For any of my fellow Realtors® who’ve been going through MLS upgrades, website redesigns, or any other technological challenges, I can sympathize and my advice is… hang in there! Better yet, surround yourself with people in the know, take a class to upgrade your skills, and don’t be afraid of changes. In the course of adapting, you will not only build your assets, but you’ll increase the trust your clients have in you.
Though I wasn’t a Realtor® when the listings were in a book that was kept and guarded in the office, I’ve heard of “the book” and work with many Realtors® who survived that evolution in our industry. I was, however, around for the shift from the intranet to the internet. That was pretty monumental for agents who were resistant to transitions. I remember one Realtor® who got very upset with me because I answered a phone call, and in trying to get the person to leave their name and number for him, had to give the potential client something in return. What I offered was a simple thing to deliver: an email of listings. What I didn't realize was this was way outside of the comfort level of the agent in question, so I became persona non grata to him. When I realized how much I had pushed the envelope, I offered to show him how to do what I had suggested to the client. The truce flag was accepted and we both learned something in the process.
Will new skills help youdo more than just manage the database? More than just help you accomplish day-to-day tasks? New skills will help you build trust. As Franklin Covey says, "trust isn't a quality you either have or you don't; it's a learnable skill." In his book, "The Speed of Trust," he highlights character traits that build trust including adapting and working on improving your capabilities. Think about the people that you trust. They possess skills that instill confidence.
My best suggestion for you this week? Assess your skills and work on the areas that you think need improvement. Not sure what those areas are? Talk with your mentor. Form a mastermind group with Realtors® and/or other professionals you admire and trust. Have them help you do an assessment. Take a Realtor® that you admire for their skills out for coffee or lunch and pick their brain. The results will bring dividends. And of this, I'm sure:
"If you don't like change, you're going to like irrelevance even less."
~General Eric Shinseki, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
Have an amazing week and make this your best year yet!
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