Too many agents are focusing on becoming a ‘million-dollar agent’ instead of setting a new personal best, according to the head of one network.
RE/MAX WA managing director Geoff Baldwin believes agents are beginning to resent trainers who want everyone to be a million-dollar agent.
“Most real estate salespeople aspire to earn a good living and enough to support an above-average lifestyle, but very few have the desire to write a million dollars every year”, he said.
“Simple maths depicts that there are simply not enough property transactions in any market to allow a huge number of million dollar writers, and hence the numbers of agents achieving that level is unlikely to increase drastically any time soon.
“In reality, for a real estate business to succeed and prosper over a long period and to remain sustainable and not vulnerable it is much better to nurture a team of average to good writers than it is to rely on one or two world beaters.”
Instead of aiming to double or quadruple results, Mr Baldwin believes the best motivator for anyone is to just improve on their personal best.
“By focusing on PBs it enables a leader to recognise a greater number of people in his or her team more regularly and avoids the issue of all the accolades going to the same one or two superstars each month," he said.
“If you said to most salespeople, 'I want to make you a million-dollar agent', they would give you a vacant stare for your trouble. However, if you said to them, 'I want to work with you to break your personal best three or four times over the next 12 months', I have found that a greater majority respond very positively.
“Personally, I have a high regard for a lot of the trainers and speakers currently providing services to our industry, but I would love to see them drop this continual reference to million-dollar agents and reconnect with the wider audience,” Mr Baldwin said.