Foster those that have them, and watch out for one additional trait
Identifying future sales leaders is a top priority for every broker and manager. Everyone knows who their current production leaders are, but who’s next? What new agents will be your next superstars, and why?
The following five traits are good predictors of which new agents have the best chance to make a top-level impact in real estate. See how they fit with your newer agents—and even with agents you are trying to recruit—and make a special effort to foster the ones that score highly in these areas.
Confidence
While it is understandable for newer agents to lack conviction about certain things when speaking with clients or other agents, that is usually not how it goes with future superstars. Confidence is innate with them. These agents project confidence in almost every situation, and they find ways to tactfully and professionally handle situations where they don’t have the perfect immediate answer. That does not mean that they lie to cover up their inexperience…more on that later…but it does mean that they exude confidence, do not get flustered and earn the client’s faith that they can handle any issue at hand.
Drive
This is arguably the most important trait of superstar agents. With rare exception, an agent simply will not rise to the top of their market without an internal fire to do so. So, regardless of background, regardless of intelligence and regardless of any other positive factors, look at your new agents and find the ones that are working the hardest, making calls and hustling for business. You will probably find your future leaders in that group.
Problem Solving Ability
Real estate sales aren’t always easy, right? Unexpected situations happen all the time, and successful agents are ones that can navigate any issues and save a transaction from unnecessarily getting derailed. Pay close attention to your new agents when one of their transactions are met with an obstacle. The agents that look for solutions themselves—even while asking for guidance from you or others—are the ones that will find solutions in the future while doing more and more business.
Genuine Interest in Real Estate
Simply put, an agent will not grow into a superstar without having a genuine interest in homes and how the real estate market works. New agents should be soaking in as much information and guidance as they can in order to grow, and most do. Future superstars, however, take it a step further and incorporate what they have learned into their conversations and their actions. Let’s face it—the lines between work and personal life are blurred for a real estate agent, and future superstar agents are the ones that learn quickly, incorporate their knowledge into their everyday conversations and earn the trust of more clients.
Personality
This is the ‘x’ factor—what agents have that special quality that make them magnetic in some way. There is no one right answer here, except you typically know it when you see it. Keep an open mind, however. A magnetic personality is more than being talkative, loud or funny. Some future superstars exude quiet competence through empathy, expertise or responsiveness. The point is that superstars tend to have a defining trait that positively reflects on them in real estate.
One more trait to look for, and as a warning: Dishonesty. Pay special attention to any instances of dishonesty or purposefully unethical behavior in a new agent and act accordingly. Perhaps it stems from ignorance and simply needs to be addressed, but if not, no combination of confidence, drive or other positive traits will offset the negative impact of having a chronically dishonest sales agent.
Now back to the positive. Survey your newer agents and potential new agents for the five important traits above—Confidence, Drive, Problem Solving Ability, Interest in Real Estate and Personality—then focus special development efforts into supporting them as part of your company. They are the future superstars of your market, so keep them as part of your team and keep them selling!
For a FREE copy of Johnson’s exclusive “Recruiting Skills Assessment” to review your recruiting activities and inspire new efforts, click here.
Sherri Johnson is CEO and founder of Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting. With 20 years of experience in real estate, Johnson offers coaching, consulting and keynotes, and is a national speaker for the Homes.com Secrets of Top Selling Agents tour and the Official Real Estate Coach for McKissock Learning and Real Estate Express. She is also an RISMedia 2020 Real Estate Newsmaker as an industry Influencer. Sign up for a free 30-minute coaching strategy session or visit www.sherrijohnson.com for more information.
