The “D” Word

By Carla Thompson

 

Recently I asked a room of about 40 real estate agents if they felt they were DISCIPLINED people. Guess how many raised their hands? You know it.

 

Two people.

 

This is the common response that I see. Why?

 

Most of us know by now the cliché of “life is always changing.” And in real estate, the concept of “time is of the essence” definitely puts pressure on realtors to adjust daily to the inventory of the market and the needs of their clients. We are in a career where flexibility, adaptability and spontaneity are all critical elements to success.

 

Heck, it’s what makes our jobs exciting daily! Many real estate agents LOVE the variety.

 

And yet . . . there are many elements to growth that require us to focus daily on consistent behaviors, systems and processes. Therein lies the need for discipline. Yikes!

 

As David Campbell, founder of Saks Fifth Avenue, said,

 

“Discipline is remembering what you want.”

 

So how do you enjoy the constant changes that occur every day and yet follow a disciplined approach to business growth?

 

This is the power of coaching.

 

I have many examples of agents who have catapulted forward. For example, an agent we coach is a single mom who has grown from 20 million in sales to 100 million in sales in under two years. How did she do it?

 

In the whirlwind of business, once a week she concentrates on our coaching call where we discuss and focus on what she wants to achieve next in relation to her overall goals. While this seems simple, without the weekly focus, it would be unlikely that she would remember to do the next step in the process of growth. Why? Because the demands of a growing business easily can pull your attention away from the decisions, actions and/or pivots needed to scale well.

 

When real estate agents say they need more discipline, what they are really saying is that they need a structure within which to operate that can help them progress. The structure of the Agent+ Coaching Formula is the path for disciplined success! We guide agents to remember what they want.