Five life lessons after 50 years

Originally published in REB

This past month, I turned 50.

It was a momentous milestone in my life and raised a lot of feelings, emotions and thoughts. But most importantly, it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with a lot of friends and family, share a drink and reflect on a lot of memories and good times. 

Having worked in real estate now for 32-plus years, I’ve seen a lot of different factors/events impact the market, I’ve seen a lot people come and go and, subsequently, I’ve learnt a lot of lessons. 

Here’s five of the most valuable lessons that I’ve learnt over the years which may provide some value to the younger generations starting out on a career in real estate.

1. OWN IT... DON’T BLAME

You’re going to make mistakes, it’s inevitable — in life, in business, in real estate transactions, in relationships etc. No one is perfect, so first of all, you need to accept that fact in order to be happy. But what I have witnessed in my 50 years of life is successful people never blame… they always own the issue, acknowledge it and then work on a solution to fix it. Trying to blame others for something that has happened will not improve the situation for anyone, nor help solve it in a timely manner. Focus on what is important, which is the solution. 

2. WINNING IS IMPORTANT

Don’t underestimate how important winning is. It not only boosts your confidence and accelerates momentum; it helps you and the people around you to grow and get better. Real estate is not only intense, but it is a highly competitive industry with lots of highs and lows, so make sure you celebrate yours and your team’s wins often. My father taught me many years ago that real estate is a transfer of enthusiasm and I couldn’t agree more. There is a lot to be said for high-energy offices with a winning culture.

3. PUSH YOURSELF TO LEARN EVERY DAY

In order to succeed at anything, you need to learn and grow every single day. How do you do that? Pretend that your life depends on it... because I can assure you, it does! Talk to a variety of people, read a book a week, join industry forums, business groups or think tanks, subscribe to blogs, enrol in a degree… the sky is the limit if you have a thirst for knowledge. It’s always been a huge belief of mine to surround yourself with people who are better than you so you can learn from them. You don’t always want to be the smartest or most talented person in the room as it won’t help you get better. It’s a compounding effect; if you grow by 1 per cent every day, in a year you will be 365 per cent better than you were today!

4. YOU MUST FIRST BELIEVE AND RESPECT YOURSELF

This is essential in our industry, but also in life in general. You must believe in yourself and respect yourself, because if you don’t, why would anyone else? You will face rejection, you will make mistakes and you won’t always be able to brush everything off easily. But if you trust yourself, look after yourself physically, emotionally and mentally and have a crystal-clear understanding of what you want to achieve, you will succeed. 

Coronis started out as a little hole-in-the-wall office in Stafford, with a couple of agents selling a few houses a month. But we set a clearly defined goal of what we wanted to become and we believed enough in ourselves to achieve it. Thirty-six years later, we’re one of the biggest independent property service groups in Australia. If you have a goal, back yourself until you achieve it. 

5. SHARE YOUR SUCCESS 

Let’s face it, no one likes a wanker. Be humble in your success and always act with love, care and respect. I personally believe giving is good for the soul and life is meant to be shared, so share your success with the people around you, remember where you started, so that you can help others achieve success as well.