Being a real estate agent and agent coach of many years, along this journey I have seen things that have left me scratching my head, as I am sure many real estate professionals can relate to. A career in real estate brings along considerations that many hopeful agents either are not warned of or choose not to research. The outsider’s image of being an agent is somewhat twisted, and the reality is not exactly the vision that has been perpetuated for years, since long before I decided to give the career a go. In the process of learning what I wasn’t prepared for and what it takes to be a great agent with the ability to consistently maintain a career, I’ve come to the conclusion that one key reason some agents don’t last in the industry is a simple yet ugly word: procrastination.
It is a tough pill to swallow and a challenge most brokerage firms don’t warn against. I worry that it has left many great agents in the dust as brokerages have shifted their focus from agent development to the changes in real estate technology. But instead of ignoring it anymore, today I am challenging you to break the chains. As an agent, broker, owner or even manager of a firm, here is what you can do to avoid this major, career-killing pitfall.
Step one: Get real with yourself.
Understand that everyone battles with procrastination — even the best of the best in any career field face this challenge. Once you realize it’s completely human to be inclined to procrastinate, then you can begin the process of identifying your own reasons for procrastination and conquering them.
Step two: Understand what procrastination means.
Yes, we know the literal meaning is to put tasks off, but that is not a complete understanding of the concept. Research has found that procrastination often occurs when we look at something we have to make a decision to perform that brings us negative emotions.
For example, putting together an open house requires planning, marketing and a devotion of time with no guarantee of good results. Dealing with a few open house duds that result in what most of us would call a waste of time would lead many agents to a cycle of negativity whenever the words “open house” are brought up. The end result? An agent avoids holding open houses and chooses to try other methods or tasks that may feel better, but whose results are only temporary.
This can happen with every known real estate activity agents are taught and trained to do. So what can you do?
Brokers and leaders must teach and train agents about each activity, but also learn about agents’ strengths and guide each of them to create a workflow that keeps in mind their own particular strengths. This way, agents will be more likely to perform the activities needed to grow and maintain their business because they will enjoy more of what they are doing and be better equipped to accept when the activities didn’t yield the intended results.
Step three: Use a three-pronged approach to keep the emotions at bay.
Embed three specific things into each day to help you maintain as much positive energy as you can to allow yourself room to not only breathe, but excel. First, create a constant state of curiosity and exploration in every activity you do. In other words, look at each task as “what can I learn from it or do differently that fits with who I am and the brand I want?” Approach each activity with a sense of adventure to make more fun of exploring these ideas. See yourself as the Indiana Jones of your real estate business: Be curious, yet safe. Explore while keeping the end goal in mind, yet knowing you will hit obstacles along the way. It may look dangerous, but with good planning and solid execution, more of what you want to happen will happen and you will find what you need to keep up the sense of curiosity and fun in this business as you grow.
Next, you will need to learn to tackle the seemingly harder challenges first, and how to suppress the urge to put the easier tasks ahead of them. I know it might sound crazy, but we have all likely been given the choice between two tasks — one being perceived as easy and the other one more difficult — and chosen the easier task. It is natural to want to take the path of least resistance. But instead of organizing your files first thing, write your blog and create your content. You and your business will get more value out of creation than organizing your files for the millionth time.
Finally, break all of your more time-consuming, larger tasks into bite-size, digestible chunks so they don’t seem likes such large challenges. Doing this will increase the likelihood of you not reverting to those simple tasks that maybe will bring you temporary relief, but in the long haul bring little to no value to your business. Place your attention and energy on the things that matter, and realize true value from your efforts.