This article by our Founder and CEO, Chris Pollinger as published by Inman News shares insights on the single most important factor in success: Grit.
Grit – The One Secret to Success
The pros in this business don’t make excuses. They don’t have an escape clause; they don’t have another fall back career. The leaders in the field aren’t trying real estate. They have grit, and follow Nike’s slogan. “Just Do It.”
Grit is the single most important secret to success.
My friend Wayne
I’d like to share Wayne’s story with you. I will start out by saying that this story is not allegorical. Wayne is not only a client of mine, but a friend.
Within weeks of Wayne getting his real estate license, his wife moved out, took their daughter and re-located 400 miles away. His home burned to the ground and his car got stolen. Although this seems like a build up to a joke with a great punchline, it’s not. I’m completely serious. Most would have given up and crawled into a hole and sunk into a deep depression. 99% of the population would have seen that as a sign from the heavens to give up. He didn’t.
Hearing the news, his Broker allowed him to crash on his couch until he could find a new place to stay. Wayne asked for some life advice. His Broker gave him an old set of door knocking scripts and pointed to the door. Wayne asked how he would get to the neighborhoods. His Broker lent him an old bicycle and smiled.
Lessons in Grit
Each day he rode that bike to a neighborhood close by where he would chain the bike to a stop sign. Without any other options, he would start door knocking looking for business. He learned from his mistakes with every conversation. Door after door, day after day, Wayne would knock.
He didn’t necessarily like it, nor was he especially good at it in the beginning. But he was determined and had grit. He also didn’t have another viable choice. He had to make it. Within a few days he started to lose weight, pick up business and gain confidence.
In working with a small army of mega-producing teams and agents over the years, I have found that no one person is good at everything. Each successful person has developed a mastery of one, possibly two, prospecting methods. Wayne’s is door knocking. He now works in one of the highest cost zip codes in the nation. Surrounded my multi-million dollar estates he still will hit the streets when business slows down.
He has earned the ability to rest on his sphere of influence, marketing, repeat and referral business, but he looks at his door knocking as a volume knob. When business is good, he can cut back. When business or the market drops, he can turn it up. He can tell you how many doors he has to knock to get a closing. Wayne can do it in his sleep. He is truly the best door-knocker I have ever seen.
Grit – What all of this means for you
Maybe your thing isn’t door knocking – that’s ok. It doesn’t need to be. For most of us, it isn’t. There are a number of methods of prospecting that work. In fact, we have found it is the most efficient and effective way to prospect around your personality style. Feel free to shoot me a message if you want a quick and easy way to find your, or your individual team member’s style. I’ll be happy to share the test and which methods of prospecting best fit each personality.
What is important is you (and each of the agents on your team) is the need to have something to fall back on to generate new business. Something you can dial up or down depending on your business activity; something that you can use as a regulator or volume knob. I would encourage you to pursue something that fits your personality and get good at it – no, get great at it. Then, remember each of those on your team are not you. They will have different lanes. Help them find theirs and cheer them on.
This year the strong will not only survive but thrive. The pros do what it takes – that’s why they control 90% of the market activity. They don’t have an escape clause; there isn’t another choice of career. The leaders aren’t trying real estate. They have grit and just do.
Do you want to take your organization to the next level? Contact us for a free consultation.
A Parting Thought
We hope that the information provided is helpful in guiding you on your journey to building a thriving real estate business.
As luxury real estate consultants, coaches and advisors for Proptech, Fintech, Brands, Brokerages, Teams and Elite agents, we are confident that our resources, insights and strategies can help you achieve your goals.
Remember, success in the luxury real estate industry starts with knowledge and strategy, and we are here to provide you with both.
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- Real Estate Insights from our luxury real estate consultants to help you out position your competitors
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- Luxury AI for Real Estate Agents we have specifically trained to make your life easier
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For additional and real time insights, updates and news from our Founding and Managing Partner, Chris Pollinger, you can follow him on LinkedIn – Twitter – Facebook – Instagram
