Brokers and Managers are spread pretty thin. Many continue to remain top
producers long after taking management positions. But there can always be room
for improvement in the way they manage their time, resources and personnel.
The following are the top ten ways you as a broker/manager and your agents
can get ahead in a real estate organization and achieve personal competitive
advantages!
There is never enough time, money and labor available for information
research. You must learn to quickly separate the wheat from the chaff at the
least cost. Understand what you can and cannot do with statistics. Keep handy
information and statistics that deliver continuing value.
You must be close to the client. Forming a strong positive relationship with
your clients is your best form of advertising. You need to know what they are
thinking before they think it. You must change and adapt to their needs before
the market requires you to change. If you don't, somebody else will service
their needs.
You must seek to make yourself, your products or services and your organization
as innovative as possible. Get rid of obsolete ideas before your competition
does it for you.
You need to learn how to get things done with teams for and on behalf of other
people. Practice the simple art of service. If you are not getting what you
want, it's because you're not helping enough other people get what they need.
If your group operates as a team, everyone will learn more from each other and
practice real estate at a higher standard, knowing that the eyes of the
organization are on them.
Be prepared to be goal directed or to work for somebody who is goal directed!
Become self-directed. Have a plan of success for each day, and always exceed
expectations.
Learn, learn, learn. Don't just quit with mandatory continuing education
classes, learning only what you think you need to know. Learn what others are
talking about, exploring or implementing. Learn fast - not necessarily the
most.
Understand quality. Know that quality is always defined by the client's
opinion of your services. Devise methods for feedback to create an interactive
dialogue with your client. Quality depends on information.
Try to minimize mistakes. If you know that you lose too many new agents, work
to correct the mistakes in the system that contribute to failure. Is it in the
interviewing process? Always have a recovery strategy in place, and be willing
to look at your own shortcomings for a possible answer.
Embrace technology! Did you know that only 10% of real estate managers have
E-mail? Compared with almost 30% of the general population? Buyers and sellers
are communicating via e-mail- why aren't you? But, remember that people are
your only true competitive advantage.
As a leader, be trustworthy, seek trust, enable first - then empower, align
systems and always create generative environments where people can succeed and
have lives. Remember, what gets rewarded gets done!
Published: January 5, 1999
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Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Steve Paris only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.
