The Elements of a Great Real Estate Sales Person

Imagine if you could break down the elements of a great real estate sales person the way a scientist can break down the elements of every piece of matter in the universe. What are the components of the ultimate selling machine? What makes one person better at building relationships, solving problems and having fun?

We can take the ingredients in a recipe and learn what makes it taste so good, so why couldn’t we take a look at the things that go into the DNA of a great salesperson?  While I’ll never claim to be Albert Einstein or Issac Newton, Marie Curie or Neil de Grasse Tyson, I know a thing or two about what it takes to be successful in the real estate industry.

It’s just a matter of combining the right elements that can be found in the Periodic Table of Elements – REALTOR® version.

Attituden (A) – John Maxwell wrote an entire book about Attitude called The Difference Maker. The attitude you choose each day will have a major impact on the results you achieve.

Awesomonium (Aw) – The best people in any industry do not settle for the status quo. They strive to make sure everything they do is awesome. How can you make things bigger, better and more memorable than your competition? Add this element to everything you do and people will not only appreciate it, they will remember you, return to you and refer people to you.

Buzzonium (Bz) – When you do things that make people want to tell others about it, you’ve done something to create a buzz. The more other people are talking about you and your service or product, the less you have to worry about talking about yourself and your service or product. Building a buzz helps you take your music from acoustic to electric.

Changen (Ch) – The one thing that is certain in any industry is change. The person who feeds on change and anticipates what’s happening next will win more often than not.

“In times of change, it is the learners who will inherit the earth while the learned will find themselves beautifully equipped for a world that no longer exists” – Al Rogers

Cooperatitus (Co) – The world of real estate is driven by the independent contractor meaning that while most salespeople work with a brokerage or company, they don’t work for a brokerage or company. It’s a difficult business to try to be a lone wolf so he or she who figures out how to best cooperate with others – agents, affiliates, vendors and clients – will find a tremendous amount of help and support throughout their careers.

Collaboratitus (Cb) – Similar to the previous element Cooperatitus, working in collaborative environments can really amplify your reach and service. Finding the right co-workers to mastermind with or identifying a coach or consultant that can help you see things from other angles allows you to sharpen your skills and efforts with less effort, time and expense.

Compassionite (Cm) – The business of real estate isn’t about the houses, it’s about the people who live in the houses. Understanding the world from your clients viewpoint will help you explain different situations and circumstances and sometimes make you realize that at the end of the day, we are just people helping people. Remember, your commission check will be gone long before your reputation.

Disciplineum (Ds) – Do you have the determination and fortitude to do the things it will take to be successful? Focus on activities, not results and soon the results will arrive. What can you do today that will make your tomorrow better?

Educatium (Ed) – Malcolm Forbes once said, “Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” The best in any field understand that they will never know everything so they continue to seek ways to learn more. Classes, webinars, podcasts, conferences and books are fuel for the best.

Enthusiasmum (Es) – Do you love what you do? Can others feel your passion when they are around you, hear you talk or watch you work?

“One man has enthusiasm for 30 minutes, another for 30 days, but it is the man who has it for 30 years who makes a success of his life.”- Edward Butler

Excitementic (Ex) – Buying or selling a home can be very exciting, but many times it is an extremely stressful event. If you can share your excitement with your customers and clients, they will have a much better experience through the process. People who are excited about something usually share that excitement with others. Remind yourself of this the next time you’re faced with a mundane task that you’ve done hundreds of times but your client has never experienced. How can you make it an exciting first time?

Focusite (F) – In school, earning an F is never good but in real estate sales, getting a big dose of “F” every day will be the difference between making the grade or failure. We live in a world of distraction so finding ways to stay on track will allow you to get more done in the same amount of time it takes another person to figure out how to turn off notifications on their smart phone.

Which of the first 12 elements do you need to get an extra dose of for next year? Are there some that you used to have plenty of but feel that your business has become immune to it?

In our next post, we’ll explore elements 13-24 and share how they might be the missing ingredient in your recipe for success. (Click here to read Part II)

Ant Photo: Luigi Mengato via Flickr

Excitement Photo: SkippyJon via Flickr