Quit real estate today — this is the best advice I can offer to a large number of newer agents. If you’re in a panic about the end of the calendar year and only putting off the end because you’ve paid your dues through December or because you want to make it through the holidays — I urge you to reconsider.
Quit today, and use the remaining weeks of 2015 to get started on your next career.
On the other hand, if you’re just anxious or discouraged because success hasn’t come as quickly as you’d like, read on and read carefully.
Dedicate yourself to setting a clear, concise and realistic game plan for the remainder of 2015, and face the New Year with traction and increased confidence.
We’ve all heard the scary statistics that 50 percent to 75 percent of agents fail within their first few years. Fortunately, these numbers probably understate the dropout rate. Yes, fortunately.
Our profession is too easy to join. Many who drop in listen only to promises of fame and fortune that many brokers are all too willing to offer. The result is that real estate’s absurd drop-out rate is only commensurate with its absurd drop-in rate.
The group that concerns me most is the newest agents, who are about to face seasonal funk. Daylight hours wane, distractions increase and the dread of explaining the new career to skeptical or envious friends and family over the holidays begins to grow.
The solution: Meet with your broker or manager ASAP, and set your New Year’s game plan now.
Keep it simple:
- What did you expect from this business from day one through today? How much did you believe you should have earned by now? Are there other benchmarks you established in your initial business plan?
- What have you achieved? If your achievement hasn’t met your expectations, specifically identify the shortcomings as well as any goals or objectives that you exceeded expectations while doing.
- For goals and objectives where performance fell short, ask why. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Did you and your broker or manager create a defined plan? Did you follow through on the action steps? Is more training necessary, and if so, what specific areas need attention?
- What are your goals for 2016? Be clear and precise. What do you want to achieve by Dec. 31, 2016?
- What is your 13-month action plan for attacking these goals? This can be broken down into monthly, weekly and daily attack plans so that you know every day what is most important.
- What is your accountability structure? You must be able to determine at any moment between now and the last day of 2016 whether you are on track.
It’s simple: quit or commit. Either way, you and your broker or manager will wrap the year up more efficiently and increase your odds of achieving success in 2016.
Brian McKenna manages two residential resale offices for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Blake. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.
