Vice President and partner of Garrett Realty Partners, Collin has conquered real estate in just 13 years as a realtor, trainer, mentor.
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In the real estate business, you have plenty to learn and master on your way to establishing and growing your career and your business — while at the same time trying your hardest not to be one of the many businesses that eventually fizzle out. There’s no shortage of so-called gurus and coaches who sell programs or charge for their time with the promise that their knowledge, coaching or motivational talks will help you master all the things you need to do to have a fantastic career in real estate. While this can work for some, most will bounce around and pay for these programs and courses without fully putting into action what the coach educates you to do. In the end, you may have wasted money and time that could have been better spent on the one critical skill you must learn to master to grow your business and sustain it: problem-solving.
Simply put, problem-solving is involved in every aspect of the real estate career. Whether you are solving a client’s emotional or transactional problems, the way you navigate situations and the consistency of great outcomes you create for your client will not only expand your realm of expertise, but also help you develop the reputation every agent would love to have — which is being known for your quality service.
You see, you can pay to market yourself as a great agent and get lucky when someone hires you for their real estate transaction, but what happens when you can’t solve their problems and the deal falls through? You lose time, money and, most importantly, the trust of the client. Trust is critical, and it should be built from the beginning. As a real estate professional, you should never stop trying to earn that trust by being honest and being the best problem-solver in your clients’ lives.
So how do you become a better problem-solver? You have to commit to a multilayered approach and learn to be patient as you grow your mastery of this skill. Start with finding resources to become a true expert in your field. Take classes online or at your local association to learn from others on different subjects to add to your toolkit. Then, become great at listening well and taking notes while attaching them to your calendars and CRMs alongside each client’s individual information. This way, you don’t lose track as your sphere of influence grows. The more notes you have for each person while you are in contact with your clients, the more you can focus on determining their problems and delivering the right solution.
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The next thing to do is remember experience is one of the best teachers, especially when it comes to cultivating the problem-solving skills you need to have in order to handle the plethora of problems you will be navigating in your career as the years go by. Aim to find problems daily to experiment and test your skills. You can do this by asking people you know and work with already if they are having a problem they need solved and trying to tackle it for them. Not only will they appreciate your help, but you also will be sharpening your problem-solving skills.
As you work on this skill set and develop as a real estate professional, you are likely to find that you get more referrals, have better relationships, handle better transactions and the list goes on. But most importantly, you will have created the reputation that feeds your growth and business for years to come. Now go start working on this skill and give your career the boost it needs.
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