The Art of Embracing Evolutionary Moments: A Conversation With Real Estate Visionary Mark Willis

When it comes to how agents are dealing with tech disruption, one thing is clear. Many of us are terrified that our way of doing business is going to be taken away from us, and we’re clinging to it, even when it’s not serving us or the consumer anymore. According to real estate industry leader and visionary, Mark Willis, this attitude is what’s getting so many of us tripped up, and not the disruptors themselves. 

The big issue is that we’re too attached to one way of doing things, instead of evolving, expanding, learning and reinventing ourselves. Mark knows a lot about this as his life and career have gone through several iterations. He has faced personal tragedy and loss, highs and lows, and tough moments that could overrun anyone, but Mark keeps going, choosing to get better even when life feels like it’s getting worse. 

What steps can we take to embrace what’s going on instead of fighting against it? How do we reframe how we see change so that it actually benefits us? What has been the driving force behind one of the most inspiring real estate careers? Former Keller Williams Realty International CEO and current founder of the Willis Family Foundation and Mark Willis Leadership, Mark Willis shares on what it takes to manifest the path to our desired goals and results. 

Quotes 

Be open and willing, not closed and willful. -Mark Willis  

Intention determines all outcomes, not attachment. -Mark Willis  

Use emotional awareness as a tool to uplevel and attract better experiences. -Mark Willis  

Manifest the highest good for all concerned. -Mark Willis  

Real estate agents have got to be on pace or ahead of the consumer, not behind them. -Mark Willis  

Studying consumer trends and habits is the safeguard against change in the industry. -Mark Willis  

Your context of change is about what you’re giving up, not what you’re gaining. -Mark Willis  

Life is all about evolutionary moments. -Mark Willis 

If you’re attached to something that’s no longer valid you’re going to get disrupted. -Mark Willis 

Key Points 

Our emotional state and attitude determines our experiences 

The human emotional experience is all about what we focus on; it represents energy that attracts outcomes and circumstances. If we become aware of what we’re feeling and the energy we’re putting out, this is a tool we can use to manifest the path to where we want to be. If we’re not attracting the experiences we want, we can surrender it and rise to a higher level of emotional energy to get better outcomes. 

Be open to change, not attached to one path

There’s a general feeling of worry, fear, panic, and paranoia in our industry around tech disruptors and changes revolutionizing how we do business. The only reason people are concerned about disruptors is that they’re attached to one mindset and refusing to move beyond that. If we’re willful about keeping one way of doing things going, instead of being willing to take what comes in stride, we won’t be able to evolve with the change. We need to be open, have the right intention which will allow the flow of what the universe has in store for us. 

Our survival depends on how quickly we learn and meet the customer’s needs 

Our industry is lagging in meeting the demand of what the consumer wants, and agents are mostly playing catch up with the consumer, which makes us look unprepared and seem irrelevant. It’s important that we stay ahead of trends so that we don’t become victims of disruption, but rather, masters of change and evolution. 

The difference between helpful feedback and criticism 

When people give you feedback about what you should be doing, it’s because they care, and the intention behind the advice is to help you. Ultimately, when we get advice, we need to be listening for the feeling and intention behind what they are saying. That’s what determines whether we should heed their advice or not.  

Summary 

On this episode we discussed;

• The importance of getting comfortable with change, and Mark’s motto “KFG”.
• The power of being a broad level thinker. 
• How to harness the power we have to control our outcomes by overcoming attachment. 
• What it takes for a real estate agent to thrive through changes and disruption.
• The importance of having a healthy dose of paranoia.
• Giving feedback vs. complaining.  
• The difference between willingness and willfulness. 

Closing Paragraph 

Tech will continue to change aspects of our industry and it will disrupt agents who aren’t evolving and staying on top of their game. Our emotional and mental state drives how we experience life and business, and most importantly our approach to change. If we frame our understanding of change around what we’re giving up, we miss all the opportunities for growth, expansion, innovation and progress. If we see disruption as something that is forcing us to give something up, we will feel threatened by it. If we see it as part of a necessary evolution, it will give us a boost. 

Everything comes down to our will and intention to succeed. If we’re willful, we will get stuck clinging to what doesn’t serve us anymore; but if we’re willing and open, we will attract what will actually benefit us.