Homeownership is a dream for many people. The idea of owning something that is entirely yours, and that YOU have earned, is a rewarding feeling. REALTORS® have the privilege of helping make that dream become a reality for many people. No matter where you are in your career as a REALTOR®, I challenge you to work with the same excitement and passion that you had when you first started your career in real estate.
It is now about halfway through the year, and it is a good time to assess where you currently are in your business and set goals for the second half of the year. Hopefully, you set some great goals at the beginning of 2020. Take some time now to evaluate and reflect on those goals. What have you achieved? What would you like to continue working towards? I find it is helpful to handwrite my goals and to take the time to really consider what they mean to me, and what it’s going to take to accomplish them.
The first half of 2020 proved to be difficult; and battling COVID-19 has led us all into uncertain and unsettling times. Yet we have persevered and continued to focus on what we know. If this pandemic has taught us one thing, it is to continue moving forward! Here are three steps you can take to keep yourself on track and continue moving forward.
1. Continue being there for each other
Identify ways you can help your fellow REALTORS®, and be open to when you may need some assistance yourself. There comes a point in each of our lives when we may need a little help. I encourage you all to lean on each other when necessary and help those that need assistance when you can. The REALTOR® community is unique! We are truly are a group of professionals willing to go above and beyond not only for our clients but also for our fellow REALTORS®.
2. Challenge yourself to learn new things
Whether you are a 30 year veteran of the industry, or if you have only been a Realtor® for a few years, there is always more to learn! If you’re a new Realtor® look toward experienced Realtors® for advice, tips, and tricks. If you’re an experienced veteran, look to the newer Realtors® coming into the industry and see how they are innovating and changing how we do business. None of us were quite prepared for COVID-19 and what it would mean for us as Realtors®. It is experiences like these that make us stronger, teach us how to think outside the box and help move us forward through innovation.
3. Go the extra mile
The impression you leave on your clients can mean a lot to your career. If your clients have an exceptional experience, they are more likely to refer you to their friends and family and use your services as their Realtor® again in the future. For many people, buying a home is the biggest purchase they will ever make. It’s important that your client know you care. Small gestures such as sending out birthday or holiday cards can go a long way. Add a personal touch like sending flowers on the closing day. These types of small gestures can really leave a lasting impression.
I encourage you all to reflect on how this difficult time might have impacted you. Many of us have strengthened our existing skills and even developed skills we never had before. Our communication and business systems had to be better than ever before, and we had to put the safety and well-being of others first. These are small sacrifices that made a big impact, and they are things we can carry with us into the second half of the year. I hope we can all say we have learned, grown, and developed into stronger REALTORS® this year, and that our experiences have made our REALTORS® community that much stronger too!