The Indispensable Agent: “A dose of strategy, a dash of inspo, & a few tall tales.”
The Core Principles of Our Industry
Success as an agent in real estate is not complicated. It’s very simple. But like most things in life that are simple, they’re not necessarily easy. Getting in shape is simple, just exercise regularly, eat healthy, and burn more calories than you consume every day. Simple… but easy? Not exactly. So it goes with becoming a successful real estate agent. The principles can be simple to understand but difficult to follow and extremely difficult to follow year in and year out for an entire career. I am going to spend the next 5 weeks outlining both the foundation that all great agents build their business upon and the pillars of success that stand on that foundation. A successful career is almost like a great and ancient building in Rome that rests upon a foundation of bedrock and unbreakable stone pillars.
The foundation of success, especially any kind of sustainable success, is service. Specifically, the ability and willingness to put people first and to craft unforgettable customer service experiences. The kind of experiences that create raving fans (and referrals) for life, assuming you do your job and stay top of mind after the sale. If you can learn how to provide excellent service that people talk about, sustainably and reliably generate leads, and then convert those leads to closed deals, you will never have to worry about money or success as an agent.
It’s pretty simple, right? That’s really all there is to it. But anybody who’s tried it before can tell you that it is not easy. Over 75% of agents who get into the industry are out of the industry in their first two years and never even reach their first license renewal. Often there are numerous things that these agents don’t understand or don’t get right, but one of the most frequent is a lack of dedication to service. Service that goes beyond the transaction. Service that is a commitment to providing value to people before they commit to using you as an agent. Service that transcends industry, product, and experience. Service they remember. Yet, service alone is not enough.
Sales can be a tricky business because you need to learn how to balance the foundation of service with the ever-present need to put yourself out there for rejection by asking for the business as well as the ability to implement a strategic plan for your career. It starts with service but it doesn’t end there. There are four critical Pillars to Success that rest upon this foundation of service. These pillars are models that have stood the test of time. They are built upon habits and systems that hundreds of thousands of agents have used to serve millions of clients and build generational wealth for their families. Whether they realize it or not, all successful agents follow these four pillars with an almost religious commitment.
The top producers have all four of these pillars nailed. They are integrated into their lives and a part of their daily existence.
The Four Pillars of Success in Real Estate:
- Personal Development
- Strategic Planning
- Lead Generation
- Lead Conversion
I will be taking the next 4 weeks to take a deeper look at each one of these Pillars and how you can absorb them into your life and business to guarantee both of them are built for success.
Lead Generation – Closing Gift Experiences
Most agents give a closing gift but few of them give the gift of experience. While the client might appreciate your goodie basket or bottle of wine, they will remember an experience forever and you will be remembered as the person who made that experience possible.
- Family or couple photo shoot
- Meaningful piece of art or furniture that is special to them
- Airline tickets to a destination of their choice
- Sporting event or theater or other special event they want to see
- Use your connections to help them (or their kids) meet a local celebrity
- Date night on the town with a limo
Ideas like this might cost more money or more time than your normal goodie basket but if they are actually remembered and valued then they will keep you top of mind for years to come. Do you really care that they cost $500 – $1,000 instead of $75 if they result in 5 referrals over the next two years? What is the ROI on that investment?
My personal favorite because of its simplicity is to take the client(s) along with any guests they want out to a nice dinner to celebrate their closing. A very nice experience that places you at the center of the conversation. Not only do you get to give them the gift of experience, but you now get to meet some of their closest friends and family to build rapport with them face to face.
A Quote To Ponder
“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” -Winston Churchill
Source: Everydaypower.com
