For real estate agents just starting out, being part of a team can be a great way to launch and grow a new business. For experienced agents, putting together a team can add leverage and energy to an existing real estate business. For couples, friends or close colleagues, working together on a team can offer the opportunity to bring the strengths of each partner to bear on every transaction. So, what do you do when your team is struggling to work together?
Your ‘Better Teamwork’ Action Plan
Maybe your real estate team is suffering from internal conflict, frustrations from a slow market or unanticipated growing pains. Whatever the case, getting a handle on your issues and making a plan to get back on track involves honesty, communication and actionable strategies.
1. Get Real
For many people, the hardest part of handling problems is admitting that there’s a problem in the first place. All that simmering tension isn’t just going to go away. You have to address it and get everyone on board with working toward a solution.
Action: Put together a workshop or retreat to give everyone a chance to fully address the issues and put together a plan for improvement.
2. Speak Your Truth
Conflict doesn’t magically go away if everyone isn’t making their opinions heard. You have to be willing to be honest with each other about things that are problematic or upsetting. This may mean some uncomfortable conversations with people you love and value, but in this case, honesty really is the best policy.
Action: Emphasize the value of honest communication and keep the end result in mind.
3. Understand the Source of Conflict
Sometimes, personal conflict spills over into the workplace. It may be that the tension you’re feeling isn’t work-related, but personal. In that case, those relationships need to be mended to benefit the entire team.
Action: Have an honest conversation with the people involved and offer support as they work out their differences.
4. Revisit Your Roots
Over time, you may find that you’ve forgotten the things that worked well when you were just starting out. Maybe you’ve begun to micro-manage or, alternatively, you’ve checked out and stopped taking an active role. Maybe your team used to socialize together, but that has fallen by the wayside.
Action: Think back to the beginning when things were working well and see what has changed.
5. Take Steps and Check In
All this communication means little if you’re not taking actionable steps to improve the situation. Once you understand the problems, come up with a plan to address them. Maybe the solution involves a more equitable distribution of duties. Maybe it involves more facetime and better communication. Maybe you just need to bring in some support to take some of the operational burdens off your team members.
Action: Put your plan into action and check back often to ensure that the steps you’ve identified are still being implemented.
A real estate team is built on relationships and needs to be nurtured like one. Show how much you care about your team by taking the time to address issues as they arise, be part of the solution and keep everyone operating at peak performance.
Yazir Phelps is the chief marketing officer at Real Estate Express, a national leader in online learning for pre-licensing, continuing education and professional development. Phelps has over 18 years of experience in marketing, fueling growth at Fortune 500 organizations, and over five years of experience working directly with real estate professionals. Her extensive background in generating demand for products and services encompasses crucial strategies for a successful career in the field. To learn more, visit www.colibrirealestate.com.
