How this Real Estate Agent Turns Weaknesses into Strengths
This is one of those challenges that stays with you each and every day of the month until you finally sit down to compose it! Seriously, I've written myself notes all month as I come across things that I feel I need to improve upon...and before it gets any longer or the month ends, here goes...
Strengths
Being raised to be humble and never to brag about oneself, this career has been a bit of a challenge for me in that department! I much prefer to point out others' positives than my own but, since I began coaching with my current coach a couple of years ago, I learned that knowing and expanding upon our positives is important in our business. I actually had to do this exercise a couple of years ago and feel that I've been good at re-evaluating the negatives/weaknesses but, not the strengths!
- High energy - I have been blessed with the ability to go on little sleep and am always upbeat and positive...always!
- Seek the positive - Finding the positives in any and every situation really does benefit my clients and me. When you later identify the negatives, the positives seem to out-shine the negatives every time.
- Knowledge & Experience - This is something obtained from osmosis - that and living in the area that you serve for nearly 40 years! I am a high-volume agent and the experience that I glean from each and every transaction adds up. It makes the 'project management' part of our job a lot less stressful.
Education - I'm not knocking a college education but, the 'street smarts' and real estate education I've obtained, trumps my college degrees every day of the week! Am I proud of my degrees? Of course I am but, they don't really serve me in my business like the experience and designations I've achieved since becoming a Realtor®.- People Skills - This is not a must-have in this business but, possessing them has served me well. I'm a conversationalist but, first and foremost, a listener. I feel that being a great listener has been one of the #1 things that has helped me in not only my business, but my life. I listen and ask questions so that I understand thoroughly. If I meet someone new who may be a bit of an introvert, I ask questions about them; those questions really help to open them up in conversation.
- Resourcefulness - I will go to the ends of the earth for my clients! If that means knocking on doors in a neighborhood, letting the owners know that I'm not looking for a listing, I'm looking for a home for my buyer in their community, I'll DO IT! I know who to call when I have an issue; I know to ask questions when I need to and who to seek answers from when I don't know them.
Weaknesses
- Workaholism - This has been my weakness for as long as I've been of working age! Try as I may, I can't beat it. Just when I think I've gotten the beast tamed, it comes back to me in full-force - it's an ongoing challenge, for sure!
- Squirrel! I'm notorious for researching one thing and finding something else within that research that is so captivating, I ditch the first topic and move to the more captivating one! I've had several posts going at the same time that spawned from researching one!
- Control Freak - Having to be in control of everything to do with a transaction is one of my biggest weakness. I've got the staff to help me, I just don't let go as I should. It's not that I don't trust them - they're all licensed and the best, most-dedicated team members I could dream of - I just frequently need my hand slapped when I'm stepping across 'their' lines!
No tolerance for drama - Raised with one brother, having only boys and being a bit of a Tom-boy myself, I don't understand drama! I don't like it, I won't participate in it and when I'm not involved in it, I find myself spending time being the peacemaker. I don't understand the need for drama. During the last bit of drama that I faced, I was told that I had high blood pressure. I've never been on any medication (besides prenatal vitamins years ago!) and was not about to start taking medicine for my blood pressure. So, I quietly exited the situation that I realized was the culprit and my blood pressure quickly returned to normal. Drama is not only mentally exhausting, it can also impact ones physical health - and for this, I have zero tolerance!- No tolerance for pompous peers - We all know them - the peers who think that their way, their numbers, their experience puts them above everyone else! I think this one crept into my list because of a recent declaration from an agent who does less than 1/4 of the business that I do, claiming that she was more qualified than other agents in our area. The fact of the matter is, I've also noted that this same agent is not at all familiar with even our Contracts. How does one claim to be an expert when they're really not?! Conversely, I admire those who say, "I don't know" when a question is posed, "but, will find out for you." The holier than thou attitude simply does not fly with me!
- Oh, the minutiae! I know our documents/contracts inside and out - some I feel that I could teach in my sleep. However, once the documentation is done, I have checked it for accuracy and completion, I don't want to deal with it again! The checklists, the process...all of that, I work from memory and want someone else to complete those checklists and get everything scheduled and to the proper person in a timely fashion. I don't like being told, for example, that the Title work was ordered from the attorney weeks before and then having to follow-up with them to get them to do THEIR job! That's just not in my job description!
Turning the Weaknesses into Strengths
Being cognizant of our weaknesses and the ability to turn them into positives and then focusing on the positives is one of the big keys to success. Grant Schneider recently wrote a great post about KNOWING the 'why' to any situation being key to formulating the 'hows' to mastering it. For most of us, if we don't know those 'whys' or our weaknesses, we remain stagnant.
Think about it...it's difficult to improve upon something if you fail to recognize what needs improvement!
That said, I quickly realized when I began in this business, that an assistant was mandatory. I understand that everyone doesn't feel that way but, for me, I never would have been able to grow my business to the volume I have today, had I ignored that need.
Why the need? See the above weaknesses!
- Workaholism - A constant work-in-progress but, I've hired people to help me in that department - to help me realize that I don't have to have my hand in everything to do with a transaction. Despite my efforts to 'cure' this irritating disorder, I still do get my hand smacked a LOT by my team! They have taken over my calendar and insist upon my 'me' time being undisturbed.
- Squirrel! - That's another work-in-progress but, I've been blocking my time and having someone else take my calls for me during 'project' times. So far, so good!
- Control freak - I have made it so that my team works in the background - as long as I'm the one who delivers the messages to my clients, meets them for inspections, etc., I'm good! After business hours, I still dive into things I've been 'told' not to mess with but, those times are becomeing fewer and farther between!
- No tolerance for drama - I've nearly mastered this one - I'm learning to walk away from it!
- No tolerance for Pompous Peers - I'm reaching the conclusion that I'd rather ignore these people than try to help them! We're raised not to 'brag' or boast about our successes. So, when I see others doing so and I know differently, I do my best just to ignore it. I totally believe in Karma and keep telling myself that it will come back to them. There are times though, that I feel the need for oral surgery - for my tongue that is nearly bitten in-two!
- Oh, the minutiae! - I had a conversation with one of my assistants this morning about this very thing -- perhaps I should say, she had a 'come-to-Jesus' meeting with me! "Do what you do best and let US take care of YOU and all of this paperwork! We've got this!" Again, another weakness that I'm trying to master!
Listen to your inner voice, your soul; don't listen to the voice of the world. Your weaknesses will be shouting at you, loud & clear.
Again, it's difficult to improve upon something if you fail to recognize what needs improvement!
© Debe Maxwell | The Maxwell House Group | CharlotteBroker@icloud.com | How this Real Estate Agent Turns Weaknesses into Strengths
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