Explosive Growth

Most agents today would love to experience explosive growth in their business and ask how this can be done. In order to achieve this type of advancement in their business they must be development oriented. The areas for development include education, lead generation, attitude, people, insight and must be competitive in nature.

Without a doubt, you must further you education on a consistent basis. In order to become well rounded in your education, you must read books on management, leadership, sales skills, attitude, real estate, biographies of successful people as well as books on change. Additional ways to further your education is by reading and reviewing trade publications distributed by your real estate association, your franchise and your company. We also feel strongly in having agents earn designations to further their business growth and most importantly attend and participate in the educational trainings we sponsor on your behalf to keep you abreast of changes in our market. Today, real estate, lending and handling clients, because of the media, is a moving target – you must be active to stay on top of the business and what is evolving to experience the explosive growth in your business. It has been noted in several other blogs, the more you learn – the more you earn.

You must have a client base in which to share all of your knowledge or you won’t experience growth of any kind. The avenues for lead generation come in many forms – family, friends, previous coworkers, past clients, social media outlets, new home sales agents, lenders, title companies, REO networks, business development groups, associations, charitable boards and endeavors, youth sports, volunteering, attending church, and so much more. You must be active and visible – through participation – to have an impact on those you encounter in order to generate leads. This requires you to get in front of people. Passive marketing efforts such as blogs, emails, direct mail, websites, the internet and personal notes will help but it won’t get it done – you need to get out from behind your desk and get face to face with people and make phone calls. You gotta speak with the people to have an impact and experience explosive growth. As Nike says – Just do it!

It is a fact; people like to be around positive people. They derive energy from the experience and become more upbeat and optimistic themselves. Each morning we wake up, we have 3 choices – be positive, be negative or be neutral. Why not wake up each day happy that we have the opportunity to have a positive influence on others? That we will face challenges and be able to overcome them in order to grow or help others flourish? That, no matter what happened yesterday in your business, today will be better and there will be more opportunities for you to take advantage of so you will experience explosive growth you desire? Have a fresh outlook on each day, be excited about what you will encounter, approach everyone you meet with a sincere smile and enthusiasm – you never know who your next client will be - this will enable you to spring out of bed ready to tackle what lies ahead and move you forward in your business. A positive outlook and attitude will move you ahead further and faster than the other alternatives. Think like the t-shirts say – life is good.

People are your most valuable asset and must be treated as such. In business, people fall into many different categories – past clients, current/future clients, coworkers, coop agents, vendors and team members. You must communicate with past clients on a regular basis with neighborhood market updates, refinancing opportunities, area information, and other items where they find value. This type of contact displays your professionalism. Keeping your current/future clients up to date with market values, interest rates, your knowledge of the area, information on market trends, etc shows your competence which will build your referral base. Your interaction with other agents will build your reputation as a professional who is on top of their game and an agent who people want to work with over and over again. Building a solid reputation for responding quickly with the right answers and politely will also encourage vendors to want to work with you as well as recommend you to those they know. It is also critical to understand that you must treat everyone with respect – whether they give it to you or not. This is not always easily done. You must practice patience, pause and then reply in a relaxed, calm demeanor. Escalation and retaliation won’t get you results you are looking to obtain. Speaking of results in regards to people, you need t o communicate expectations to your team regularly, ensure they are utilizing their strengths and show your appreciation for them to help you achieve explosive growth. People are essential to your success! Be kind, caring and sincere with them and your business will prosper.

We will touch on your insight into the business. In addition to training – the best ways to gain insight into the market is to preview properties. You are able to view inventory first hand, track the progress of each property’s sales cycle, recognize values as well as determine where property values are headed. You will have recall of these properties to share with clients or potential clients and show you are an expert in the market on pricing. You should also schedule meetings with industry professionals to hear what their thoughts on the market are and where they believe the market is heading to you help formulate your opinion so you can speak with confidence to others you meet. Visit new home sites, speak with the agents and ask about traffic, sales, buyer’s philosophies, and agent’s comments who they have stopping by their locations. It is a different perspective but very valuable. See properties, meet with others and explode your business.
Strive to be the best you can, be better every day, give it your all in each situation and you will get what you expect more often than not. You have to hate to lose and have the desire to win – improve and excel in every situation. Learn from your mistakes – we all make them – those who succeed in life and business learn from what they experience and don’t allow it to happen again. Set high standards for yourself and adjust the bar higher – regularly. Think win-win for everyone and watch your bottom line grow. In conjunction with this attitude, stay persistent. As Jim Valvano said, “Don’t give up, don’t ever, ever give up”. Be a competitor and be in the game – don’t sit on the sidelines and wait for it to happen.

These steps are similar to building a house – they are the foundation. A solid foundation = a solid house. Solid business practices = a consistent business, explosive growth and an expanding bottom line. Do you have it in you? Develop your vision of where you want your business to be and start to experience explosive growth. Get it? Got it? Good!