Suze Cumming | January 8, 2020

When a person or an organization is excellent at what they do, the demand for their services is strong and attracting clients is easy.  Nowhere is this more true than in real estate.

I know this first hand from the top agents that we coach.

If you think you are excellent at selling real estate but are having trouble attracting enough clients, it’s time to take a deep look at what excellence in real estate is.

Let’s use an analogy:   A Massage Therapist.

Think of a massage therapist who is exceptionally good at what she does.   She will have a roster of regular clients and a wait list for appointments.  People will book weeks or months in advance to reserve their spot on her schedule.  She won’t have to do any marketing or prospecting at all.

Now consider a massage therapist who is pretty good at what she does.  She is very interested in the human body, has studied hard and cares about the people she hopes to serve.   All good and important traits but not enough to be considered excellent.  While some of her clients will see her consistently because they like her, many will not and more importantly, most will not refer her to other people.

Should this pretty good massage therapist spend time marketing and prospecting her services, or should be get better at her work?

Obvious right?  But in real estate, almost all the training and coaching you’ve been getting is about prospecting and marketing and not about getting really good at real estate.

So, what does excellence in real estate look like?

While caring about your clients and being passionate about homes helps drive excellence, it is not in itself important.  What is important is what the client experiences when they work with you.  Each client is unique and has unique needs, expectations and goals.  Our ability to understand our clients deeply, from their perspective, adapt to that perspective, and then deliver on those needs, expectations and goals is at the heart of excellence.

It’s harder than it initially sounds but as your skills in the area of human connection, professional empathy, strategic thinking and negotiations develop, you will see remarkable changes in the way people interact with you.   They will see you as the expert and enthusiastically work with you to obtain their desired outcomes.

You’ll be trusted, respected and appreciated.

And enthusiastically referred.

Suze Cumming | December 26, 2019

Here at the Nature of Real Estate, we’ve started talking about our intentions for 2020.

We recognize that making foundational shifts, in our own businesses, and in the world around us, takes more than just a resolution; but here is a starting point:

What do you want to achieve in 2020?

What is important about that?

What are your options for how to work towards it?

What is your first step?

We know some of you are going to have some pretty awesome goals for the next year, and we’re excited to watch them come true.

Suze Cumming | December 12, 2019

By Ali Calladine

Time Magazine has just announced Greta Thunberg, 16 year old Swedish climate activist, as the person of the year (to almost nobody’s surprise). Amongst years of presidents, researchers, tech execs, and so on, Thunberg stands out to me in one particular way. It’s not her youth that sets her apart, but her completely non-individualistic approach.

The huge wave of support behind Thunberg is crossing oceans, cultures, and generations, and normalizing a view that monumental changes are needed in our society. Thunberg does not speak to individual accomplishments, or actions. She speaks to a society that needs to come together and support each other in a massive shift. She is constantly sharing her spotlight with other organizers, scientists, and indigenous youth. Her being recognized as person of the year tells us two things about where the world is at right now:

1. We’re ready for foundational change
2. We know we can’t do it alone.

What does this mean for the Real Estate Industry?

This industry is one that touches almost every person (at least those who can afford homes), which means that as the world changes, the industry changes. We don’t know what will shift in the coming years. Between tech, affordability challenges, the climate crisis, and changing cultural values, we’re primed to see some big shifts.

So where’s the connection?

1. Be ready for foundational change

Adaptability has always been one of humanity’s strong suits, and if there is anything I’ve learned in my 3 years connecting with Realtors, it’s that those who embrace change are the ones who thrive, and who serve their clients to the highest degree. This industry includes everyone, which means open-mindedness, respect, and leaning into diversity are essential qualities to being adaptable and successful. Beyond that, embracing tech can mean serving your clients better, but it’s crucial to stay clear about what is most important, and how to preserve that.

2. Know you can’t do it alone

When it comes to industry specific changes, working together is the second piece we can learn from Greta. Tech companies will challenge the current models of real estate. If Realtors can stand together for what it is that they do that matters, what policies best protect buyers and sellers, and be a part of the conversation about what the fairest housing models look like in the future, the impact will be mighty. In an industry full of intelligent, effective lone-wolves; it’s certainly going to be interesting (and exciting) to see people work together to uphold their beliefs.

I’m excited to see how Realtors will be a part of emerging housing models, and the changes rippling across our society. Real Estate is a backbone of the economy, society, and livelihoods of our populations, and we need great people with a high bar of both knowledge and ethics to support the industry through changes to come. Thank you to all of you who are already doing that work.

This will be Ali’s last Blog Post with the Nature of Real Estate. In 2020 she will be moving on to work more directly with global issues, and pursue higher education.