To succeed in real estate, embrace a positive mindset

Do you portray a positive mindset to every single person you meet?

When you work in real estate, every adult you meet is a potential client.

Even if they aren't looking to buy or sell right now, they may be able to refer you to someone who is.

With that in mind, if you want to grow (or maintain) your business and become a magnet for referrals, it's important that all your interactions with members of the public are positive.

When times get tough, positivity stands out...

The first trend I noticed when the real estate market changed following the global financial crisis (in 2008), was the depressing outlook embodied by many experienced agents. Turnover fell drastically. As a result, their incomes halved or disappeared and you could see it on their faces. They were disheartened. They talked negatively about the market to their clients. They were depressing to be around.

While most of you aren't seeing falling prices right now, turnover is waaaay down. Fewer houses to sell means lower incomes for most salespeople. Many of whom will be expressing their frustration, purposefully or not, in their day to day interactions with clients.

Buyers and sellers don't want to hear about how tough things are for you, though. They want strategies and answers and positivity.

Perhaps more importantly, members of the public don't want to refer their friends or family to someone with a negative outlook.

If you aren't enjoying the occupation of selling houses right now, why would they want to give you another house to sell?

Those potential referrers don't understand that having a listing would solve all your problems. They just see someone complaining about how tough things are.

What do potential sellers want?

Solutions. They want to know: What is the best way to sell, how to add value, whether to replace the carpet etc.

If you can't solve your own problem of finding more listings and are openly expressing your frustration on this, then how are you going to solve their biggest problem:

Seller problem Numero Uno: Finding the buyer(s) who will pay the most money for their home.

This positive mindset must extend to all parts of your life.

One of the wonderful aspects of real estate is that every single person in your life could potentially refer you a listing opportunity.

At the same time, no-one wants to refer a listing to a salesperson that is down about the market. So please don't talk negatively about the market (or your lack of listings) to any member of the public. Not even your boyfriend's mum. Just don't do it.

The market is what it is. You can't change that. There is no point being all doom and gloom about it. We just have to get on with helping people buy and sell.

Obviously, you don't want to B.S people, so the best approach to take when someone asks you what the market is like, is to say: "UNBELIEVABLE!" in a very positive tone.

It could be unbelievably good or it could be unbelievably challenging. Either way, it doesn't matter, as long as you are positive and have a solution-focused approach.

Remember...

A changing market is the BEST time to grow your business.

While other agents are down in the dumps, complaining about a lack of listings, you can be out there solving your owner's problems, building your market share.

There are always people that have to move. Families grow, people pass away, marriages break-up, people change jobs and move cities.

Are you going to be the one that helps them, or not?

Further reading...

And because it's Friday, here's a tune to get you dancing round the office: