Run Your Own Race
As a real estate educator, I am often confronted by students that are completing their prelicense course. These students inquire about various real estate companies and especially the companies that are national franchises. They are inquisitive about the various payment plans, monthly desk fees, and if the company provides training. Naturally I am more than willing to share my knowledge with them and even advise them if they ask.
After giving them a short dissertation about the agencies in their area, I quickly suggest that most companies are all good agencies. That is they all have good people working there and they have good intentions of providing professional services and growing their business to a high level of success. In most cases when I am pushed to suggest one company over another, I explain that the company they choose is a matter of choice. It’s important for a new agent to understand that almost all agencies are good; some are just more professional than others.
I don’t mean to be copping out on giving these students a straight answer. I work with many different brokerages and almost all of the national franchises so I have must remain somewhat mutual and not show partiality one over another. If I am asked, however, I will tell the student if a brokerage has a less than desirable reputation, or if they practice in a manner that could be damaging to the student’s future.
I am of the opinion that the brokerage only provides me a place for my clients to meet with me. If my personal success in this industry was dependent upon a company providing me all the tools I needed as well as plenty prospective clients to work with, I might put more emphasis on the company. However, I am totally convinced that my sales career is what I make out of it. A real estate sales career is a business. Agents are independent contractors. We work for ourselves; we make all the decisions that affect our business, and we either reap the pleasures that come from it or we cry over our misfortunes and blame others for our failure. Whichever the case may be, I make every decision about everything I do and therefore I must accept the responsibility for all my actions. I must be accountable to myself.
Many students will tell me about the interviews they have been on and the promises they were made if they would come work with them and it causes a cold shiver to hover over my body. When I was first getting started in real estate and many times since, I have heard those same promises. Now that I have gained much wisdom I can see through the promises as good intentions but not fruitful. What can I say to these innocent newcomers to keep them from making what might become a huge mistake? What good advice can I give them? The same advice I give everyone and that is to depend on no one but you. If you understand from the beginning that if you get it, you will earn it; you will probably have a successful career.
You will pick up positive emotions from other people that work in the office. You will associate with some of those agents more closely than other. Generally you will associate with people you deem a more successful, or maybe you respect them more than others. You may even befriend the top producing agent in the entire area. You may even have regular practice sessions where you practice your conversational scripts together; listing or sale presentations. You may learn the best techniques through this association, but when it comes right down to it, you will have to make your own sales.
Nobody is going to give them to you. I have received a $50,000 commission but I have yet had anyone give me one that I didn’t earn. To top it off I don’t know anyone who has had such a generous gift. This is the best advice I can give anyone with a career in sales! You have to do it for yourself or it won’t get done.
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