the top alone. I guarantee you, every single one of those Realtors on that list can point to at least one person who helped them get there. I know many agents are rebels and sometimes even control freaks, but only the top producers seek help, because they know human history is filled to the brim with examples of all of us learning and growing from each other. Why refuse to learn and benefit from the wisdom of others?
5. Set attainable goals – When you go to set goals, take your time and do it right. If you set them too high, you’ll end up discouraged and drained. If you set them too low, you will never reach your potential and grow. Again, this is where a second set of eyes can make all the difference. The right coach can help you see opportunities that may very well be sitting right in front of you – it’s the “can’t see the forest through the trees” syndrome.
Let me hear from you. Are you where you want to be in your real estate business? What do you believe is keeping you from being happier in your career? Is your culture right? Do you have the right kind of help you need from others? Please send any comments or questions you have to: article@corcorancoaching.com or www.facebook.com/CorcoranCoaching.
Bob Corcoran is a nationally recognized speaker and author who is founder and president of Corcoran Consulting Inc. (CorcoranCoaching.com, 800-957-8353), an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems into the residential broker or agent’s existing practice.