In an industry that is filled with fierce competition, success is not just about being “the best.” With millions of agents across the nation fighting for a top spot, it’s the agents who compete against themselves that truly win.
I’m a huge fan of the Olympics, and I particularly love watching the interviews with athletes. One I watched during the 2022 Winter Olympics was with Nathan Chen, who won the gold medal in men’s single figure skating. Only 22 years old, he said something that was so profoundly wise, and I really wanted to share it with all of you.
He said, “You have no control over the judges’ score. All you can do is do your best.” It’s a powerful truth. An athlete does the best they can, and the score is the score. Sometimes their effort isn’t 100% reflected in the score, because it’s based on opinions, and opinions are not in their control.
This got me thinking about how this concept can apply to real estate. Multiple offers, crazy bidding wars and market shifts all make for challenges that aren’t always in our control. When an Olympian gets a poor score, they train harder and practice more.
As real estate professionals, that’s your job as well. To fine-tune your skills and keep practicing so that you have the ability to manage whatever comes your way.
You are your own competition
It’s easy to compare yourself to other agents who seem to find success with ease. You, however, don’t know what goes into their daily routine, and honestly, it doesn’t matter. Your competition is the person in the mirror.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Are you practicing enough?
- Are you playing full out?
- Are you investing in the training and tools that will allow you to take yourself to the next level?
- Are you getting out of comfort levels that are confining?
- Are you getting the coaching you need?
Bronte Barrett—who competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics—said, “It’s not about winning at the Olympic Games. It’s about trying to win. The motto is ‘faster, higher, stronger,’ not ‘fastest, highest, strongest.'”
Lean in to be the best you can be—a little faster, higher and stronger than you were yesterday, and realize that in life, there never comes a point where the learning ends.
That’s the mark of a professional and the heart of what makes a good competitor–leaning in and learning, especially when things are out of your control.
If you’re in the game, and playing to win, know that we’re here to help.
Darryl Davis has trained and coached more than 100,000 agents globally. He is a best-selling author of “How to Become a Power Agent® in Real Estate,” which tops Amazon’s charts for most-sold book to real estate agents. Davis hosts a weekly webinar to help agents succeed in changing times. Visit www.DarrylSpeaks.com/Online-Training.
