Why Are Some Agents So Seriously Successful?

Seriously successful agents are those peak performers who, time after time, astound us with their numbers.  They sell in double digits, such as 10, 20, 30+ million dollars in closed transactions.  We applaud their serious success.  And we ask ourselves, “How do they do it?  Is their career path paved differently that mine? What do I have to do to achieve double digit production?”  The answer to these questions lies in understanding the four stages in a developing real estate career and doing those things that average agents simply do not do.

Stage One:  Enthusiastic Beginner

New agents enter the business with the attitude of what author, Ken Blanchard calls, “the Enthusiastic Beginner” – excited about a new career and committed to doing whatever it takes to build a business, but perhaps lacking the knowledge of exactly what to do and how to do it.

With time and effective training, we quickly realize that in order to build a solid base of business, it’s going to take a real commitment to consistent prospecting and effective marketing as well as refining a myriad of other skills, such as negotiating, closing, mastering technology, etc. These all sound fine, even exciting until it comes time to make that first cold call.  Our palms sweat, our hearts pound and it is precisely at this moment when we adopt a new attitude and move into the second stage of development as a Disillusioned Learner.

Stage Two:  The Disillusioned Learner

As  a Disillusioned Learner, we know what to do and how to do it, but are not necessarily happy about it.  The commitment to do whatever it takes to build a business is now laced with a whole host of fears – fear of intruding, fear of being pushy, fear of rejection, etc.  It is precisely at this stage that we realize we must make a decision to aim for serious success by prospecting consistently and marketing effectively (or not) and settle for average (or less than average) production.

Stage Three:  The Reluctant Contributor

The Reluctant Contributor stage is where that decision is mulled over, fought with, and ultimately worked through – if we stay in the business.  For the Reluctant Contributor, confidence and motivation are volatile and variable.  One day it may reach an all-time high with a new listing, only to drop to a new low when a buyer cheats on us with another agent.

Some agents get stuck in this stage and never leave it.  Thus, sentencing themselves to a career of highs and lows evidenced by a lot of complaining and periodic threats of getting a “real job with a real paycheck, on a real regular basis." Sometime Reluctant Contributors hop from broker to broker in a fierce attempt to find an easier way to be successful, preferably without having to prospect for business.

Sadly, when an agent decides to leave the real estate business, it's usually when they are in the Disillusioned Learner or Reluctant Contributor stage.  

Stage Four:  The Peak Performer

Agents who are truly committed to success are able to accept the realities of the business and after perfecting their skills, find joy in prospecting and marketing.  They analyze their numbers and ratios, and are intimate with the number of contacts it takes to get a lead and the number of leads it takes to obtain a listing or make a sale. They do things the average agent simply does not do.  And so, they move from Reluctant Contributor to Peak Performer, the fourth and most coveted stage in real estate career development. 

I’ve had the unique opportunity of working with Peak Performers throughout North America for many years and although there is no one prescription for success, each award-winning agent did two things really well.  You guessed it, prospecting and marketing.

   

If you’ve been plodding along the real estate path at an average pace or find yourself stuck in one of the stages, why not make a commitment to become a Peak Performer today?  Tomorrow we’ll be applauding your double digit achievement and raising our glasses to toast your serious success.