The 'Choice Point': Leveraging the Power of a Team

While rolling out a new team training solution for a national brand, we recently encountered several broker/owners who asked the same question: If this is a team training solution, what do we do for those agents who aren’t part of a team?

After pondering and answering the question above, and to add clarity in my mind about the difference between an agent and a team, let’s begin by discussing the agent:

Does the agent work with buyers?
Does the agent work with sellers?
Does the agent have to process transactions and orchestrate closings on behalf of their client?

The answer to all of these questions is, of course, yes.

And while teams do these very same things, the only difference lies in who performs each task.

I know many successful agents who have made amazing lives for themselves and their families while serving their clients well. As the transaction gets more and more complicated—and new business models continue to put downward pressure on the income available to agents—more and more agents are looking for leverage in their life and their business.

This creates what I like to call a “choice point,” or the moment when an agent begins to realize that they’re working more hours, spending more time away from their families or friends and losing opportunities because they don’t have the time or the energy to take on more business.

If you’re this agent—or you recognize agents in your firm that are running at 60 miles an hour in first gear—know that these agents are what we consider “at-risk.” Eventually, something will give. Agents who fall into this category typically have high levels of burnout. Additionally, their home lives often become inundated with stress, and they stop doing the things they love.

Whether this sounds like you or a colleague, I’m here to tell you that there’s an answer: leverage.

Leverage comes in a variety of forms, and is simpler than it seems. First, we must leverage technology, tools and systems to automate more of our processes. For example, use a transaction management system that tracks every detail of a contract in order to keep yourself in check so that you don’t drop the ball.

From there, you’ll want to incorporate leverage in the form of other humans. Today’s consumer expects to work with experts in more situations than not. And when real estate is done correctly, experts are available in each area of the transaction. For example, buyer’s agents that close 24-60 transactions a year have a competitive edge over those that are closing less transactions. The same goes for listing agents who primarily focus on prospecting, obtaining listings and negotiating contracts. Both buyer’s agents and listing agents hand off transactions to a client care coordinator who takes the process from contract to close.

Creating leverage is only hard if you believe you’re the only person in the world who can deliver great service to your client. Great people trained with great systems can create amazing leverage in your business and allow you to grow, service your clients at a higher level, and live an amazing life.

Verl Workman is the founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems (385-282-7112), an international speaking, consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and building successful power agents and teams. Contact him at Verl@WorkmanSuccessSystems.com. For more information, please visit www.workmansuccesssystems.com.