25 Ways to Avoid Success In Your Real Estate Career

There are probably hundreds thousands of books out there that will give you the secrets of success or provide a step by step path to instant riches. You could go on line and find plenty of websites, products and systems to help you become better at what you do. You can certainly find incredible coaching programs or mentors who will do everything they can to help you get to that “next level” if you are willing and able to do what it takes.

1. Don’t listen to your clients.
2. Don’t ask people what they want or need. Assume that you know best. It saves time and frustration for everyone…especially you.
3. Commit a felony (in most states you cannot hold a real estate license with a felony on your record. Check your local licensing rules and regulations)
4. Over price homes. In fact, get as far away from market value as possible. 
5. Rarely return phone calls to clients or co-op agents.
6. Fear technology.
6a. If you have to utilize social media, promote your business (especially your listings) every chance you get.
7. Ask your clients to make out their earnest money checks payable to you.
8. Establish your “work hours” between 11:30am and 12:45pm.
9. Don’t work weekends.
10. Don’t work weekdays.
11. Contact For Sale By Owners and tell them how cheap and stupid they are for trying it on their own.
12. Show up late for appointments, meetings and events.
13. Sleep in all of your continuing education classes.
13a. Snore if possible.
14. Refuse to follow up with anyone who has done business with you in the past. It’s probably best if you just forget their names completely.
15. See how long you can go without paying your office bills, board dues or membership fees.
16. Plan your weekly schedule around area meetings, broker open houses and affiliate events so you don’t have to pay for your own meals.
17. Use vulgar and racially insensitive language whenever possible.
18. Do not show appreciation to people who give you referrals.
19. Have a hard time understanding and explaining standard contracts and paperwork in your local market. The less you can explain them the better. Remember…if your client really needed to understand something they should have hired an attorney.
20. Make every situation about yourself whenever possible.
21. Make disparaging remarks about competitors and even fellow agents in your office and company.
22. Remember that preparation and practice are overrated.
23. Procrastinate, point fingers and make excuses.
24. Wing it as much as possible and if you don’t know the answer, just make something up.
25. Don’t give a damn.

Or…you could do just the opposite of these. Then each day do a little bit more…and a little bit more…and a little bit more.

Just like there isn’t one way to fail (although a steady dose of any of the 25 tips above will work sooner rather than later) there is no one way to achieve success either.

There is no “magic bullet.” There is no “secret ingredient.” 

It is going to take time, energy, determination, focus and a lot of trial and error.

You’ll make mistakes along the way but as long as you learn from them, you will eventually find success.

Now get out there and build relationships, solve problems and have fun.