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We can talk about the skills, discipline, motivation, and ambition that a career in real estate requires as much as we like. But sometimes it’s not a lack of any of those that’s really holding us back.
Sometimes, the thing that stands between where we are now and where we want to be is a little harder to define and a little more entrenched than we appreciate.
Sometimes, the biggest barrier to achieving our goals is a simple four-letter word, and it can be the single thing that stops us from taking the action we need to in order to get where we want to go.
Quite simply, it’s ‘fear’ and in real estate I’ve seen this fear manifest in a whole host of ways.
Fear of rejection
It’s no secret this is an industry where we are required to put ourselves ‘out there’. We need to prospect, build a database, liaise with sellers and buyers, and be on show in order to build a profile.
We need to cold call. We need to ask for the listing and ask for the sale. Along the way there will be inevitable rejections, sometimes when we least expect them.
That fear has a very real impact if you let it. It can manifest as procrastination, a lack of discipline and a lack of motivation.
Fear can be the thing that stops us picking up the phone when we should, or having the tough conversations when we need to.
If you find yourselves procrastinating instead of making prospecting calls or doing the activities you need to, ask yourself is it due to fear?
If the answer is yes you need to feel that fear and do it anyway by reframing the concept of rejection.
Every no is an opportunity. It’s a chance to learn, improve, and ultimately, increase the odds of receiving a yes.
Fear of failure
This is an industry where the highs are high, and the lows can be low. We tend to shout about success and revere it, and that can elicit a fear of failure.
What if we try but do not quickly achieve the success we hope for?
Make no mistake there are plenty of high performing agents who struggled before they had a major breakthrough.
Often that breakthrough wasn’t instant, and it didn’t come down to luck.
Instead, the turnaround came down to perseverance. It was about understanding the legwork that needs to be put in and doing that grunt work in the knowledge it takes time to attain momentum.
One great thing about real estate is that the goals you set can be reverse engineered.
If you want to write $500k in GCI you can work backwards, looking at exactly how many properties you need to list, appraisals you need to make and prospecting calls you need to do in order to achieve that aim.
And when you break it down, there’s no need to feel failure. Success becomes as simple as putting one foot after the other.
Fear of success
Now this is where things get interesting. It’s easy to understand a fear of rejection or failure, but what about a fear of success?
Believe it or not, there are plenty of people who sabotage their potential for fear of what they might become should they achieve their financial or career goals.
That makes knowing your ‘why’, your ‘what’ and your ‘who’ imperative – as in why exactly are you in this industry, what do you hope to achieve and who do you hope to become?
If you are crystal clear on the answer to each of those questions, there’s no reason to fear success. It won’t change you but will instead allow you to remain true to yourself and unleash the full potential of who you want to be.
Feel the fear
Whether you’re just starting out in real estate or taking the next step in your career, don’t let fear hold you back.
Feel it, acknowledge it, and take the step you need to take regardless. Rejection, failure, and success are all inevitable parts of this industry and also life. They teach us valuable lessons.
So, I ask you this, where is it you hope to be in 12 months’ time? Is it running your own agency, leading a team, writing $500k GCI minimum?
Will you let a four-letter word stand between you and that goal?
If you’re ready to tackle your fears head on, find out how we can assist with training, mentoring and business opportunities that help you achieve what you want to achieve and become who you hope to be.
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