Monday, January 17, 2011

How to Increase Your Resilience



We all want to be successful and even though we try our best with what’s available, sometimes the unforeseen circumstances we’re faced with get even the best of us.  When it comes to the real estate market – now, more than ever, agents are grappling with a difficult situation that is inching toward improvement.  But if you have the right attitude, it can mean the difference between being average versus being on top.  We’ve put together a few ideas on how to position yourself as a winner while knowing the whole time that you will succeed.

It’s All Inside

What you think on the inside is directly relayed on the outside, whether you realize it or not.  As a professional in an industry that demands much public interaction, it is essential that you carry the right attitude since it’s a direct transmission of your inner thoughts and perspective.  If you think you will fail or not do as well as you would like, you’re not the only one who will be able to see that doubt.  By keeping a positive mindset, you will avoid any insecurities from becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Overcoming Challenges

As they say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” and the real estate market is no exception.  To make up for all the hesitation, uncertainty and changing economic times – it is vital for you, as the agent for many people trying to get by during this time, to adjust.  If that means you need to do things differently than how they were done during more successful times, then do it.

Think Outside the Box

If the issues and concerns you are facing are ones you have not yet experienced, then step up to the plate and prepare to study what the best options are to overcome them.  Doing things the way they had always been done is not a strategy that proves to be successful during times like these when the market is down for a considerable time.  The change comes when you look for solutions, wherever and however they may be, and accept that you will need to be flexible and willing to act outside of the norm.  Learning to think outside the box is a tool that will be useful throughout your real estate career, regardless of how the market is performing.

Broaden Your Perspective

One of the best ways to improve anything – whether it is your business, relationships with clients or how you implement your strategies – is to gain an outsider’s perspective.  Not only will the opinions and viewpoint of another person be valuable, they will help you to see things that you may not be able to realize.  By broadening your scope in this way, you are ultimately broadening your own perspective – something that, in the real estate business, translates to “new and improved” best business practices.  Better business practices, of course, means better business.

Making it Happen

Once you have taken the time to change your mindset, adjust to the current situation, you’ve looked at all the possibilities and are ready to implement the valuable ideas and thoughts of your mentors, it’s time to take action!  You can do a world of planning and gain as much insight as possible but it won’t mean a thing if you do not implement the things that will make a change in your overall outlook.  To increase your resilience at a time when nearly everyone is weak at the seams, you must follow through with the tactics and strategies that you’ve outlined.

When you hear of those success stories where real estate agents have earned more gross commissions during an off season than before when things were in full swing – you know that it has to be something unique that they’re doing that sets them apart from the rest.  Truth be told, all it takes is a little change in direction; a solid plan with some sure-fire strategies, an open mind and a winning outlook – then you will succeed.