“I had a bad year because of the market.”
“My company didn’t support me enough.”
“There’s too much competition in the area I work.”
“I’m too new in the business to make a lot of money.”
ENOUGH! Do you have “Excusitis”? It’s a rampant disorder in the business world, characterized by frequent and habitual use of the “E” word – excuses.
I hear the above excuses – and MANY more – each and every day from real estate agents who are hiding behind limiting beliefs. And they’re bright and talented agents who ultimately know better. But we hear other people moan and complain every day and we often just jump on the excuse-making bandwagon. This frustrates me because I know the truth.
The truth: If you are not where you want to be in your real estate career, it’s could be very simply because of YOU. This Zebra Report is a shot of “Tough Love,” so strap yourself in. The ride may get bumpy.
When I hear excuses from agents, I immediately ask questions. If you have made an excuse lately for any lack of success in your business, then I want to ask you right now:
“Are you doing the things you need to do?”
This may seem like a “Duh!” question, but I’m constantly amazed at how many bright and motivated people are just not implementing business generating systems into their business. What they are doing is what I call sporadic or “I do it when I run out of business” systems. In other words they try to play catch up for a year of client neglect. They’re “getting around to it” or “working on it.” What they don’t seem to understand is that once the systems are in place, they’re in place. Getting them implemented is the hardest part. Once that’s done, your entire business becomes a series of processes that practically run on their own. Simplify to multiply!
OR “Are you DOING the things you DON’T need to do?”
If you’re spending half your time designing your own website, you’re taking valuable time away from developing your own expertise as a real estate agent. You’re not a web design expert. Hire one. Let the experts do their jobs.
If you’re at the office late at night sorting paperwork, maybe that time could be better spent if you had systems in place that automatically takes care of your paperwork “as you go along” throughout the day. Ask yourself, “Where am I wasting time in my business?” and take steps to simplify your task list. Maybe it’s time to work smarter, not harder.
“Do you have the tools you need to do the job?”
I’m not talking about the latest software program or CRM. I’m talking about the basics – solid marketing materials, informative articles, custom Buyer and Seller Consultation materials, Open House Materials (invaluable when created correctly), Annual Client Reviews. The list goes on.
I see so many agents who have one or two of these and are waiting for more sales to implement the rest. I tell them, “You’re putting the cart before the horse. The way to make money is to do what you need to do to get everything setup as early as possible – so it’s all there when you need it.”
“Have you done enough research to understand WHY you’re not where you want to be?”
Do you really KNOW your market? Can you tell me the exact price a house in a particular neighborhood sold for last month? Do you know how much a deck or pool adds (or detracts) from the value of a home in your market? Do you know the average income of residents on a particular street?
Have you talked with successful agents in your office? Have you observed what they do differently from everyone else? Success leaves clues.
“Are you consistent?”
Maybe you do everything you should be doing for one week or two and then you slack off. Maybe you send out one article and then wait six months before you send out the next one. Consistency is KING!!! If you’re not getting response, it can probably be traced back to a lack of consistency.
“Are you tired?”
Maybe you’re just burned out. When was the last time you took a vacation? I mean a REAL vacation – where you really checked out of real estate and could relax.
Anyone who knows me knows how much I value family time. It is THE most important thing in life, in my humble opinion. If you’re not getting enough time to enjoy your life, then you definitely need to stop and take a vacation. Also, you may be too close to your business and need to step back from it to see what the problems really are – a “bird’s eye” view.
So, take a good hard look at your excuses. We all have them. We wrap ourselves in them to protect our egos from failure, but in the end we’re only fooling ourselves. For each one, ask yourself, “Is this valid or is there a solution to it?” No matter what your excuses are, they can be solved with proper analysis, revision and implementation.
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