Gary V is a big-time successful entrepreneur who you’d expect to have a great productivity tip or two to share - and he does. But I recently saw a video of him being asked for his top productivity tips and the first one he mentioned blew me away because it wasn’t what I expected to hear from him. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized there was a reason he gave it as the very first tip - it’s the most important one. When you have it in place, it shapes the way you apply all the others. What was his #1 tip? Practice gratitude.
On this episode of Agent Rise, I’m going to walk you through Gary’s 6 productivity tips and give you my thoughts about how they play into a real estate business. At the end, I’m going to invite you to interact with me about these things because I believe that together, we can put them to work in our lives and make our businesses soar.
How is being grateful a productivity tip? Maybe an attitude tip or a success tip, but productivity? Yes, productivity. When we are able to approach our business with an attitude of gratitude we’re able to put things into perspective. Let’s look at an example…
If you are able to find those things you’re grateful for about the way your business is running, or where you've come from over the past few years, you’re going to find that those are the things that are going well. They are the things that are encouraging to you, that are having the biggest impact. In doing so, you’ve also discovered the things that matter the most to your business, which helps you to prioritize to a greater degree. Now you are set up to be more productive because you know what really matters.
All of us are in business to serve people, right? We’re also building teams of people who can help us do that. And none of us want our teams to feel we disregard them or don't appreciate them. Gary V’s first productivity tip applies to our interactions with our teams because the more grateful we are for the people on our team and the more we express that appreciation to them, the better they serve our clients.
Think about it - when you feel appreciated by your boss you are more motivated to work, to do well, to accomplish more. It’s the same way for the members of your team. But it also applies if you’re part of the team and not the leader. One member of my team excels at gift giving and has inspired and motivated me to get better at it myself. It’s an amazing example of how gratitude for one area or person bleeds over into gratitude across the entire team - and amplifies your productivity.
Another productivity tip Gary V shared is to remember that 99% of things don’t matter. What’s he saying? We need to learn to relax, to take the pressure off ourselves so that we can clear away the fog of busy-ness in order to see the 1% of things that actually DO matter. When we can see those things clearly, we are more clear on what we need to work on to move the business forward - and THAT equals greater productivity.
So take stock of your business and your life with that truth in mind. Most of what you stress about won’t matter much in the end. It’s like worry - we worry about things that might happen but never do, which means we’ve wasted all that time and energy on something that was nothing more than a misplaced emotion. Break out of that cycle and watch your productivity soar as you focus on what really matters.
Every business, including your real estate business, has many parts to it. As an example, you may have noticed that I teach 10 Agent Rise steps - things to focus on to make your real estate business thrive. But none of us can focus on all of those things at once. We need to select the one that has the most impact and focus on it until we have it down really well.
So take the time to look through your business and figure out what’s driving it. In most cases, it’s your attraction pillar or your chase pillar. Double-down on that. Make it a priority and make it the most excellent part of what you do. Then you will be ready to move ahead to the other things, adding brick by brick to your strategy until it’s all in place and functioning smoothly.
Recommended Resources
Connect with Neil!
Schedule a free 30 minute breakthrough call with Neil, schedule your call at neilmathwegcoaching.youcanbook.me
And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!
And finally, if you would be so kind - leave a rating and review for the Agent Rise podcast on Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)
The 10th step of My "Agent Rise Steps" is the Team-Building Step and it's all about building real estate teams that rock! How do you do it? One of the popular approaches recently has been what’s called “The Rainmaker” model. It’s a model a lot of people say is the best approach, a model that many people have subscribed to but that I don’t particularly like. Why? Because of the way it puts undue pressure on the team leader and obscures the identity of the individual real estate agents on the team.
What do I like instead? I like to think of it more as a coaching model, or a mentorship model. On this episode I’m going to explain why I think a coaching approach is a better approach, and how real estate agents can experience greater freedom within my model.
I’ve been there, friends. I’ve been a full-blown practitioner of what is known as the Rainmaker Model of team building in. Trying to pull it off, I was spending $3000/mo on advertising and lead generation. I was the sole person on the team responsible for getting those leads into the pipeline. I was single-handedly supporting Zillow with what I paid them - at least if felt that way.
