Can you guess who the most successful real estate agent in the world is?
Though you don’t know it yet, you could be in the process of becoming the greatest real estate agent your clients have ever worked with.
You might be asking how and let me tell you why…
You see, you decided to go onto the computer and search for “successful real estate agent behaviors”. In doing so, you just took the first step toward becoming the best real estate agent on this side of the Mississippi.
Congratulations because that’s more than most agents are going to do.
Then you took it one step further and found this article that you are reading right now, written by me, Jason O’Neil — a father, friend, coach, real estate investor, and yes, fellow real estate agent.
Though I might not be the “best” real estate agent on record, by every available metric, I am damn good at what I do.
I’ve spent the last 15 years solving problems for home buyers and sellers and have learned a lot of lessons in that time. So much so that it only felt right to put pen to paper and share a few thoughts with other real estate agents who might find themselves in similar situations to me.
This leads us back to you.
If you are reading this, you’re also a real estate agent looking to succeed in this new market.
And while there are tons of seminars, books, and programs you could pay for to try and get ahead, there are only 4 behaviors you need to master if you want to win in this game.
Grab your notebook, you’re not going to want to miss this…
4 Behaviors Of Successful Real Estate Agents
Alert
Alertness is everything, and as an agent, it’s our job to stay in tune with all that is happening around us. From the current market trends to the simplest of client requests, being alert requires an inherent desire to solve problems.
That starts with maintaining a communicative relationship with your clients from the first touchpoint to the last. When you clear the communication path for them, it gives you deeper insight into their true needs and desires.
Now, you have a complete view of who your client is and can actively seek out opportunities based on that knowledge.
Think of it like this…
You’re representing a buyer who wants to move into a new house before summer starts. While you could focus solely on this buyer and their needs, you’re only looking at 50% of the equation. It’s on you to investigate the needs of the seller!
Just like your buyer, this seller also has specific needs. By spending time learning the needs of the seller, your buyer can position themselves in the sweet spot to offer exactly what they are looking for.
Whether it be a small detail or a large challenge, knowing where both parties stand is critical to finding success for your clients.
Let’s not ignore the obvious as well…
The market is lacking a serious amount of inventory. Some of these real estate juggernauts (looking at you Zillow) are backing this up, stating that existing home sales are estimated to total 6.35 million — that’s the highest since 2006.
With these factors at play, maintaining a high level of alertness needs to be at the top of the list if you want to see those clients smiling this year.
Curious
Successful real estate agents are curiosity seekers.
Armed with a clip of alertness ammunition, they can hunt the market looking for the right targets to fire away opportunities.
There have been times when I’ve woken up in the middle of the night thinking of something a client said three weeks ago about “how nice a brick-paved patio would look in the summer”. Before I know it, it’s 3 am and I’m clicking away at the keyboard looking at the best brick pavers for outside patios.
But it’s that exact curiosity that takes the client-agent relationship to another level. Lots of agents like to skip the research part and make assumptions about their clients, with the hopes that those assumptions will eventually turn out correct.
I think we all know the saying about assumptions, right?
Instead of that, why don’t we start with a question?
A good question is better than a good answer every day of the week.
A good question will open up the conversation, create dialogue, and lead to a better mutual understanding. A good question reassures your client that you’re looking out for their best interest and brings us all closer to our mutual goals!
As agents, we wear so many different hats — some days we are financial advisors, interior decorators, therapists, marriage counselors, hosts, bonafide tidy-uppers, the list is endless. The only way to continuously win across the board is to ask good questions.
The more we do this, the less we leave to the unknown for our clients.
Responsive
I’m going to be very candid with every single real estate agent who reads this article right here…
Alertness and Curiosity go nowhere without a response.
If you want to see success this year, you need to be a responsive real estate agent! And that doesn’t mean just answering the phone when a client calls and emailing them back when they ask a question.
A response is not only verbal but physical — it’s all about action.
What are you going to do based on a client’s requests, thoughts, or ideas? How are you going to help them avoid the obstacles in the way? What might be the one thing they need to keep moving forward?
At Circle Real Estate, we are always striving to have a thoughtful bias for action that serves our clients. When a client comes to us, we are not only responsive but also experienced, leading to more timely and tactful transactions for all parties involved.
At the end of the day, there are agents out there who look at clients as a walking, talking checkbook. Sure they have needs, but what really matters to them is the pen gliding across that check.
That’s not what we do.
Clients are human beings too. They go to work every day, cook dinners, sleep in on the weekends, go out with friends, yell at their kids, and occasionally indulge in too much dessert, like every other person!
By reminding ourselves of this, we can start approaching clients with a reverence that opens up a deeper relationship, and allows us as agents to respond accurately and effectively to whatever needs they may have.
Resourceful
We can all appreciate a resourceful person when we see one.
I mean, hell, we’re walking through hundreds of homes a year built by very resourceful individuals like architects, builders, and construction crews.
That being said, agents should always be looking to leverage all of their resources throughout the client experience. As we all know, resources vary in the real estate game, so it’s important to know where you can turn when a client comes calling with questions.
There are two different types of real estate agent resources that most of us use.
The first is hard documentation — things like MLS information, public record information, private sale information, census data, and even other real estate publications. These are the meat and potatoes of the real estate industry, the hard numbers, and data that give insight into the current state of the market and where it is going.
The second is soft information — this is everything that happens off-paper. Whether it be one-on-one conversations with other agents, talking to other buyers and sellers in the community, catching wind of a builder’s plans, or seeing a post on social media, these soft informational resources are often the needle-movers for real estate agents.
Good vs. Great Real Estate Agents
Good real estate agents find success using one of these two particular resources. But great agents (I’m talking big number folks) use both of these resources in unison to truly deliver for their clients from the first handshake to the last.
Speaking of great agents…
It’s important to note this if you are a new agent in the real estate game — know your boundaries.
Too many times I’ve seen a fresh agent overstep their knowledge boundary and lead a client down a path of confusion and chaos.
We don’t want that for you or your people, so instead of trying to tackle every single item alone, be willing (and humble) to let your client know that while you might not know the answer at the time, you will be doing research to find someone who can give you the right answer. This is how you build your team of valuable resources, resources that will help you get to the next level.
The more you do this, the more clients will trust your guidance throughout the process, leading to successful results and happier humans.
Who doesn’t want that?
Let’s recap these 4 real estate agent behaviors…
Before you run out that office door and start dialing up your hot prospect list, we’re going to take 2 seconds to recap what we just talked about.
- Alert — know your surroundings.
- Curious — ask good questions.
- Responsive — take tactful action.
- Resourceful — leverage the tools.
These are the 4 tenants of real estate success.
If you’re a real estate agent in 2022, do yourself a favor and mark these on the inside of your notebook, write on a sticky note and post your bathroom mirror, or if go down to your local tattoo shop and I’m sure they will help you out (please don’t actually do this, a reminder note will suffice).
And if you’re looking for more ways to get ahead in the real estate game, I’m going to be dropping nuggets of knowledge every week right here. Stay tuned in!
Until next time...
