Login
iscover
As an agency principal and network director, we get to see many high-performing agents, and on the converse side, we also get to see some low-performing agents.
We have observed two agents sit side by side in the exact same office environment, provided each with the exact same tools and opportunities, and yet one will outperform the other, month in, month out. It doesn’t matter whether the property market is strong or weak, whether days on market are long or short, the results always seem to be the same. The better agents are always making headway and progress and outperforming those that they literally sit next to. I outline the top three characteristics (or what some refer to as the “magic dust”) that sets these agents apart.
The first characteristic and most obvious, of course, is having the right mindset. It is the defining factor between a great agent and a low-performing agent. We can add an extensive list to what makes up a great agent “mindset”; however, there are three that sit at the top of the list. The first is “belief”, the second is “hunger”, and the third is “perpetual learning”.
An unwavering “belief” mindset helps drive performance when things don’t go according to plan. The best agents “believe” in their own ability, that they are deserving of success (this is key) and play the long game. When things go wrong, i.e. they miss a listing, they quickly move on to the next. They do not dwell on the loss but rather learn from it (perpetual learning) and get straight back to finding the next opportunity. They don’t lose faith in their own ability because of just one setback; they embrace the setback and use it to become better. This is where hunger comes into play. It keeps the fire burning and fuels the motivation to just keep going.
The second characteristic of the best agents is that they protect their time and have a primary habit and focus on executing high-value activities, each and every day. Those high-value activities, however, employ only one of two physical actions. The first is that they pick up the phone and make meaningful connections with current and potential clients. I have a saying, “the agent who is not afraid of the phone will always win”. The purpose of each phone call is to either generate a future listing opportunity, to reposition a current listing to meet the market (price adjustment) and to get a “yes” in a sales negotiation. Of all the actions I have observed, no other activity comes close to generating the results this one activity provides. It is the alpha and omega — the beginning and the end. The second physical action is to book face-to-face appointments with sellers and buyers.
The third characteristic of the best agents is that they learn to delegate and outsource as much of their “non-critical” and “non-dollar productive” activities. They all employ assistants and sales associates and form highly effective teams which significantly leverage their results. It provides the opportunity to deliver high-touch client processes which in turn results in creating raving fans which further fuels referral business and greater market share. Many who reach this level build further brand awareness by using self-branding marketing collateral which generate even more listing opportunities. Many are now starting their own brands and agencies but retain complete backend administration support through a corporate network, something we at the Eview Group pioneered over a decade ago.
In summary, mindset is founded on an agent’s self-belief and self-worth; focus and time is founded on picking up the phone and making the calls; while outsourcing is founded on building an effective team for support and to leverage results. These are the three defining characteristics of the best agents in our industry and are readily available to anyone who wishes to take their real estate career to the next level.
Manos Findikakis is the CEO and co-founder of the Eview Group.
