As a real estate broker, it’s important to regularly check in on your most important goals, and make sure that you’re executing a strategy that will help drive your success. Ongoing monitoring, self-evaluation, and targeted training are critical to implementing a sound business plan that will help you get where you want to go.
As we head into the second half of our incredibly strong 2021 real estate market, this moment is an excellent opportunity for real estate brokers to evaluate their performance through the first half of the year. Here are three important questions to ask yourself:
- Are you doing everything you need to be doing right now to reach your business goals for 2021? If not, what needs to change?
- What are you doing really well right now, and in what areas can you improve?
- What are you doing in the second half of the year to invest in the single most important asset to your business — YOU?
Reaching Your Business Goals for 2021
Here at the Baird & Warner – Lincoln Park office, we have a huge group of brokers that are having record years in this market, and their secret to success is simple: They keep showing up and doing the work day after day, week after week, and year after year. If you walk around the office, most of them are here each and every day — engaged in their businesses and driving their own results.
Curious how some people make it to the top ten in our office very quickly? The answer is simple, and it is supported by the very direct quote that is framed in my office: “Deeds not Words.” They are people of action, who are always finding solutions and adapting in challenging situations instead of giving up. Top brokers don’t get distracted by shiny pennies or shortcuts. They put in the work consistently, day after day, and then see the results from that hard work.
As I’ve written on this blog before, I love real estate because it is absolutely a career that is driven by your personal commitment and the consistency of your actions. When you launch your real estate career, you are placing a bet on yourself, and that is very empowering (and also scary).
There are countless business models to follow, and we are lucky enough here at Baird & Warner – Lincoln Park to have incredible role models and mentors for many of those business strategies. For example, we just had one of our top listing agents help lead a training on how he prices properties. Our office is known for its collaborative nature, where agents support each other and leverage one another’s knowledge and experience. But you have to be engaged, you have to collaborate with your peers and you need to adopt a growth mindset where you are constantly learning and improving.
Finding Areas for Improvement
After 17 years in the business, I am still learning each and every day. No real estate market is the same year after year, and once you become complacent, I promise that opportunities will slip through the cracks. Is it always going to be easy? Of course not — and anyone that tells you otherwise is not being honest.
Building a successful real estate business takes drive and determination — as well as the support and mentorship you need to try new things, confront unexpected challenges, and reach your biggest personal goals. The people who build long-term, successful careers in real estate focus on acquiring as much knowledge as possible, and then applying that knowledge in creative and focused ways.
One of the things that Baird & Warner offers agents to continue to grow their businesses and develop their sales skills is access to the industry-favorite Ninja sales training program, which all of our agents have the option of participating in. It’s an office and industry favorite for a reason! The Ninja system focuses on building relationships, listening to the customer, and helping them achieve their goals. It’s all about giving agents the skills and mindset needed to install a system that generates a continuous flow of customers by creating real value.
These training and coaching opportunities are an incredible way to make an investment in yourself — but it doesn’t stop there.
Investing in YOU
I know that most of the agents reading this have been working hard, and you should also know that I believe in staying fresh, finding time to recharge, and making sure you are present with significant others, friends and family to have time away from this personally demanding career. I also realize that the frenetic pace of 2021 is incredibly challenging, and (excuse the cliche) many of you have been controlled by your business instead of controlling your business. Admittedly, there are times when you need to compromise.
It helps to have the support of full-time management and administrative staff that you can trust to be committed to your success, and always ready to support you. Our agents at Baird & Warner – Lincoln Park get just that. Our experienced, full-time management team is always here to provide regular business assessments and coaching, as well as ongoing training sessions that can help agents at every stage stay on top of their skills.
Plus, our incredible support staff includes multiple full-time administrators who are on hand to assist with listing management, marketing production, closing logistics, and so much more — giving agents more freedom to focus on generating leads and pursuing the opportunities that interest them most.
What Does the Second Half of the Year Have In Store?
I think that the second half of this year is going to be an extremely strong market. My prediction is simple: I think we will sell more homes in the second half of 2021 than in any other “second half” in the last 10 years.
Some brokers will take their foot off the gas, and others will accelerate even more, taking the business opportunities from those that are complacent. We don’t control the market — and in our office, we are truly invested in doing what it takes to help each and every broker take advantage of the incredible opportunity in front of us.
Looking for a partner in your business who will help you stay engaged, work hard, and continue to evolve at every stage of your career? Want to join a brokerage that just had a record-crushing year — and which is set up to help you dominate the rest of 2021? If you’re interested in talking about your career in real estate, we are always here to listen! Whether you are considering a career change or looking for a new partner in your existing business, I truly look forward to connecting. Don’t hesitate to get in touch today to get the conversation started.