Agents: We're Not as Good as We Think We Are

As real estate professionals, we’d love to believe that we can do it all. But the truth of the matter is, our personality profiles (what makes us tick) will define what we can realistically do naturally.

In looking at the DISC personality assessment, us entrepreneurs typically have the Big D (dominance) in us. Not only are we driven, big thinkers and fast movers, but we also have plans and systems. However, these plans and systems are usually locked up in our heads where nobody can access them, and yet, we think everybody knows them. The truth of the matter is that we’re not as great as we think we are and giving up some control to systems and assistants will rock our worlds and those of the people around us.

Here are four specific systems and areas that will aid you in having more time, making more money, and serving more people with a joyful heart.

A Plan – It’s been said that failing to plan is planning to fail. Would you purposefully plan to fail in your business? Of course not. Sit down and figure out your year-end goals, then work it backwards to determine what you need to do quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily and hourly. Keep these plans in front of you and your team so that they can be reviewed and updated weekly.

CRM/Database – The days of keeping track of leads and clients in notebooks and on the backs of receipts are gone. You and/or your assistant need a contact management system that’s accessible through multiple platforms. When choosing a system, consider the following questions: Do you want to have the ability to drip email campaigns from it? Do you want to have different lead sources populate directly into it? Do you want to have a calendar and reminder system built into the platform? No matter what system you choose, make sure your team is on board and that everyone implements it.

Transaction Management – Managing a few files a month can possibly be done in your head, but the fact of the matter is that you may have forgotten a few steps along the way and been able to work your magic to pull it all together without anybody knowing. If this sounds familiar, hire a transaction coordinator—or, better yet, hire a transaction coordinator and get a transaction management system. A simple system should keep you on track and remind you of activities that should be done by specified times within the transaction. While there are a number of transaction management systems out there, look for one that works inside your CRM.

Know Your Numbers – I’ve been in this business for 26 years and only began looking at my numbers three years ago when I decided to hire a coach. This was a game changer as it pointed out the inefficiencies within my business and the amount of money I was throwing away. With a variety of systems to choose from, pick or create something that tracks how many calls are made and the number of conversations had, appointments set and kept, listings taken, closed units, conversion ratios, gross commissions and your return on investment (ROI).

Look at your business and your systems and get help where needed by hiring where your talents are limited, buying or building the system to help, or both. No matter what anybody tells you, the best system is always the one that works for you.

A real estate professional with Keller Williams Classic Realty, Jackie Egan’s successes in real estate have spanned over 26 years in the industry from running her own team, as a company owner, instructor, coach, speaker, and systems enthusiast. A Workman Success Systems Team Coach, she specializes in creating, executing and sharing systems to leverage agents in their business and personal lives. Contact her at Jackie@BUYandSELLaHOMEteam.com. For more information, please visit www.workmansuccesssystems.com.