Starting out in real estate, I made sure to highly research all of the different brokerages in my area before deciding where I would end up. I interviewed with several different offices and teams before deciding where I wanted to begin this exciting new transition in my life. I wanted to find people who were like-minded and shared similar values and ideas as me. I wanted to find a team that would help me learn, grow and give me the support and confidence needed to succeed in this business.
I finally found where I belonged…or so I thought. The brokerage that I started with had tons of different types of training and educational opportunities for me, but nothing was specific to my team. Still, as a new agent, I found the training helpful. I would often bring back ideas or information I thought the whole team would find helpful or useful, but nothing was ever implemented or talked about again.
There was a team of eight agents, including myself and our team leader. When interviewing teams, I was promised many things that never came to fruition. I was told I would always be able to reach out to our team leader with questions or if I needed help—and, if he wasn’t available, I had a whole team of agents at my disposal. I was told this team was going to help me grow and succeed in real estate, but instead what I was left with was confusion, disappointment and frustration.
Confusion was a daily feeling. What should I be doing today? Who should I be reaching out to? What was everyone else on the team doing? Being new in real estate, I needed the tools to help me succeed. I needed the guidance, the support, the systems and processes. The confusion led to frustration. I was frustrated that I felt like I was doing all the right things, and I was doing what other agents were doing, and I wasn’t successful. I showed up to the office every day, I made my calls, I prospected and made sure everyone knew I was in real estate. I was frustrated showing up to a job everyday not knowing what was going on and having no real organization or sense of purpose.
This confusion and frustration eventually led to disappointment. I was disappointed in myself. I felt like a failure, and no one on my team even noticed or cared. This began to affect all areas of my life. Money was tight, I couldn’t aid my husband in providing for my family and my marriage was in turmoil because I lost all sense of motivation. Why would I be motivated to show up to a job every day that I was failing at? Why would I want to work with a team that didn’t celebrate or care about each other’s successes, or help lift you up when you got to the point that I was at? I knew this couldn’t be the way other real estate teams operated. I had met a lot of other agents at this point, and decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and do something about it. So, I started reaching out to other teams in my area that seemed to be succeeding and basically started the whole interviewing process over again. That’s how I came across Brooke Sines and her team—a team highly functioning with all of the Workman Success Systems.
I had never heard of Workman Success Systems before and had no idea what it was all about. I met with Brooke to discuss how I was feeling and to see if maybe her team would be a good fit. The instant we met, I knew this was where I belonged. Brooke and I had several meetings over the next month, and then I went in and met the rest of the team. I finally felt someplace I belonged, and knew this could be the change that I so desperately needed. Everything was different. The team had systems, processes and checklists, and everyone knew what needed to be done each day.
The team really had that “family feel.” Everything was cohesive and clear. There were no gray areas—no confusion, no frustration and no disappointment. I was at such a low point when meeting with her, but for the first time in almost a year, I felt excitement! I knew that what she was saying was genuine. She wanted not only me, but everyone on the team to succeed, and she had the tools and systems to help us achieve that success.
Some of my favorite tools that I now use daily include the Lead Tracker, Top 50 Tracker and the Daily Success Habits Tracker. These tools are easy to use and so simple, but total game changers. Previously, when getting a lead, I would write down information on whatever I had closest to me: scraps of paper, sticky notes or a notebook. I would try to be good at writing the dates of when I was talking with new prospects and then would try and calculate when they asked me to reach out to them again. I can’t tell you how many of those scraps of paper ended up getting thrown out, lost or never seen again. The Lead Tracker is an easy spreadsheet with all of the important data already on it. All I have to do is use it and make sure it’s filled out. No more searching for names and numbers—now it’s all in one, easily accessible place.
The Top 50 Tracker is another tool that we use a lot. It’s a way to make sure we continue to reach the folks that are close to us. I have friends on my Top 50 that I have been able to reconnect with now after years of very minimal interaction or get-togethers. Real estate is all about relationships. Building, nurturing and maintaining relationships is perhaps one of the most important concepts for succeeding. Yet, it’s so easy to fall behind. Everyone is busy. We may live in different places or be at different stages in life. By ensuring I am reaching out to my Top 50, I have been able to rekindle relationships and meet new people, all while having fun doing it and spreading the word about my business. It’s a win-win and no-brainer.
Finally, my favorite tool…the Daily Success Habits Tracker. This is the tool I was wishing, hoping and praying for! It tells me exactly what I need to do every day in order to be successful. No more wondering and guessing—I know if I continue to reach my points by doing money-making activities that success will follow. These tools are guiding and shaping my career. They are motivating me to be not only who I want to be, but hopefully inspiring others on my team to be the best they can be, as well.
It’s been four months now—and in four months, I have done almost as much business as I did in nearly a year with my other team. I come into work every day with a sense of purpose. I’m happy, motivated and can speak freely knowing that my ideas or thoughts will be heard. I always have someone to help me when need be. The differences are literally night and day. I tried explaining it to Brooke and the rest of the team when starting, and the best analogy I could come up with is that before, I felt like I was living in a third-world country: no running water, no electricity and scrambling for whatever scraps I could find. I was treading water in an endless ocean with no shoreline in sight. After joining this team and learning the Workman Way, I was instantly transported and saved. I have people who care about me, and opportunities and success are in my reach! The difference in the way I approach everything is completely different, not only in real estate, but also in my life.
My story finally has that happy ending I have been chasing, and my dreams and aspirations are going to come true. I have no more doubts. Even when things don’t go perfectly (because life isn’t perfect for anyone), I have the support needed to get me through it. I will never be able to fully express how much my life has changed in one year. All I can say is that everything I went through to get to this point was worth it—the tears, pain and unknown. I finally realized that I deserve better and nothing is out of reach. So, thank you to Brooke and to WSS for being the lifeboat to rescue me when drowning. I can’t wait to look back on this time in my life and see how far I’ve come.
Jenny Brower is a full-time REALTOR® with RE/MAX of Grand Rapids. She has dedicated her professional life to helping and serving others. With over a decade of experience in healthcare prior to real estate, her customer service and communication skills are unparalleled. Brower is a member of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® and the Grand Rapids Alliance of REALTORS®. She loves the relationships and excitement that real estate provides for her. For more information, please visit www.workmansuccesssystems.com.
