I recently visited a real estate office for a business analysis. I walked in and said hello to the receptionist, who told me that the manager would be with me in a few minutes.
I noticed four people talking in the resource room. By their conversation, they seemed to be real estate agents. One was doing floor duty and the others were - well, I'm not exactly sure what the others were doing.
The manager came out of his office and introduced himself. I went with him back inside. For an hour-and-a-half, we sat there as we discussed his particular problems and potential solutions.
When I came out, lo and behold - the same four agents were still hanging out in the resource room. Just talking. So, I turn to the manager and ask about them.
"Funny you should mention them," he said. "They are my lowest-producing agents."
Not a surprise at all.
I see this behavior in real estate offices all over. There are usually a handful of these geniuses at each office. These people are genius at wasting time, genius at allowing distractions to take them away from work, and genius at socializing.
Are you one of them? I certainly hope not. Maybe you see them yourself. Maybe they try to draw you into their world. It's easy to lose part of your day to these time-wasters - because they're so easy to talk to. If only they used this talent in the field with clients, then they wouldn't be the lowest producers.
It all comes back to what we were taught by our parents when they told us to be careful when we choose our friends. Who we hang around with, in large part, determines who we will become. Birds of a feather flock together.
Who you choose as your friends will determine your success. The world of real estate is no exception to our parents' warnings. I tell you this as a warning. If you want to make money, you need to be careful about who you spend your time with.
One of the most addictive human behaviors is the willingness to whine about how bad things are. Time-wasters love to do this. They chat for hours about how tough everything is. They talk about how it's impossible to do this or to do that.
The more they talk this way, the more success really does become impossible for them. They're creating their own self-fulfilling prophecies.
Talk to a top producer, though, and you're hard-pressed to find anything impossible. Top producers are relentlessly optimistic, searching for the positive in everything they do.
These are the kind of people you need to surround yourself with - people who are "on fire" with energy and enthusiasm. People who get up early with a passion to get what they want. People who find a way to get things done, no matter what.
A great way to start surrounding yourself with the right people is to find a mentor. All you need to do is look for a top producer and ask them how they do what they do. Trust me, top producers don't keep their success a secret. One of the joys of being a successful person is helping others to become successful. (That's how I got started doing what I do.)
A while ago, I conducted an interesting survey. I called over forty of the top-producing agents in my market. All I did was say, "I am calling the best agents around to simply ask you one question: What is the secret to your success?"
You can do this too. You will make a boatload of new friends by doing so. One thing I can guarantee you is that when they answer the question, you will learn a lot.
When I made my calls, I found an agent who credited her work ethic - getting up early and putting in the field hours. Another talked about his dedication to one particular niche in his market. Another talked about a consistent follow-up campaign that rakes in clients.
One common factor among all the top producers I interviewed was the fact that each one knew exactly why they were so successful. It may not have been the same reason in every case, but each clearly knew what it was that helped them reach such a high level of success.
If you want to be successful in real estate, look at who you're hanging around with. Who is stealing your valuable time away with idle chit-chat? Who tempts you down the path of whining and complaining? Who is content to be a low-producing agent?
Run - don't walk - away from these people. Choose your associates wisely. Be around people who produce more than you. Learn from them and watch your real estate income soar.