1. A 4X Agent is a professional
2. A 4X Agent is accountable
3. A 4X Agent is organized
4. A 4X Agent maximizes their time
5. A 4X Agent is intentional
6. A 4X Agent is consistent
7. A 4X Agent builds relationships
8. A 4X Agent receives referrals
9. A 4X Agent is in control

Each facet is so important and I want you to understand why they are so important so that you begin to understand fully the identity that you adopt as you work on yourself in order to enjoy greater success!  People who go through our 4X Formula course will be adopting this criteria…SO I am going to do a separate podcast episode for each one.

Today we are going to talk about #1

A 4X Agent is a Professional.

What does that mean.  What is a professional?  What does it mean to be a professional?

It is more than about how you dress.  The car you drive.  The colors of the walls in your office.  Your “logo” or your photo.  I am not taking away from any of those things but being a professional is more than that.

Those are all surface things.  That is all lipstick and makeup.  There are a lot of people that come across as “professional”.  They look and sound professional but they aren’t in the top 20% of top producers.

That alone shows me that the surface stuff isn’t what make people successful necessarily.  The attitude of that should help them get there but what’s missing?

What is missing?

What is a professional?  Who do you think of when you picture a professional?

A professional Athlete?

A professional Doctor?

A professional Actor?

A professional Accountant?

Is it a separation from being paid for doing something or doing it as a hobby?  Is that the criteria….maybe one of them.  I would contest that there are a lot of people that operate their real estate business like a hobby.  It is astounding to me.  Hobbies cost a lot of money most of the time so it kind of fits.  Golfing.  Downhill biking.  Operating a plane.  Photography.  Sports.

There is usually equipment involved.  There are fees and costs usually associated with the hobby but we accept that because it is enjoyable and satisfies us in some way and allows us to explore other parts of our personality and human needs.

Does Real Estate fit that category for some people.  I would contest that it does.  Does that help our profession?  Not really.  Does that contribute to the confusion out there that the general public experiences?  Does it maybe explain why some people make it big in Real Estate and others seem to flounder?  Maybe?

A professional is a person who has mastered their craft.  A person who has taken the time and spent the money in order to get educated in their chosen profession. They are passionate about what they do and they are celebrated by others who know them as a professional as the person who can be trusted to be a major influence in people’s lives.  They know how to create win-win situations well and benefit others in a positive way during their time as a professional.

In addition, a professional is most likely governed by a larger body or organization that adopts certain, morals, ethics and standards of doing business.  We do adhere to these things as Real Estate professionals.  That is great.

So with that in mind, there is this “grey area” right?

Yes you had to pass a course to get licensed.

Yes you must belong to some sort of governing body.  You must be part of a brokerage in order to operate your business….and so a lot of people will stop at that and feel that they have fulfilled the criteria of being a professional….

I know a lot of people who are practicing real estate…..who  – well – need to practice more, frankly.  Who need to stop operating their businesses like an expensive hobby. There are people who would make more money “waiting tables” at a restaurant or pub when you do a proper accounting of their business.

The sad fact that in the US, the average income is $20,000 per year more than the average income of a Real Estate Agent….$42,000

I would contest that in most cases and most jurisdictions it is almost too easy to become a Real Estate professional and so the “weeding out” process is less effective…

Let’s compare to some other professionals

A professional Athlete is one of a very chosen few.  Numerous years of dedication, work and focus were put in place prior to enjoying the professional status that we enjoy watching on TV.  A lot of these people are “super human” as well.  So that is another factor.

My son playing football.  Story

A professional Accountant has to go to post secondary education and so that may entail more money, time commitment, and a certain love for mathematics and numbers.  That would eliminate some people right away.  Plus I don’t know too many people that would “play around” with accounting….Oh this is my release….you know my “fun time” doing accounting….I don’t think so.

A professional – Lawyer, Doctor, Teacher, Plumber, Electrician, Blogger, YouTuber, etc….All get paid good money to do their jobs as professionals.  They all had to overcome, learn, invest of themselves to get to the point of getting paid for their professions.  Some sort of sacrifice had to happen and they had to fit into something that met with their talents and general interests.  These people have a high level of dedication and they were committed to “becoming” that professional.

Here is the challenge as I see it…

The thing about REAL ESTATE professionals is that, most of the time, we don’t go through our lives dreaming of become Real Estate professionals.  IF you ask a class of grade 1 students what they want to be when they grow up, the likelihood of little Johnny shooting his hand up and shouting out “REALTOR”!!  is not really likely…Is it?  Do you agree with me on that?

So, what happens?  Most of us have kind of stumbled into this profession.  A lot of us, were not really professionals at anything before.  We pass the course….its pretty inexpensive when you compare what it costs to become a doctor or lawyer or teacher or whatever….in any kind of post secondary education….so…That creates a low barrier of entry….cost is low.  In most cases the real estate course is somewhat challenging but most people with average intelligence and a medium level of commitment can pass the course.  If you fail, you pay a small fee and then take it again.  I have seen people fail three times and eventually get licenses and it didn’t financially cripple them in any way.  You can take the course by correspondence while you are working, so there is minimal risk, and you can take it at home.  SO to become a licensed professional Real Estate Agent you don’t really need to be special or extra smart or anything that is of any great significance right?  Am I ticking you off yet?

