Had to share a top 10 list...

Today I had to share a post written by my friend Tim Moore, an agent, coach and leader on one of the top 25 teams in the USA. I read it and loved it, hope you love it as well. Here goes...

Ok, I know next to nothing about bowling. But I know that you have to knock down 10 pins as much as possible. So today I wanted to create a list of 10 things we all need to do to be successful in real estate. There is no particular order, there are lots more I could add, but these 10 are a very good place to start with if you want to be successful in 2024 and beyond...

Communicate promptly

Prospect daily

Listen

Ask for referrals, more importantly earn referrals

Be highly visible

Always be looking for tools that can help us

Never stop learning

Surround yourself with a good team

Find the right seat

Think about your career, not the current deal

Ok, now that we have our list lets talk about them a little more. But before we do I want to give you a little homework. Once you read through each I want you to ask yourself (be honest with your answer) if you are doing each one, and if the answer is yes, ask how you could do it better. This is the key to how we grow and improve.

"Communicate promptly." It amazes me how many agents do not return calls, emails or texts in a timely manner if at all. Our job depends on us closing deals, yet we leave a message with a listing agent and they don't bother to call... perhaps leaving the best offer out of the mix. I actually heard the following message on a voicemail recently...

"Hello, you have reached ________ with ____. Please do not leave a voicemail as I do not return phone calls. Text me and I will respond, but understand I am very busy so please allow 48 hours for a response."

I promise this... I will always remember this agent and will do my best to not have a coop with them as my client deserves better from the other agent, and their client deserves far better. We are in sales which means we have to communicate well and quickly. I guarantee this agent has hurt their clients with their communication style (missed offers, angering their peers and more). So don't be this agent.

"Prospect daily." None of us like cold calling, a lot of us hate doing open houses, mailers cost money... but if you don't prospect your business will suffer and possibly even die. Prospecting is not something we should do if time allows... it should be the first thing on the list everyday.

Have you ever watched a new agent list several homes in their first couple months and asked "how are they doing it?" I bet prospecting is a huge part of the answer. Agents that say "I don't have any business" probably also should say "I am not prospecting." I always say that unless you have so many referrals coming in you cannot handle anymore business you are not a Realtor, you are a prospector. And with the market being tough you need to prospect more to do the same business as last year.

"Listening" is an under practiced skill set. Between the narcissistic desire people have to talk about themselves to the huge amount of noise we have to listen to, it is difficult to listen. But people all around us are talking about real estate, and opportunities abound.

Listen at the coffee shop, wine tastings, social gatherings,, your other job... all around you people are talking about interest rates, housing costs, what the market will do, the new community up the street... they are talking about it everywhere. Why? Because housing is a fundamental human need and the number 1 driver of the economy. It is all over the media and the focus of many water cooler conversations. But if you are not listening these conversations will happen around you but without you.

So listen. Ask questions. Be prepared to be asked questions as you are a Realtor and thus viewed as an expert.

"Referrals" are so important to any business, but as agents they should be our lifeblood. But you have to ask for them, and more importantly, you have to earn them. How do you ern referrals? By doing what you say you are going to do and more. By providing the highest level of service, communication and effort. By putting your clients interests ahead of you own.

But don't assume that if you did a great job that referrals will come. You must ask for them. I remember a study several years back of the financial planning industry that said 88% of clients would refer their planner but only 11% did. Why the disconnect? Because the planners did not ask for referrals,

Tell your past clients, family and friends that you love referrals. Make sure they have your business card to give out. Ask for referrals, then ask again.

"Being highly visible matters" more than anything you can do. Ever go to a great little restaurant and think the food is amazing, but 3 months later it is out of business because no one came to et there? I bet they were not advertising, not asking for reviews and not asking people that came to spread the word. There are so many great businesses out there that no one has ever heard of.

You cannot be invisible and expect to succeed. You must be active on social media, active with your SOI, visible in the community (open houses, mailers, marketing) and make sure to tell everyone you can that you are there to help them buy or sell homes. I have a friend that has billboards marketing her services, and I have heard agents say that will never work. Ask her and she will tell you that everyone in her market has heard of her, and every year she can trace several deals to those billboards.

Being invisible means going out of business. So make sure everyone sees you and knows what you do!

"Tools" matter in all businesses, but in sales we need tools for everything we do. Yet agents often resist new technology, are slow to embrace new ways of doing things, and are reluctant to invest money in their business.

AI is a great example. I wonder what percentage of agents have signed up for one of the apps. CRM programs with automated drip campaigns are essential, but I know so many agents that do not use one. Agents that are not active on social media amaze me, especially when they say "they don't know what to do on social media" when there is so much free education available.

Most brokerages have tools for their agents to use, but so many don't use them. Teams are a great option if you need tools but can't afford them. Most of our tools are inexpensive and easy to learn So get the tools you need.

"Learning" should never stop... but for many it stopped long ago. I know agents who take their exact continuing education requirement, but not 1 minute more. In addition, they do not even pay attention to the continuing education they do sit through.

I have several goals in life, but the number one business goal is to learn something new everyday. I read business books (at least a couple chapters every day, take John Maxwell training at least once a week, watch podcasts, listen to other agents, take classes and more. Guess what, I learn things every week that I can share with my coaching clients, my team and my peers, things that help our businesses grow and thrive.

One of the things that has always driven me crazy is a veteran agent saying "do you know how long I have been doing this" when they are challenged. My response is "that just makes you old, not right and certainly not up to date." So keep learning.

"A Good Team" is essential to our success. Strong mortgage people, home inspectors, title, handyman, movers and so many more all contribute to our ability to get deals done. But our team goes beyond that. Administrative help, closing coordinators, admins in the office that help agents with tech and issues,

You need to be a source for your clients, so be prepared to recommend trades, professionals and more.

"Find the right seat" is something often said but rarely done. The right seat involves finding the right brokerage for your business, choosing the right focus (commercial, residential, new builds etc.), deciding to join a team or be a solo agent or even build a team... your maximum success depends on positioning yourself with the best support and tools.

The best advice I can give is ignore the recruiting posts, watch for the lies and do your own research. The facts are that these decisions really matter and will have a huge impact. Lower fees are great, but if you would do 6 more deals a year somewhere else those low fees are costing you money. Provided tools save you buying them and impacts your bottom line. Not all brokerages offer top notch training which may be a key need that you have.

As agents, meet with and know what different brokerages and teams have to offer, and find the right seat for your business.

Last we come to "do what is best for your career always, the next check does not matter." It is shocking that we have to mention this, but we have all seen agents cut corners and even outright lie to get the next check. I bet you have lost a listing or had a seller tell you the other agent said they could get X for their home, a number so ridiculously high you knew they were just saying it to get the listing.

Do the right thing, be honest, follow the code of ethics... and your peers will want to do business with you, your reputation will be stellar and you will not have to explain what you did wrong.

Well if you made it to here, thanks for reading my long post. I hope it helps your business... I know it will. Till next time...