If you’re new to the real estate industry, no matter your role, it’s completely normal to find yourself thinking, “What is going on?!” in those first few weeks.
This beast of a sector has got a tendency of chewing up new talent and spitting it back out.
Not just because of the public-facing nature of it but also the general pace and demands can cause burnout pretty quickly if you don’t get yourself into gear right away.
However, there are very few jobs that offer the potential long-term rewards that real estate can provide, which is possibly why you jumped into it in the first place!
So, before you start running for the hills, let’s chat about a few things that can help you to get through the initial period of panic and/or despair, because the reasons why you joined the industry haven’t gone anywhere, they’ve just been covered up by some natural insecurity brought about by doing something new.
The ONLY stupid question…is the one you DON’T ask!
It’s really easy (and don’t worry, everyone has bloody done it!) to shy away from asking a question through fear of being judged as inadequate between the ears, especially when someone is talking about something with a confidence that suggests everyone should already know it.
Newsflash: Everyone has had to learn this stuff at some point, even the agents in our game that act like they’re made out of Teflon!
Everyone has been stuck, at some stage, with something.
And in both sales, property management and administration, there are so many little bits of information that will take time to accumulate.
Rest assured – you’re going to look so much more silly if you’ve been talking to someone pretending to know what they’re talking about, and then get found out later for not having a clue.
So if you’re not 100 per cent about something, ask the question!
After all, the more questions you ask, the quicker you’ll build a knowledge base and the more confident you’ll become.
Reduce the cost of mistakes by practising internally
People hate role plays, but this will hit you between the eyes.
Getting a presentation wrong will likely cost you five figures of commission per presentation…unless you get it wrong in front of a colleague first.
Getting a conversation wrong with a disgruntled tenant could cause hours of headaches, work, stress and cost management…unless you get it wrong in front of a colleague first.
You could well cost the business thousands of dollars by mishandling an enquiry at reception…yep, unless you get it wrong in front of a colleague first.
If you practise your customer interactions (whatever they may be) with a superior or colleague first, you’ll gain a degree of familiarity that will only come through repetition.
You can’t predict the exact customer reaction at the other end of the conversation, but what you can control is your awareness of the conversation flow on your side of the equation, which will improve your confidence in your role.
Set very clear growth expectations (in consultation with your leader)
You’re going to be tested mentally, emotionally, and physically at times, so you will need to know why you’re doing all of this in the first place and the rate at which you’re moving towards your ‘why’.
But having goals isn’t enough anymore because of how damn impatient we’ve all become.
So, once you’ve set goals, work with your leader to set incremental targets, with associated timeframes, so that you can track your progress.
At a minimum, run your targets for your first year by your leader, so that they can check to make sure you haven’t crossed the line between ambition and delusion!
Jumping from agency to agency… not a good idea!
You might that a particular workplace isn’t the right culture fit for you, but if your concerns are more to do with how well you’re doing, as opposed to how much you hate everyone, then blaming everyone and everything else is only going to hinder your progress.
You really need to commit for a while (six months, I’d suggest), to at least find out if the office is the right one for you.
In sales especially, it isn’t going to start paying you any commissions until you’ve shown your community that you’re here for a long time (not just a good time), and so flitting from agency to agency has the potential to really slow you down.
If you’re unhappy then make a change, but do yourself a favour and be honest about the effort you’ve tipped in before you go throwing the opportunity away.
Loyalty pays, with your clients, your colleagues, your leaders and your community, so it’s worth investing in.
A.B.C – Always Be Curious
Don’t be afraid to try different ideas.
In your first year, you’ll hear plenty of “this is how it has always been done”, and sometimes that is because it is the best way to do it.
However, never discount the fact that you’ve been on the planet for at least 18 years or so, on a path that has only been trodden by you, so if you think you can see a better way of doing something then suggest it to colleagues and leadership and see if you can contribute towards the betterment of the business and those around you.
When things get hard, it’s easy to head in a different direction, but the easy choice very rarely leads to any satisfaction beyond a temporary rush of endorphins.
You know that, so don’t fall for it this time.
And besides, if it was easy, it’d be boring anyway!
