New markets require new approaches and tactics. Experts and industry leaders take the stage at Inman Connect New York in January to help navigate the market shift — and prepare for the next one. Meet the moment and join us. Register here.
Adam Hergenrother is the founder and CEO of Livian. He believes that business is nothing but a conduit for personal growth and embraces the company’s vision to Love How You Live. When he’s not leading and growing his organizations, you can find Adam either in the mountains or out in nature with his wife and three children.
In the real estate industry, the terms accountability and motivation are thrown around like confetti in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Hey, I’m guilty of it, too, from time to time. They sound like productivity’s secret ingredients for success. They are the leadership philosophies that sometimes end up promoting more talk than walk.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with accountability or motivation. Yet, neither one is truly effective unless the individual is an accountable person and a self-motivated individual. You see, we often think that accountability and motivation are something we do to and for other people. But that’s not the case. Accountability and motivation are self-driven.
You’re never really able to motivate someone unless they already believe that what you are asking them to do will benefit them in some way. Either that or their thinking and beliefs are already in line with yours, and they agree.
The same concept applies to accountability. You can’t really hold someone accountable to completing a project, hitting a sales goal or showing up to work on time unless they, too, agree to the standards and expectations set, and then are an accountable individual. Someone who does what they are going to do — with or without any consequence or outside influences.
However, even while accountability and motivation are self-driven, a little outside influence in the form of prescriptive activities, inspiration, education and a focus on discipline never hurt anyone.
I would argue, though, that real estate professionals don’t need inspiration right now. They don’t need a big, descriptive, audacious vision to keep them engaged in the months ahead. Nor do they need more accountability measures, metrics to track or people checking in on their work.
I don’t think they need motivation right now either. If they aren’t already motivated to sell real estate, and willing to show up and do the work required to build the business they desire, there isn’t anything you or I can say to change that.
What is most important for real estate agents right now is prescription, not description. We are in a skills-based market, where the most educated, skilled and savvy real estate agents will come out on top.
As a leader in the real estate industry, working with your team on the following will help you stay one step ahead of the market:
Focus on the numbers that matter
For our teams, that means being crystal clear on signing something, selling something or setting an appointment every day, and adding five new contacts to their database each week. That’s all that matters.
Master the market
Whether you provide it for your team, or you are an independent agent, make sure you are studying the national real estate and economic markets, as well as your local area. Being able to interpret that information for clients and customers is key.
Practice sales conversations
Now is not the time to rest on your laurels. Set aside time every day to practice different sales conversations, negotiation techniques, objection handling and more. The more you practice various scenarios, the more confident and prepared you will be to engage in any conversation that comes your way. Everyone is a buyer, seller or investor, they just may not know it yet.
Accountability and motivation are great. But what is more important right now is for leaders to be incredibly prescriptive with their agents and team members. You handle the “to-dos” and let the individual handle the accountability and motivation — the “how” they get it done.
Adam Hergenrother is the founder and CEO of Livian, the author of The Founder & The Force Multiplier, and the host of the podcast, Business Meets Spirituality. Learn more about Adam’s companies and culture here.
