By Cliff Baird, MBA, PhD
RISMEDIA, Nov. 25, 2008-After graduation I became a professor of business at a Canadian University. I thought I could give up my addiction to the real estate industry. Thankfully I was rescued and lured back when my thesis, titled, “Predicting the Performance of Real Estate Sales Agents,” became a mandatory pre-license personality test in Ontario, Canada. At that time we thought we could stem the tide of the massive number of people who would eventually become unsuccessful. That attempt proved to be massively unsuccessful.
The quest to uncover who we are and who we can become has an insatiable appetite. We are fascinated by it. Over the ensuing decades I have broadened my research with a plethora of anecdotal and experiential observations. I created my own 32-office real estate franchise in Canada called Neighbourhood Realty Group and got a full dose of real life, feet-on-the-ground experience. My most recent profile, RealSTAR, concentrates on the classic temperament types for which there is an abundance of historical research and draws on my own years of watching and learning filled with much trial and error.
When I began the journey of creating this, my third, real estate profile, I was provoked into it by watching the amazing response eharmony.com was receiving and continues to receive as a result of their promotion of their free Personality Profile. They focused on the same questions: “Who am I? Who can I become?” The quest truly never ends and has no bounds.
When www.eHarmony.com was having such phenomenal success in a very competitive marketplace (22 million members and climbing to date) I intuitively knew if I could create a similar “portal of entry” system for recruiting then brokers/managers would likewise succeed.
In the course of the development of RealSTAR (Real Estate Sales Temperament Aptitude Report) I was able to apply the historical temperament data to my 35 years of real estate experience. I field tested the profile with several thousand agents and used that research to create the final product. Along the way I uncovered an amazing amount of intriguing material.
Since I know that this search for self-awareness in unending I thought that you could be interested in a few broad brush thoughts. I also re-affirmed a concept which I have believed for some time that most people have a pretty good idea who they are. Their confusion is in “who can I become?”
By the way, I have come to believe that almost everyone has the potential for greatness in real estate if they become aware of their natural strengths and natural weaknesses as they would apply to the process of real estate sales.
So here is a small picture of what you look like in certain situations. Select which of the eight temperament types describes you best. As you read them be as objective as possible and maybe, just maybe, you will find something that will enhance your career in real estate.
These temperaments are dichotomous pairs.
For example, you are either 1) Social or 2) Reserved. Likewise you are either: 3 or 4, 5 or 6 and 7 or 8. Choose from these pairs and you will discover the four basic temperaments that describe you in the following situations, at least from your perspective.
Your Tendency Under Stress
Social: Talks too much, too optimistic, very defensive
Reserved: Very negative, irritable, complaining
Factual: Rigid, very cautious, stern
Imaginative: Egotistical, degrading, caustic
Objective: Indifferent, cold, impassive
Emotional: Overly expressive, animated, critical
Decisive: Belligerent, confrontational, offensive
Laissez-Faire: Withdrawn, undisturbed, distracted
Your Ideal Work Environment
Social: Highly interactive, few details
Reserved: Privacy, controlled interaction
Factual: Cognitive demands, lots of reasoning
Imaginative: Lack of controls, high energy
Objective: Very little conflict, consistency
Emotional: Team spirit, very interactive
Decisive: Challenging, competitive
Laissez-Faire: No controls, little accountability
Your Potential Limitations
Social: Too trusting, gullible, careless
Reserved: Very insecure, timid, invisible
Factual: Lacks emotion, distant, protective
Imaginative: Defensive, critical, untactful
Objective: Avoidance behavior, resists change
Emotional: Too verbal, unrealistic goals, poor listener
Decisive: Abusive control, grandiose expectations, handles too much
Laissez-Faire: Abandons responsibility, low expectations, hide
Your Primary Emotional Response
Social: Exuberance
Reserved: Apprehension
Factual: Insecurity
Imaginative: Inspirational
Objective: Impassive
Emotional: Gratefulness
Decisive: Aggression
Laissez-Faire: Patience
If you would like a complimentary profile, visit www.realstarrecruits.com and click on the Sample Profile.
Cliff Baird, MBA, PhD, is a business therapist and real estate sales management coach, helping agents and managers for over 25 years. He recently introduced ReSTAR (Real Estate Sales Temperament and Aptitude Report) a customized, online recruiting program for brokers and managers.
