In real estate, you learn by doing. Licensing is the first step, of course, and many agents and brokers pursue continuing education and other formal accreditation programs to further hone their business.
Further still, there are individual coaches and formal coaching programs that help provide agents with a path to success, set goals and create accountability, and encourage agents to not just achieve their goals but surpass them.
But there is yet another resource for growth that is often overlooked: the team members around you.
Because the industry can vary from market to market, the agents who have worked in the same area are the best go-to’s for local information. But they are also a great resource to their peers for professional guidance beyond the market-specifics. Some of the best brokers and agents bring with them a wealth of knowledge, whether from years of experience in real estate or from a diversity of professional backgrounds.
The challenge can be this: who can you reach out to? Who needs your help? Knowing these answers often comes down to your office culture. For many brands in our industry, such as Century 21 Real Estate LLC, and its network of affiliated brokers), the concept of coaching and mentorship is built into the fabric of their day-to-day business. Comprised of a system of innovators and relentless learners, CENTURY 21 affiliated brokerages and offices are focused on providing the resources affiliated agents and brokers need to continuously improve, grow and achieve their goals.
Inspiration can come from anyone
For Adam Stein, broker at CENTURY 21 Stein Posner in Boca Raton, Florida, success is a team sport. “We are a family with an inclusive and collaborative performance culture in which we all support each other to succeed. We call it ‘winning together.’ It creates greater accountability and higher standards for everyone.”
To that end, Stein formalized a program for everyone in his office to have open lines of communication. “We formalized group coaching and individual mentorship programs for all of our affiliated agents. In addition, every week, we meet as a team to share, connect, relate and inspire each other to grow and perform.”
When looking for this inspiration, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to limit yourself to finding examples within the real estate space. On a recent episode of The Relentless podcast, Margo Downs, Chief People and Culture Officer at the online fashion service company Stitch Fix®, shared her thoughts on the benefits of building a culture of coaching into your business.
“Coaching works both ways,” she told podcast host Dr. Julie Gurner. “You don’t have to be the expert to coach someone. You have to be a really good listener. You have to be a great observer. This is an opport unity for you to be coached by the person that you’re going to be leading who has all of this great experience. You’re in this role as a leader for a reason, and you need to remind yourself of that.”
Tap into their strengths. But first, you have to know what they are.
Sometimes senior leaders in the office can take the lead and pair individuals who might help each other. But this requires some in-depth knowledge of who has what skills, who feels comfortable being a leader or being led, and who needs what areas fostered.
Not sure where to start? There are a plethora of resources available to both new and veteran agents to help assess their own strengths and those of their team members including the Real Estate Simulator 2 Personality Assessment, CliftonStrengths Assessment or Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®, which can help identify the people in the office best positioned to lead, coach and mentor others.
As Vice President of Growth and Development at CENTURY 21 Affiliated, Geri Rose oversees a group of 40 managers and team leaders. “We create an environment of collaboration and make sure that each and every person has something to bring to the table,” she shared. “We look for different strengths in our team leaders, identify them and call upon them to teach and share with each other. This has created very strong bonds throughout our company. We meet regularly through a series of virtual and live meetings and are in constant contact with each other always.”
As a brand, Century 21 Real Estate is committed to helping every affiliated agent tap into their individual strengths, providing resources for growth and inspiring them to give 121% to each and every client they serve. Learn more about joining the CENTURY 21® relentless agents.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
©2020 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. All rights reserved. CENTURY 21®, the CENTURY 21 Logo and C21® are registered service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. Century 21 Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. Nothing in this document is intended to create an employment relationship. Any affiliation by you with Century 21 Real Estate LLC is intended to be that of an independent contractor sales associate.