Everyone at Broker Agents Speakers would like to wish you a safe and happy New Year.

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Happy New Year!

Pam Ermen

Growth Factor #1: First Things First
Aaaah Teams…
Creating one can be the best thing that’s ever happens to your business, or the worst! So what factors determine which side of the equation you’ll experience?

The “Top 5″ Growth Traits of a Successful Real Estate Team
Hiring people before acquiring systems is the surefire path to failure. Think of it this way, if you hire a team member and can’t plug them into systems, procedures and lead generation programs, what do you think they’ll plug into? (I just can’t shake this mental picture of a dog with a new litter of hungry puppies!) It’s no wonder that many Top Producers equate Teams with pain, NOT growth.

If you think you’re spread thin now, just wait until you have an Administrative Assistant and/or a Team Associate literally standing at the door, waiting impatiently for you to walk in, and ready to be told what to do next. To make matters worse, their conversation with anyone who will listen rings of a “this is not what I was expecting” message, and of course, the fact that it’s your fault is also part of their ongoing dialogue. The painful truth is that what they’re saying has validity…you are the one responsible for creating focus, purpose and cohesiveness within your team, and a “we-they” mentality that develops will surely undermine any chances of that happening.

You must develop a plan the policies, procedures, systems, documents and programs necessary to grow a successful team, before your life as a Team Leader actually gets easier. If you don’t, expect it to get harder!

Growth Factor #2: Discover Who You Are
The “Top 5” Growth Traits of a Successful Real Estate Team
Remember when your Mother used to tell you there’s no one else in the world that’s just like you? It was her maternal attempt to somehow make freckles, braces and baby fat a wonderful part of what makes you unique. Perhaps it’s a bit of a stretch, but tapping into that “conversation with Mom” before you develop a team, could prove invaluable! Creating your Team by duplicating the structure and nature of another team eliminates the buying or selling experience that is unique to you and that contributed to your success in the first place. In addition, why would you want to foster a “commodity” mentality between you and your competition in the minds of the Consumer?

What’s more, long term retention of your team members will have much more to do with being part of a unique and inspiring environment than it will ever have to do with the amount of the commission dollars they earn. Don’t get me wrong, every Team Associate wants to keep the most money possible, but as successful managers and companies understand, there is ALWAYS a better deal somewhere else. Agents stay where they are for reasons than are much great than just money.

Can you clearly define who you are, what you stand for, and why another individual would be excited to be a part of your vision? Do your core values truly drive the course of your business and the overall goals you have for yourself and anyone who associates with you? Is the public aware of the unique and valuable experience they will have when they work with you or one of your team members? Just remember, no team member is attracted to a “secret indentity” and neither is the public.

Growth Factor #3: Hire “Right” From the Start
The “Top 5” Growth Traits of a Successful Real Estate Team
I once asked one of the most successful Team Leaders in the country what he would define as THE most important factor in a successful team. “Hire the right people”, he responded, without hesitation. Seemed simple enough, but as we all know, simple and easy are rarely the same thing. Asked for further insight, he shared how important it was to first clearly define what the traits of a successful Team Member literally looks, feels and acts liked based on your expectations and your type of team.

Let’s assume you’ve cleared the first hurdle by hiring Team Associates with common core values that line up with your vision and business model. Next, there are personality and learning behaviors to consider. Are you a “Thinker” or a “Feeler” when it comes to communicating, and even more importantly, when it comes to handling conflict? Are you “direct” or more “laid back” when interacting with both your Team Associates and your Clients and Customers? “Opposites attract” is rarely a recipe for success when creating a team. Yes it’s possible, and can even be beneficial to have a variety of personalities on a team, but only if the Leader understands personality and behavorial differences and knows how to manage them.

In addition, what kind of Team Associate is best for your particular business model? Perhaps you’re looking for Team Associates who will basically show the property, allowing you as the Team Manager to “close” the sale. That Team Associate’s strengths may differ from those in a different business model where all Associates are expected to take responsibility for the transaction from start to finish. Another type may hire for specific responsibilities, for example, a Listing Specialist who will concentrate all of his or her efforts on the listing side of the transaction only. Whatever your desires, knowng DISC personality profiles and understanding adult based learning types can save a Team Manager loads of frustration by initially hiring the right person for the right seat on the bus.

