Scripts, cold calls, FSBO's, referrals, databases, networking events, Blackberries, printers, pagers, lead capture mechanisms, Web sites, Google, SEO, quick response technologies, listing presentations, transaction management systems, ads, as word, ad placement, closing gifts.
All the gadgets and gimmicks of real estate sales have been talked about, written about and done - again and again. It's not new and it's not rocket science, and for the majority of real estate agents, it still doesn't work.
The success rate is low, the turnover is high and the dropout rate is astronomical. All of the training programs in the world and all of the coaching systems laden with accountability mechanisms don't provide the real estate industry with even a dent in the battle for improved consumer perception. Real estate agents still fall below lawyers and car sales reps on trust in the Harris Poll. Brokers spend all their time recruiting new agents, poaching experienced ones, bringing them up to speed and giving them all the tools for success just to watch them walk out the door toward greener pastures shortly thereafter.
What are we doing wrong?
We are trying to build a house starting with the window trim and the landscape, ignoring the foundations altogether. While we know that things like curb appeal really make a huge difference in the resale value of a home - they mean nothing if the inside of the house is crumbling.
By the same token, we are supplying agents with an overload of tactics, without first helping them to build a strong foundations of sales success - their frame of mind. What it boils down to is that we have great intentions but we are fundamentally focusing on the wrong area of development.
Let's take a closer look. The career of an average real estate agent is characterized by the peaks and valleys of their sales revenues. They are up every now and then but when they fall, they fall fast and deep and it often takes a while to pull out - sometimes too long, and it's not uncommon for them to fall completely off the cliff. They search for reasons to explain the plunge - market conditions, the competition, interest rates, low inventory, poor broker support ... and they feel bad. Some scramble to try to find a way out, fighting tooth and nail for every listing, every close. Others just give up and tumble without resistance. Either way, they focus on their loss, on their battle, on their hard times - and with this kind of focus, things just get worse and their struggle escalates. Brokers cope with this by bringing in more "cool tools" to get them out of their rut, giving them petter splits and trying hard to show empathy and understanding. The fact of the matter is that brokers have their own issues to contend with and were never truly equipped to handle all of this emotional babysitting anyway.
What's missing is a self regulation device that catches the fall early on, makes a few mental adjustments and places them back on an upward climb. What's required is a discipline of the mind; a rigorous training system that develops a mental muscle to be used for continuous self alignment and focus on performance. There is simply no room for self doubt in the world of real estate sales. A guided daily practice of generating thoughts that focus on high performance is the key in building the confidence of real estate agents so they are equipped to manage the falls in a whole different way, enabling them to mobilize their skills and be back on top quickly.
If built well, the foundation of a house will stand strong no matter what the trim.
Rather than relying upon the slew of gadgets and gimmicks or the quick fixes of the trade, would the industry not be better serviced by real estate agents that are equipped with a frame of mind that will allow them to achieve success? ~ Kim Ades, MBA President of Opening Doors
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