"An axe at home saves hiring a carpenter." --Friedrich Schiller
As a real estate professional, you find yourself wearing a lot of hats. At one time or another, you've probably been a salesperson, photographer, sign installer, taxi driver, negotiator, code enforcer, event planner, market researcher, marketing consultant, creative director, handyman / handywoman, webmaster, copywriter, and data entry clerk.
In short, you are an entrepreneur. A business owner. And you are your business.
Every new agent is essentially a "real estate start-up." The work ethic of a start-up is almost always D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself). "Who needs a fancy home office? Ten cinderblocks and an unfinished door make a great desk in my garage!"
It makes sense. The DIY ethic helps you control costs. It gives you the satisfaction of being in control of every aspect of your business. It also helps you feel like you're making forward progress on something, even if business is a little slow.
Knowing what it's like in the trenches of your business is a vital. I've personally been in touch with every aspect of Oakley Signs & Graphics at one point or another, and still routinely check in on every nuts-and-bolts detail.
However, if you really want to take your business to the next level, there will come a point when you'll have to evaluate what you should do against what you can do.
For example, does it really make sense for you to personally drive to your new listing and install a sign, or should you spend 30 minutes writing a new blog entry about your local market?
Every time you choose to do something, you choose not to do something else at that moment. As you advance in your career, don't forget to learn to prioritize tasks and identify where it makes sense to outsource the minor so you can concentrate on the major.
Comments(2)