Real Estate Agent "Struggles" Change Your Perspective-Change Your Results

I often hear agents talk about the challenges that they face on a day to day basis within the Real Estate Industry. The challenges are real, and we all face similar issues in the business. The difference between succeeding at a very high level vs. struggling along in frustration often comes down to the perspective that you choose to view the challenges from. Let’s look at some of the most common “struggles” that can keep you from your FULL POTENTIAL and how you can empower yourself simply by changing the way you view your obstacles.

Common Agent Struggle: Keeping Up The Act

Agents often feel like they have to “keep up an act”. They feel like they are constantly on stage when they are discussing the market. They think there are “right and wrong answers” that the clients want to hear and they guess how to communicate with prospects and clients. They look at every person as a possible commission check now or in the future. They speak in terms of what they think a prospect wants to hear vs. listening as an advisor.

Your New Perspective: Imagine if others thought of you as their Trusted Advisor, or someone they receive a lot of valuable information from, someone they always want to do business with. Because you speak freely with them on your observations and interpretations of the market without the expectations of a commission check you become someone they really want to do business with. You don’t try to tell them what they want to hear, you inform them on what they need to know with no expectation of getting something in return.

Common Agent Struggle: Life Balance Is A Myth

The misconception by many agents is that they have to sacrifice family/personal time in order to be a successful agent. Agents feel that they are constantly “on-call”. They succumb to the idea that they need to interrupt family and personal time for the business. They listen to unrealistic buyer requests during their son’s football game, handle irate seller clients at their daughter’s recital, and go to a showing apt. instead of dinner with the family all in the name of “great customer service”. In reality they are trading their life for something that ultimately they end up resenting.

Your New Perspective:

Many agents feel like they are at the mercy of the next buyer call or web lead because they are not in control of generating their own business. If you have a plan in place to generate future business you create a predictable revenue stream. This gives you the confidence that you need to set a schedule and stick to it. You take control of your income because you’re constantly involved in income generating activities. You no longer have to react to each possible deal that comes along out of fear that there may not be one behind it. You choose the deals that you want to work and you are 100% committed to those clients. When you generate you don’t have to tolerate! Believe it or not, your clients want a well balanced professional handling their transactions.

Common Agent Struggle: The Emotional Roller Coaster

There are a ton of moving parts involved in getting a lead, listing a property or writing a contract, and then getting the contract through escrow and receiving a commission check. With every step of the way there is potential for the agent to be elated at how things are going or be crushed at a setback that is experienced.

Many make the mistake of feeling like this emotional roller coaster is just a cost of doing business. Agents are so attached to the outcome that they latch on to each step of the process, and hold on tight. Many of the issues that can affect the deal are out of the agent’s hands. It’s exhausting and keeps agents from having the desire or the ability to do more deals.

Your New Perspective:

Top agents will tell you that they have a very systematic approach for each area of the business. Lead generation, follow up, marketing, negotiating, the closing process, etc. all have a process that needs to be followed. The Top agent will be very involved in some of these systems and have little direct involvement in other areas.

Because they are taking a systematic approach to each step, they are less attached to the outcome of the deal because they know that there is another deal around the corner. This does not mean that they aren’t committed to doing what it takes to work through a tough closing. It simply means that they are going to work very hard to fix what they can and if it can’t be fixed, they are ok moving on without letting it interrupt their routine.

Common Agent Struggle: Justifying Your Commission:

One of the biggest complaints that I hear from agents is that they are constantly being asked to cut their commission. Agents take offense to this and feel like it’s a personal attack on their worth as an agent. Instead of becoming an expert at demonstrating the value that they bring over their competition, they simply give in and cut their commission, which shows that they really don’t think they are worth any more than the client does.

Your New Perspective:

Think about the services that you pay for. Are you willing to pay more if you feel like you’re getting the best service possible. People typically pay more for outstanding service. If they feel like they are going to have to sacrifice in service or results they are likely going to ask for a discount.

When a client asks you to cut your commission, it’s not personal, they are actually communicating to you that you have not convinced them that you are worth what you are asking. This is an opportunity for you to clear up any confusion, and show them why you’re worth it. The key is that YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE YOU ARE WORTH IT BEFORE THEY WILL.

Common Agent Struggle: The Income Roller Coaster:

Similar to the emotional roller coaster that agents love to ride, the Income Roller Coaster provides similar frustration. There are months that go by and an agent closes 1 or 2 deals and that extreme high is met with a disaster the next month with NO NEW PENDINGS. The agent’s self worth and their own perception of SUCCESS is tied to their RESULTS. When the results are great, they feel great and stop doing the activities that got them the results. Shortly thereafter the results stop, and they get down on themselves because the are not making money. This is the normal up and down cycle that many agents experience for the duration of their career.

Your New Perspective:

Because there are so many variables in this business, you can plan on having deals fall through. There will also be months that don’t turn out as good as previous months. If you look at the results as an indicator of your success, you are setting yourself up for pure heartache.

Top agents will put together a business plan with activities that when completed will likely allow them to meet their financial goals. Because they measure their performance by following the process they can avoid the ups and downs that happen when results don’t turn out the way they wanted.

They don’t get too excited when things are really good, and in turn they don’t feel horrible when a deal they have is unraveling. Their commitment is to working the process, and letting the results show up.

We as individual agents are ultimately in charge of how we perceive the market and our place inside of it. If you want to change your results, consider that you may start by changing your PERSPECTIVE. YOUR PERSPECTIVE CAN BECOME YOUR UNFAIR ADVANTAGE OVER THE COMPETITION.