The business of real estate is a lucrative one. It can be an extraordinary way to make a large salary working from home in some areas. It can also be a high-stress job that offers no guarantees of success. Many factors are involved in making it to the top in real estate sales.
Below are ten factors that successful real estate agents never do:
1. Never Work for Free: Don't do anything for free. If you think that it's an internship, or if you are trying to gain more experience, don't do it. Internships are meant to teach you things that you can use in your real estate career, not take away from it.
2. Never Call in Sick: If you are sick, don't go to work. You can convince your manager that it's okay, but make sure they know the truth. If you are sick enough to go to the hospital, chances are someone who can do your job better than you.
3. Never Take On More than You Can Handle: The more listings you have, the less each sale will be worth. It is best only to take on the listings that you know you can win when it comes to negotiating contracts.
4. Never Quit Your Day Job: Real estate business is strenuous, but it's okay to have another source of income. Long hours and late nights can wear on you, and a second job can help you make it through those challenging periods.
5. Never Neglect Your Core Business: There will always be shiny objects that look a lot better than the listings you currently have. Don't let them distract you from what brought you to the real estate business in the first place: buying and selling homes.
6. Never Rely on Luck: Despite what you see in the movies, luck is not a successful real estate agent's ally. You must work hard to make your luck in this business.
7. Never Get Too Comfortable: Once you've mastered your craft, you can rest on your laurels for a while. It is important to remember that the only guarantee in real estate sales is changing.
8. Never Get Emotionally Involved: You must keep everything business-related between yourself and the client, no matter how much you like them. If you do not, the relationship will never work properly.
9. Never Forget to be Humble: You must learn to take criticism in stride. The client is always right, even when they are wrong.
10. Never Forget Why You Are in the Business: Remember from the beginning that you are in real estate to sell homes, not make friends. If you have a hard time with this fact, consider a different profession.
Let's Wind Up
Becoming a successful real estate agent is not easy, and it takes hard work, determination, and most importantly, avoiding these ten things. If you can successfully avoid making these common mistakes, you'll be on your way to a long and prosperous career in real estate. Have you made any of these mistakes? What are some other things that you think unsuccessful agents do? Let us know in the comments below!