One of the most fulfilling times of my life was when I was a scoutmaster. I loved getting to help groups of young men overcome challenges and develop confidence in their abilities. Of all our activities, my favorite was the annual 50-mile backpacking trip. Over the course of a week, we’d traverse the beautiful Rocky Mountain backcountry, pushing ourselves to our physical and mental limits as we accomplished one of the hardest things we’d ever done.
While part of the reason for making such a difficult trek was to access destinations most people never see, over the years, I learned that the journey to get there was just as valuable as its end. The breakthroughs my scouts made as they trained for the trip and their moments of tranquility or wonder on the trail were worth as much to them (and me) as reaching the lake or mountain peak we’d set out to see.
In a way, buying or selling a home is like completing a 50-mile hike. It will likely be the most significant transaction our clients ever take part in, and it will have far-reaching benefits for their families. Our responsibility as agents is to shepherd them through that process—obviously working toward successfully completing the transaction, but also providing value at every step along the way.
It’s easy for us to focus primarily on the end goal of closing. After all, we don’t get paid until a transaction is complete. But, by only looking toward the closing, too many agents miss the real value around them. I saw this often with my scouts. Some would only think about reaching the end, which resulted in a week of frustrating, unenjoyable camping. These “are-we-there-yetters” never discovered the true worth of the journey they were on, and were far less likely to have a positive experience.
The same is true for you if the only value you bring as an agent is that you’re a “closer.” When you overlook the many opportunities to connect with and serve your clients along the way, they are far less likely to have a positive experience—even if the transaction terms are satisfactory. Your clients aren’t going to remember much about your negotiating prowess, but they will remember how helpful you were during the inspection or how insightful you were about home features.
As you lay out your value proposition, consider how you can add value to the home-buying and -selling journey by serving regardless of the sales opportunity that may (or may not) arise as a result. As you find ways to continually serve your clients, your value as an agent will only go up—and that’s a journey that never has to end.
Verl Workman is the founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems, a real estate consulting company that specializes in performance coaching and building highly effective teams. Get free access to some of the very same tools and resources he has used to create success in his clients’ businesses.
