Whether you are relatively new to real estate or an experienced veteran, I’m sure we can all agree that our industry is in the midst of a lot of change. For many of us, the changes that are following the NAR lawsuit are fundamentally changing the mechanics of the business. That’s why it may seem counterintuitive that even in times of unprecedented changes, sticking to the basics is proving to be the best path to success.
Here’s why. The fundamental needs of agents haven’t changed, the “widget” has. Agents have a burning desire to be led and coached through change, and we are in an industry that changes daily.
With that said, if we think the changes are confusing to us, imagine the consumer. That means that the basic fundamental need of having to stay deeply connected to the consumer has not changed but educating them about the current evolution of our business has.
That’s where coaching comes in. Over the course of my career, I have coached more than 20,000 agents. I recently completed ERA Real Estate’s first-ever, live national coaching program, which was attended by close to 3,000 agents across the ERA ® Network.
The program was designed for agents of any experience level to develop interpersonal relationships and sales practices, helping them refocus on building their book of business amidst a complex market backdrop. The seven, two-hour, live, virtual sessions covered topics such as mindset, building a database and pipeline, sphere of influence engagement, building relationships and creating outside sources of business. Coaching agents has long been a passion for me.
Working with the ERA ® network’s incredibly engaged community has made this latest program even more satisfying thanks to the ERA ® brand’s uniquely collaborative nature. There is a great cohesive element to the program: content is delivered from the brand level, and brokers and their designated proctors help ensure that agents make the most of the content through personal accountability sessions.
We’ve had a lot of great feedback from the field, from long-time, top producing agents, to newly licensed practitioners.
According to Mark Joyner, president of Napier Realtors ERA in Richmond, Virginia, “The timing of the ERA Coaching course was great since it provided a much-needed focal point to keep us from being distracted by the NAR lawsuit noise. It got us all back to business.
Our top agent David Patsel said the course helped him refocus and sharpen his sword on things that had gotten dulled.”
“The assignment to connect with 50 buyers/sellers was a great motivator and an amazing success,” said David. “I booked 19 appointments in one week! It wasn’t just good luck, either: I booked 16 appointments the following week. It was an instance of I knew what to do, but I just needed a push to get me back on task.”
Mark also told me that the trickle-down effect in the company was huge. “It’s one thing to hear what works from Alex, but another to see an actual person in the company see success,” he said.
At the other end of the experience spectrum is Shannon Savoy from ERA Legacy Living in Houston, Texas. A military retiree, she has been an agent for about six months. She said that the coaching course provided her with the business acumen and the structure that was great for onboarding. She engaged in the recommended activities of time blocking, journaling, gratitude, exercising and outreach to her sphere.
“For me the business wins were helping me to stop being so introverted and put myself out there. I wasn’t excited about it, but it worked! I scheduled 10 meetings, got one referral and have four in the pipeline. The instructions and assignments helped me build my sphere from zero.”
Pamela Hemmen with ERA Davis & Linn in Jacksonville, Florida, has been an agent for 20 years and also helps mentor newer agents. She told me that in today’s time of change, it’s all about getting comfortable being uncomfortable. “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got,” she said.
She was inspired to get active again on her social media accounts. She made a series of posts that said, “Does your agent do this?” and posted pictures of her watering flowers, fixing an AC unit – the little things that go a long way in providing above and beyond service to clients.
These posts got a lot of interaction and even resulted in referrals. Other agents in her company and even agents with other brokerages in the market shared the above and beyond things they did, which helped to elevate our industry as a whole by showcasing agent value in a real and authentic way. For that reason, her advice to fellow agents is this, “Never pass up an opportunity to reach out to your sphere or learn something New!”
And Bonnie Seals, an agent with ERA American Real Estate in Shalimar, Florida, told me she used the ERA Coaching Program to restart her business.
“I always hated reaching out to my sphere, because it felt awkward, but the suggestion to just say, “How are you?” made it so much easier for me. I leaned into my active listening skills during these interactions. I feel like these personal connections can really set us apart from post cards and emails. My advice is to keep in contact with your sphere, as they are your greatest champions. Being in touch with them is like planting seeds in your farm that will help you grow your business.”
As you can see, the tried-and-true approach is having significant traction with our ERA affiliated agents, and I couldn’t be prouder. At the end of the day, that’s why I’m here: to help our agents take their business to the next level so they can be more successful and live a better life.