Then you get set up with a brokerage.  There are many, many, different models out there for brokerages.  Every one of them has something different and offer different value propositions.  There are really “low risk” models.  There are higher risk or more costly models and you have to weigh the pro’s and con’s of all types given your market area the type of office that you are attracted to.  Some have great training and others have virtually none.

When I started in the Real Estate business, the office actually paid for my course for me…I took it as a gift and was thankful for that….because if I had to pay for it, I would not have been able to do it.  That was where I was at when I got started.  Being a Real Estate Agent was not even on my radar at all.  Not even close.  My buddy talked me into it because he needed help.  That was my frame of reference for starting this profession.  Pretty low barrier.  So my attitude was that, it must be something that low level people like myself can get into.  Little did I know that my mind would be stretched years later.

So What do I mean by the word – “Professional” in terms of a 4X Agent?

IT is number 1 on the list for a reason….everything under that falls in line and solidifies what a 4X Agent professional is….

In the context of what we teach it is important to understand that a professional Real Estate Agent is an Entrepreneur.  Let’s coin a phrase….You need to be a “REALTOR-PRENEUR”  An Entrepreneur that is building a Real Estate business must think it terms of contribution.  Of giving value.  The Episode entitled “what are your currencies?” goes over that in great detail.

A 4X Agent professional is committed to mastering the craft of building a real estate business.  A student of the business.  A student of the market, the micro markets and the area dynamics of the community that they operate in.  A commitment to learning all of the new ways of doing business.  Anything new that comes out, could revolutionize how you can serve people well.

A professional is committed to learning and growing and improving and in a constant state of CANI.  That is an acronym that Tony Robbins coined….Constant and Never-Ending Improvement.

A professional is always on.  By ON, I mean, you understand that people are watching you all the time…they are judging you all the time…Keep it classy.  Everytime you are in the public eye you are open for opportunity.  A 4X Professional is focussed on opportunity in every situation.

A 4X Agent professional hungers for knowledge, and is a sponge for good information that will serve them and avoids the information that negatively effects their brains.  Who cares about the last tweet from Donald Trump?  Seriously…it means nothing to your business and how successful you can become.  Interest rates…yes…keep abreast of that.  Pricing.  New Schools opening in your area.  New developments that are happening…New Companies that are building a new location in your town…that is all news that will help you.  Champion that.  Stay away from the 6:00 news.  I never have any idea what is going on in the world and frankly, I don’t give a hoot.  I have set up my google alerts to send me info that I want to know about that I know gives me the knowledge that I need to know to pass down to people and I read those.  That is my way of staying out of the noise.  It is easy to get caught up in the gossipy stuff and get into a “bitch” session about stuff that you have no control over.

You are a real estate Entrepreneur A “REALTOR-PRENEUR” and you have no time for that.  You are a professional so you only have time and mental space for what serves you and ultimately serves your clients.

Make sure what goes into your brain….just like your body….is nourishing and not damaging….keep your brain lean on the info that keeps things moving.  Don’t get bogged down mentally.

A 4X professional will invest in his mind.  That is the most important part of his business.  His mind.  The only difference between someone who is really successful and well rounded is literally “how they think”.  Be the BEST YOU, that you can be.  Learn and apply….learn and apply….learn and apply….that will make you unstoppable.

There is a book called “As a Man Thinketh” written by James Allen….it is one of the most effective short and easy to read books on the planet that have the biggest impact….Here are a couple of quotes from that book:

“The outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state…Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.”

“A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth.  If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind.”

You see how important that is.  Our world is full of distractions and ideals and conflicting thoughts and opinions that are constantly berating our brains.  It is important to guard ourselves against that.

A professional 4X Agent understands that the low barrier to entering into this business is literally a gift.  It is a tiny little fraction of the cost of becoming a professional in any other way…BUT we can earn way more money that any of those professions.  Do you know that the average Doctor and Dentist gets out of debt and average of 5 years before he dies!  Heavy duty schooling was the start of that mountain of debt.  We don’t have that but we can earn more money than them….every one of you listening right now!  But you have to take it seriously and invest in your brain and then apply that new knowledge immediately.

We can enjoy a wonderful lifestyle while earning a wonderful living and there is no ceiling on what we can accomplish…that is the gift.  So what are you going to do with that gift?  Invest in yourself.  That is the best investment that you will ever make.  Invest in knowledge and understanding.  Invest in training to make you become the best YOU that YOU can be….

Become a true professional.

The next episode will cover accountability…it may surprise you what we talk about next.

Have a super day and I hope this encourages you.

Hey I hope you enjoyed that last episode. Here’s the reality that you may or may not know….the top 20% of Real Estate agents take home 80% of the money out there…while the bottom 80% are fighting over 20% of the scraps that are left. Do you have a desire to be in that top 20%?  If you are working hard and not sustainably making 6 figures of income and beyond….the problem is not you.  It’s your system.

I struggled for years until one day the light-bulb came on and I figured out to simplify the Real Estate business.  If you want to learn my secrets, that anyone can implement immediately,  that I still use everyday, that pays me multiple 6 figures every year – go to 4Xformula.com right now.