It’s also no secret that the pandemic instigated a digital surge and that we are digitizing our world more and more every day. This digital world is urging all agents to catch up and realize that the information they’re providing to their clients can be easily accessible online.
We’re in an era that’s characterized by an overabundance of information. It’s no longer about what you know — it’s about who you are as a person.
This means, if you stop emphasizing the information you hold, you will no longer be competing with Google searches. Instead, you will have much more value when you showcase the importance of yourself as a professional and your rich expertise in the field.
Become a knowledge worker
We’re in an era where information and data has been rendered worthless. To catch up with the new era the digital world has forced upon us, you need to become a knowledge worker.
A knowledge worker is someone who’s main purpose in their business is to share their knowledge and wisdom. As Forbes mentioned, knowledge workers “use high-level communication skills to work independently and collaboratively in order to accomplish complex tasks, usually by using the latest technology. Most notably, a knowledge worker is someone who can learn and adapt to a shifting workplace.”
In other words, they are paid to think, not to punch in regular hours and perform basic tasks. They are paid to analyze, plan strategically and align a vision, much like real estate agents and leaders.
The more you allow yourself to learn, the more valuable you are. Learning helps agents grow, which in turn helps them educate their clients in the best way possible. This, in turn, creates trust. People come back to people they trust.
Fusing principles and competency
What you need today is a combination of principles and competency. Your principles are your values — what you stand for and what your purpose is in your business. For example, in our company, we have a document that outlines our services and guiding principles.
We use these principles to relate to our coaching services, and every Monday morning, one of our coaches starts the team meeting off by diving into how a specific principle guided them through a struggle or a win.
If someone doesn’t trust you or your principles, they won’t trust you to be honest and consistent, and they won’t trust what you have to offer.
Your competency reflects how knowledgeable you are about real estate and how many years of experience you have in this industry.
Because data and information is so readily available for potential clients online, what’s truly valuable is your service, expertise, experience and integrity. Having real-life real estate experience and the ability to perceive information in a certain way is something customers can’t get online. A client can never look at the terms in an offer and understand them the same way you can.
Even agent to agent and team to team, skills and expertise vary. Our experiences are not the same. What you specialize and have expertise in is what will give you an edge and a leg up on your competition.
Giving value to your business
If you’re treating your business in a transactional way, this will have a negative impact on your growth. When you’re only pushing yourself to make the next sale, your business will suffer in the long term.
You need to show up with purpose and passion, and only do good work, at the right time.
To show up with the purpose and passion to do good work, you need to calculate what growing your business is worth to you in every aspect — finances, lifestyle, health, energy, time, relationships, legacy and contribution. Then, put your ability to successfully move forward in proper perspective.
You can do this by tracking every piece of the pie. Having a great system is going to ensure you break down exactly what you need to do — on a daily, monthly and quarterly basis — to be on track to hitting your goals.
It always goes back to what’s important to you and your values. Don’t just work to create profit. Work with clients to lead them to their desired outcome. If you keep this in mind, you will see that your business will grow quicker.
Giving value to clients
In real estate, we forget how much we know, and we forget how much experiential knowledge we actually have to offer the public. You can help people feel safe, confident and comfortable by offering them value, because people who feel this way are empowered to make good decisions for themselves.
You need to continue to communicate with and educate your clients until they are comfortable and certain enough to take the next steps that can lead them to their goals.
Share your knowledge and expertise with clients by educating them on the real estate market, local statistics, what the process of buying or selling is like today and anything else that might benefit them in their journey.
As Anthony West wrote in this Inman article, “As the professional, buyers are looking to you for guidance on how to navigate the market and put their best foot forward. From making sure their funding options are in order to helping them narrow down the neighborhoods that will have the most amenities they are searching for, it’s a great way to set expectations early.”
A great client process is going to prepare people on what to expect next so they know what’s coming and aren’t taken by surprise. It will guide them through the steps of your sales process and help build their confidence in you.
You can also share your knowledge by using your integrated process to allow your client to know that you’re there to support and help them, and that you’ve done your due diligence.
This will allow you to build a relationship with your clients while also showcasing your analytical abilities and the wisdom you have to offer. This is why it is absolutely essential for you to fuse your principles and competence and give the expert advice your clients need.
Kathleen Black is the CEO of Kathleen Black Coaching and Consulting in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Connect with her on Instagram at @kathleenblackcoaching or through her website ItTakesa.Team.