Growth Factor #4: Develop an “Eye” Team vs an “I” Team
The “Top 5” Growth Traits of a Successful Real Estate Team
Ask yourself this question “What is my motivation for developing a team?” If you’ve use the pronoun “I” more than 5 times in the first 60 seconds, save yourself some frustration and forget about the prospects of creating one. A team can be your ticket to a more balanced life, more quality time with the family, and ultimately more income with less labor on your part. But, you can’t get there without first understanding the importance of “We”.

If you have clearly defined who you are and what you stand for, and have hired team members that are excited to be a part of what you’ve created, your on your way to creating an “Eye” Team. Focused on common well defined goals and inspired by the same core values, an “Eye” team possesses the “All for One and One for All” mentality. Each team member recognizes and respects the role of the Team Leader, while the Leader makes decisions and policies that are motivated by what benefits the whole. This is a winning formula for trust and respect between a team’s management and labor force, so to speak, and the firm foundation of any “Eye” Team. Ultimately, this kind of environment leads to a sense of “ownership” on everyone’s part

Growth Factor #5: Bring Meat to the Table
The “Top 5” Growth Traits of a Successful Real Estate Team
Many agents believe that growing a team in the midst of today’s market conditions is for the foolhardy. The opposite is true! The challenges of today’s marketplace are actually causing highly trained, experienced agents to consider team opportunities who may never have done so when their business and income was more predictable. If you’re thinking like a business owner and entrepreneur, you know that the best of opportunities often present themselves in the toughest of conditions. By nature, most individuals will play it safe in challenging times. But consider the words of one of the most successful businessmen in the world, Warren Buffet, who defined his investment philosophy as “being fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” For a Team Leader, some of the best deals in this market may come in the form of high quality, well trained producers who are fearful of riding through this economic storm alone.

Keep in mind, though, these Agents are not only looking for confidence and leadership, but business! The consistency of the business they have enjoyed, especially over the last 5 years, has thinned out as a percentage of that Agent’s past clients delay their plans in real estate, in addition to their usual referrals of friends and family members who may have also put their real estate dreams on hold until the market his “bottom”.

A saavy Team Manager who is targeting a variety of business sources, including opportunities unique to the current market such as foreclosures and short sale business, is positioned to “feed the masses”, which is what business planning for a team is all about. Developing a team business plan is a specialized and necessary process that should address exactly what sources you will target, the amount of business you can expect from each source, what portion of that business will be shared with each Team Associate, and a master budget that ensures the income goals of ALL team members can be met.

Conclusion
Creating an environment of interdependence among a team of independent salespeople sounds like an impossible feat. If you have already made an effort at growing a team without applying the traits and principles discussed, I’m sure you feel like it is one! Hiring Agents to share the workload does not make a team. A team is really a microcosm of a real estate office, requiring an intentional daily focus on systems, relationships and quality leadership in order to become healthy and productive. If these are lacking, you may as well install a revolving door at the entrance of your office or allot plenty of time for renegotiating splits with your Team Associates in order to keep them. If you’re willing to put that same time into understanding these Top 5 Growth Traits of a Successful Team, new levels of success and profitability can be just a few new team members away!

For More information or to book Pam Ermen at your next event,
call 1-877-211-6472 Ext 1 or visit www.BrokerAgentSpeakers.com

Charity!

Every once in a while I see the life principle of “you get by giving” in action. A simple concept, yet it is so powerful and really does work. For years I have taught this principle and have tried my best to live by this wisdom. But, I have to admit, it’s not always easy to implement this principle, especially with people who have hurt or wronged you in some way. But the reality is, if you learn to focus on others and do the right thing rather than the easy thing you will have greater rewards in life.

I have a neighbor; let’s call him Mo, who set a great example of this principle recently. He shared the following story with a group of scouts I work with last week. Mo was vacationing in California and had decided to go to the beach and build a fire in the fire pits that are provided. He had gone down to the beach ahead of his family and set up his campfire site. Mo placed the fire ring, a few chairs and some fire wood in a circle to make other beach-goers aware that this site was taken. He then returned to the car to get his family. When Mo got back to the beach, he discovered a group of girls had moved into his spot and taken his fire pit! Being a nice guy and non-confrontational, he decided to just find another location for his fire. Unfortunately, as he walked back and forth along the beach, he found that every single ring was taken.