And the way that translated into our team dynamic was anything but healthy. I was pressuring my team to convert the leads I provided. I was hounding them, riding them, not exactly being nice to them all the time, because I felt the work I was doing and the money I was spending was not being effectively utilized. Unhealthy, right?
Now I’m dealing with my team in an entirely different and healthier way - and I want to explain it to you so that YOU can do the same. It’s on this episode...
When it comes to building a real estate team, you have to answer a very basic question: Are you building a business or just creating a job for yourself? It may sound a bit snarky to ask it that way, but it really cuts to the heart of the matter. If you are content to be a solo agent and never build a team around you, you’re going to limit your potential and be solely responsible for everything that happens or doesn’t happen in your “business.” It’s a job, nothing more - and it can be a very un-fun way to live and work.
But if you build a team, you not only relieve the pressure and stress on yourself by sharing the responsibilities, you also leverage the combined efforts of your real estate team to do more business, which brings more success for you and everyone on your team. But be careful when it comes to how you GO ABOUT building that team. There are good ways and not so good ways to do it. On this episode, I want to outline what I see as the very best way to go about it - by building a team that agents LOVE to be a part of.
When I speak with agents about building a team many of them are hesitant. They don’t see themselves as leaders, they don’t feel they can do everything required, and in the end, they are simply afraid of success. Yep, I’m talking about THAT again in this episode, because it’s a HUGE LIMITING factor for so many agents. Learn how to overcome fear of success and build a team that not only makes your business thrive but that also makes everyone more successful - even your clients.
Many real estate agents think in terms of “someday” when it comes to building a team around them. They think, “When I get to ___________ level of success, I’ll build out a great team.” The problem is that you can’t typically get to that level of success without building a real estate team. It simply isn’t possible for you to handle the amount of work required to get there. You need help.
So the time to build a team is now. Think it through, you need it and deep down you likely want it as well. Start dreaming about what that team will be like, how you want the culture to be, and what you’ll do to support and empower your team to be successful as individuals. On this episode, I tell you some of the pieces you want to consider and why you might benefit from getting coaching yourself - to help you build your team the right way.
Recommended Resources
Schedule a free 30 minute breakthrough call with Neil, schedule your call at neilmathwegcoaching.youcanbook.me
And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!
And finally, if you would be so kind - leave a rating and review for the Agent Rise podcast on Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)
One of the biggest challenges facing real estate agents today is trying to stay productive. It’s difficult because even if you’re days are filled with tasks it doesn’t mean you’re actually accomplishing the growth you desire. Being busy does not mean you are being effective! Do you understand the difference? Are you driving your business or driving yourself crazy? Find out on this week’s episode of the Agent Rise Podcast.
Something I say all the time, whether it’s on the podcast or in coaching, is that in order to succeed as a real estate agent you have to develop a clear business plan that’s congruent to you. You will never stay productive if you don’t. However, it’s incredibly important that we define what “congruent to you” means as you develop your plan. In simple terms, it means to play to your strengths. You can’t simply copy the strategy of a successful agent on your team and call it a day. Their plan works for them because it is FOR THEM. Just because geo-farming is how one agent rises to the top does not mean you will have the same level of success. You may need a more fast-paced approach and get better results with online leads. The “what” does not matter nearly as much as the “who”. Just remember, the most important ingredient in developing a successful business plan is YOU.
Too many realtors have invested a ton of precious time and resources into playing the wrong game. They’ve either borrowed someone else's successful business plan assuming it will bring them equal success or they hear a strategy they like and assume that because they like it they’ll be good at it. Yet, year after year their growth is non-existent and their income bracket stagnates. Don’t let that be you! Before you can play to your strengths you have to know what your strengths are. Sometimes it’s hard to see that for yourself and that’s where coaching can be an invaluable resource. Rushing into action with a half-baked business plan will cost you more than investing in self-discovery ever will. Stop missing the mark and figure out what works best for you instead of relying on assumptions.
