Why Real Estate Agents Fail
Real Estate is a tough business. Agents 1099 contractors in most cases. If they don't produce, they don't eat.
That said, it's also a business where good agents understand that it's important to focus on other people's needs first. If the chief reason for entering into the business is money alone, it will be tough to succeed.
Clients can recognize when agents are only concerned with commission dollars, and that makes it difficult, if not impossible to build trust.
As the famous salesman Zig Ziglar once said, "you can have everything you need in life if you take care of other's needs first.
Focus on what's important for your center of influence contacts, friends, prospects, and clients. That will go a lot further than contacting strangers trying to push them to do something only because you need a paycheck.
One of my friends on G+, Annie Maloney, posted this Realty Times article, about why some agents fail and others do not "in today's economy."
The main point the author of the article made was that agents who fail, do so because they are in the grip of fear.
I respectfully disagree. Some failure I attribute to lack of training. Some agents simply have no clue because their brokers do not train them. Yet, if they really wanted to succeed...they would get training.
My first broker did not train me. I was determined to succeed, so I turned to sources like Active Rain, Real Estate Tomato, Jennifer Allan's Sell With Soul, and several others to learn how to generate business online and through my SOI. I made friends here in the Rain who challenged me, who shared with me, who inspired me. I give them and ActiveRain credit, but ultimately, it was up to me to pursue it.
I now work for a broker who provides excellent training along with the most amazing support system you could imagine. Our office is like a family (sometimes a bit wacky). Yet, some people come, and go...they float, they drift...they leave the business. Why?
I think that MANY (not all but a significant number) fail due to "stinkin' thinkin'" or excessive negativity. Two examples that come immediately to mind are former colleagues of mine. Neither one of them ever saw the glass as half full. They not only saw it as half empty, but they also expected a hand to come from out of nowhere and dump their glass over.
Both of these women spent a great deal of their time being negative. Oh, they said they were being "realistic" but their brand of realism generally did nothing but annoy the rest of us who wanted to succeed and do well. Common things heard from their lips:
"How are we expected to compete against her?" (referring to the top producer in the office who had spent years building her business systems and is to this day one of the top agents overall in our MLS and in our franchise)
Instead of using her for inspiration, they used her as an albatross about their necks. Other things they routinely spewed:
"This market sucks."
"Buyers are liars!"
"Sellers are unrealistic!"
"I can't afford to send out all those calendars" (or postcards, or expired mailings)
"Every time I try, someone knocks me down."
"Nothing sells around here."
"I have such rotten luck."
"I never get any good leads."
"The phone never rings when I have floor time."
"Nobody ever comes to my open houses."
"My client is an idiot."
"I can't believe I live in this hell hole!" (At that, I was offended and suggested she go back to wherever it was she came from, if she thought so little of our town.)
"I don't know how to __________" (take good pictures, write blogs, talk to sellers...so...LEARN!)
"This business is too hard."
Whine, whine, whine!
IS IT ANY WONDER THEY ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL?
The part that aggravated me the most was when I or someone else in the office would get a sale, or a new listing, one or the other of them would sigh, roll their eyes, say I was so lucky, blah blah blah. No. Success came from working hard.
I didn't always know how to blog. I still am not an expert. I had to learn. I didn't always know now to take great pictures. I still am not a professional photographer. But it's not by LUCK, or even TALENT... it's an aquired skill. I didn't always know how to make a website. I figured, if an 11 year old kid can learn it, so can I.
I am not a whiny, glass-empty person. I do not believe in pity parties..at least, not for long. Everyone gets down sometimes. Life has a way of beating you up. You pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again.
If what you're doing isn't working, maybe you should look at yourself more closely. Listen to the stuff that comes out of your mouth. If you spew negativity, it will come out in your life. This is a tough business to be sure, but it's not for whiners. Put your big girl panties on, learn how to generate business, and just DO it.
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