As Mo walked back to his family, he noticed that the girls who stole his fire pit were struggling to start a fire—he could see that the girls were all frustrated and the reason why was apparent; it is difficult to start a fire with green branches and no kindling! As Mo started to walk by the girls they asked him if he could help them start their fire. Mo had a couple of choices here—one was to say, “No!” (After all, most people probably would have been thinking, “They stole my fire pit! They can figure out how to build their own fire!”) Or the other choice was to do the right thing and help them. Mo chose option two and helped the girls get their fire started. They were very thankful and never had any idea that they had taken his fire pit area. As he walked away, his wife and friends looked at him with confusion, wondering why he would help these girls.

As Mo continued up the beach he noticed a group that had two fire rings and asked one of the men if he could please use the extra fire ring. The man said, “How about you take over our fire, we are just getting ready to leave.” Mo was elated and his family gathered happily around the fire. About 20 minutes later the man returned with 2 large bundles of wood from his car and offered them to Mo for free. What a great gesture!

As I listened to this story first-hand, I realized that if Mo had not stopped to help the girls who had wronged him, the other party would not have been ready to leave and Mo’s family would have been left without a fire. Isn’t it interesting how simple acts of kindness are often rewarded in ways we cannot imagine? I applaud Mo for his giving attitude and kindness and encourage others to follow his example. Can you see how the principle of “you get by giving” is demonstrated in this story?

It is easy to do the right thing when others are watching, but doing the right thing when only you and your Maker are aware provides a much greater reward.

So, I bet you’re wondering what this has to do with real estate. Well, everything! You see, I believe that people do business with people they know and trust. Trust is something that is earned by always choosing to do the right thing—and the right thing may not always be the easiest thing, especially when dealing with an unpleasant client or someone who is being difficult. Being honest in every transaction, giving 110% to the most difficult client, giving more referrals—all of these actions may not have an immediate return, but if they are done with the right intent your reward will be multiplied in some fashion down the road.

Zig Ziglar once said “You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.” In our competitive, every-man-for-himself culture, it’s a breath of fresh air to see people being kind to one another and helping each other succeed. Zig Ziglar knew what he was talking about when he spoke those true words!

The news may be full of negativity and horror stories—let’s face it, that’s what the news seems to be all about—however, I would be surprised if you haven’t witnessed first-hand many great acts of simple kindness or been at the receiving end of someone’s unexpected assistance that changed your life. I know my life has been personally touched many times by an act of kindness that profoundly affected my life. Let’s help each other grow by sharing true first-hand stories of that goodness that is all around us, but because it is quiet and unassuming, is rarely noticed, except for the person who is on the receiving end of this priceless gift of kindness. Make practicing kindness a daily act and you will be amazed at what you reap!

by Verl Workman
Master Motivator
Speaker Trainer, Coach

The Funniest Man in Real Estate

If your team needs a good laugh, Darryl Davis is your man.  With today’s tumultuous real estate market, volatile stock market, rising unemployment, rising food and gas prices, etc., etc., people need to be uplifted.  Filled with hope.  Or maybe just a good laugh.

When I saw Darryl’s latest clip on goal setting, I watched it three times.  His expressions, story telling ability, coupled with a custom message for your group leaves your audience in stitches and sets the stage for whatever you have coming up next.  You’ll laugh out loud when you see him at his best http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfggtO5d1yo

This guys a riot!

John Tuccillo is one of the foremost real estate and housing finance economists in the United States.  What I find fascinating about his latest video featured on our site (http://brokeragentspeakers.com/Speaker_Video.asp?id=86) is that he predicts the major generational change in our upcoming market shift.  Relationship issues, methods of contact, new and different advertising channels, how they rely on social media, how they view a Realtor’s competency, and much more. 

Our audiences find his messages compelling and chalked-full of useful information to prepare your real estate business for the fast coming consumer.