A few weeks ago, I brought up the idea that a lot of us are busier in our heads than we are on our calendars. If you want to stay productive you have to clear out the junk in your mind. I know how hard it is to stop thinking about every minute detail of our business. It’s so easy to be consumed by thoughts that steal our joy and keep us from moving forward. We have to learn how to command negativity to leave and only focus on what we can control. Stop worrying and let go of what you can’t change. It’s not worth the stress and anxiety you’re creating. By clearing your mental calendar you will finally start working ON your business instead of always working in it.
It may seem contradictory, but one of the biggest components of staying productive is learning how to rest. Rest is what enables you to recharge and allows you to breathe fresh life into your real estate business. If you’re constantly tired and on the edge of burnout you will only be able to strive for mediocrity as a means of survival. However, if you give yourself the space to unplug and enjoy life you will find that there is no limit to your potential. Learn how to set healthy boundaries for yourself by prioritizing fun, relaxation, and even sleep. After all, how are you ever going to dream big if you don’t sleep enough?
Outline of this great episode
Recommended Resources
Connect with Neil!
Schedule a free 30 minute breakthrough call with Neil, schedule your call at neilmathwegcoaching.youcanbook.me
And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!
Are you ready to stop settling? Do you find yourself in the same income category year after year with no idea how to break the cycle? Do you feel like getting to “good enough” is all you will ever be good for? The truth is that the limits on your life are mostly self-imposed and in order to break through them you have to figure out where they are coming from in the first place. It’s time to dig deep on this week’s episode of the Agent Rise Podcast.
Jim Collins once said that “Good is the enemy of great”. This means that if your goals are simply to maintain the status quo you are dreaming too small or not at all. You may not be failing, but “getting by” should never be a benchmark in your business. Don’t let comfort lull you into complacency. Be bold! Take risks! Do the things no one else is willing to do so you can live like no one else will get to live. One of the big catchphrases right now is “work/life balance”. By no means am I knocking the need for balance in your life. You absolutely need to have clear boundaries between work and rest. What you CAN’T afford to do is let balance be an excuse to not be bold and give everything you’ve got to your real estate business. Don’t rob the world of what you could have created if you really tried.
Something that revolutionized my world is intentionally seeing my business as a business. If your business is something you can’t walk away from without the wheels falling off and everything bursting into flames then you don't have a business. What you have is a job. Gainful employment and nothing more. This is why it’s crucial to build teams as a means to growth in your real estate business. Successfully built teams will multiply your revenue and decrease your workload. Stop equating the amount of revenue you want to make with the amount of time it will take to make it. The root of that mindset is one that refuses to allow other capable people from doing jobs that they can do well and you don’t need to be doing. You actually gain control of your future when you release control of your workload.
Too many real estate agents believe the myth that you HAVE to be a rainmaker in order to build and lead a team. The money you’ll spend on leads alone chasing that lie will make breaking even a task in and of itself. There is a better way friends! Rather than taking on the sole responsibility of distributing fish (so to speak) to your agents, develop solid systems that will teach your agents to fish for themselves. You don’t have to build a team based on your production. It is not your job to spoon feed your agents success. YOUR job as a team leader is to coach, mentor, and empower your team to obtain success for themselves. By eliminating a rainmaker mentality you will severely reduce your stress and allow your agents to develop their own unique identity in real estate.
Bill Walsh, one of the most successful and influential coaches in NFL history, wrote a compelling book entitled The Score Takes Care Of Itself. In summary, when you focus on the fundamentals and your responsibility to those core disciplines the results will follow naturally. The same can be said of your real estate business. If you constantly focus on the deficit between where you’re at and where you want to be you will never remain focused enough to accomplish the things that will actually get you there. You have to work according to your vision and not according to your needs. Don’t let one failure derail your entire strategy. Stay focused and keep working the clear plan that is congruent to you and I promise the score will take care of itself.
Outline of this great episode
Recommended Resources
Connect with Neil!
Schedule a free 30 minute breakthrough call with Neil, schedule your call at neilmathwegcoaching.youcanbook.me
And connect with me on ANY of the following social channels. I LOVE social!