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I’m often asked, ”What’s the secret to real estate success?” After all, surely there’s a magic bullet that guarantees a great career.
Having thought on this a lot over the years, my answer is: “Yes, there is a common denominator. But you might not actually like it.”
It’s not a shortcut. It’s not an overnight miracle. It’s not even easy. But it is a deceptively simple reality.
Cue the drumroll. The magic bullet is…
Personal responsibility.
“Oh” I hear you sigh. “But where’s the fun in that?”
Let’s cut to the chase
Call it “accountability” or “personal responsibility”, either way this “solution” lacks the glamour of a tightly guarded real estate secret that offers an instant recipe for success.
I mean let’s be real. Personal responsibility sucks. And someone telling you that “you are responsible” sucks even more.
It lacks glamour and appeal because deep down we know it’s true.
We know that if we are not achieving our goals, it’s because we’re not living up to the promise we make to ourselves.
- We are not doing the work.
- We are not disciplined.
- We are not living up to the brochure.
Even worse, it shines a bright and oh so revealing spotlight on the fact that others (those rare and often successful few) just get on with it.
Turns out they’re not so lucky. They weren’t in the right place at the right time. They didn’t catch a random break. No. The stars didn’t align.
They just … went out and did the work.
And it wasn’t just the hours of work, either. They took the time to train themselves to do productive work, not just “busy” work.
It’s the discipline that hurts
As much as it hurts to admit, it’s not the “achievements” of those successful agents that cuts the deepest. It’s the “discipline” that elicits envy.
And it also happens to be the “missing piece” of so many things we want to achieve.
The vast majority of highly successful agents attained the results they did because they did the work. They put in the hard yards. They spent time on the phone when they should. They got back to people when they said they would.
So what’s the takeaway?
Amid that disappointing lack of mystery and among the resignation that personal responsibility sucks, there is, however, an incredibly liberating nugget of truth…
It’s all on you
When you unconditionally accept that the responsibility is all on you, you stop looking for the magic bullet.
In fact, it is the magic bullet. It’s the realisation that you are in total control of all the outcomes.
You are in charge of how much you put in and what that activity leads to. You have the choice to learn, grow, be productive (not just busy), and connect with people that lead you to listings and sales.
You decide whether or not to do the work that’s needed and whether to commit to the upskilling that’s required to serve your clients as you should.
Sure, that reality of personal responsibility might feel like a burden that “sucks”. But it’s also decidedly liberating. You, just you (no-one else) determines your future.
You can learn, grow, sharpen your toolkit, do the work, put in the hours, provide the service … or not. The choice is yours. There are no excuses. There are no shortcuts. There are no secrets to success.
It’s on you. You’re in charge. So, take personal responsibility. Get moving.
Do what you know you have to do to maximise your position, realise your potential, and cement your stake in the next cycle of the property market.
Manos Findikakis is the CEO of Agents’Agency
