To build a successful real estate business, you need to have a consistent, reliable, and repeatable source of clients that builds momentum over time. Client count is a byproduct of your prospecting habit. Client count is a byproduct of your prospecting habit. Once you have that momentum, your business can become a perpetual client-generating machine.
1. Start with Your Why
It’s easy to get distracted or lose your way in business when you don’t have a clear purpose. You need to get laser-focused on your why behind building this habit. Is it to create financial freedom for you and your family? Is it to allow yourself more time away from the office and spend it with your kids? Is it to create the ability to give back to charities that matter most to you? Your why has to be clear enough to become your North Star when you lose your way. Otherwise, you’ll drift off course.
I knew I wanted to achieve something big in my career, but I was never able to really put my finger on it until I saw the book by Simon Sinek, Start With Why. When I read this book, I had a revelation. I realized my purpose was to help other agents achieve their goals. I realized I loved the feeling I got when I made a difference in someone’s life. Once I found that, I was able to grow my business to heights I never dreamed were possible.
2. Make a Commitment
You have to make a commitment to prospecting every day in order to build momentum. Commitment is the bridge between intention and action. The difference between someone who intends to be a great agent and someone who commits to being a great agent is the results they get. It takes commitment to break the cycle of self-sabotage.
You have to be all in. Not half in and half out. Commitment means you’re not making excuses for why you’re not prospecting. You have to understand that your commitment must be unwavering to build this habit. Once I made that kind of commitment to myself, I couldn’t go back. It became a part of who I was.
Simon says, “Decide on your commitment and stick to it. What would happen if you didn’t commit?” Think of the reasons you’re doing this. For me, it was about helping others. Think about the people you’re going to help by committing to your business. Think about the impact you’ll have on your family and your life by going all in. Think about what would happen if you didn’t commit. If you committed to yourself and others, how would that affect your income? How many more people would you be able to help?
3. Go Public With Your Commitment
Make a public commitment to yourself and to others. I can’t tell you how powerful it is to make a public commitment to the universe. It’s like it brings this energy around you to keep you on track. Find an accountability partner who will help you stay focused. Accountability is a key ingredient to success. It’s the one piece of the puzzle that will help you stay focused and keep you on track with your commitment.
To help you with this, put a calendar on your wall where you can see it every day. And make a mark on your calendar every day that you prospect. Watch the days add up. There’s something magical about seeing the days pile up. It keeps you motivated.
4. Schedule It
It’s great to have a plan. But if you don’t put it on your calendar and hold yourself accountable to that calendar, it’s just another to-do list. You can’t expect to grow your business if you don’t make time for prospecting. Schedule it. Block off time in your calendar. Don’t take calls during prospecting time. Don’t look at email.
Turn off the distractions. Just focus on the task at hand. You have to get to the place where this becomes a part of your daily routine. Schedule time in your calendar and stick to it. Be relentless. Be disciplined. If you have a plan to make phone calls, turn off your phone, except for the phone you’re using to call people.
Put all of your focus and energy into making those calls. This is the only way to build a habit. Schedule it, stick to it, and do it. Once you start seeing the benefits of this habit, you won’t want to stop.
5. Leverage Your Commitment
Use the power of leverage to help you stick to your commitment. Simon says to use consequences to enforce your commitment. And I agree. The magic happens when you set consequences for yourself for not sticking to your commitment. Think about how amazing it will feel to reward yourself for sticking to your commitment, and how miserable it would feel to pay $5 to a charity you dislike for not sticking to your commitment.
What would happen if you combined the power of the two? Wouldn’t it be worth it to do the work and avoid having to give money to a charity you don’t like?
Consider hiring a coach or an accountability partner who can help you stay on track. Or, find a colleague who you can hold accountable for their commitments as they hold you accountable to yours. The power of accountability is one of the most powerful tools you can use to reach your goals.
6. Just Do It
Nothing is more powerful than taking action. The longer you wait to take action, the longer you’ll wait to achieve your goals. Take that leap of faith and start making calls. You can think about it all day long, but if you don’t just do it, you’re never going to achieve your goals. Think about it this way. If you put off making calls until you feel ready, you’re never going to feel ready. You have to take action before you’re ready. Take the first step, and the rest will follow. The key to building a habit is to take action, even if you don’t feel like it. You’ll be surprised at how quickly that habit becomes automatic.
7. Automate the Habit
Once you’ve done this for a while and you’re seeing the benefits of the habit, it will start to feel more natural and less forced. Now that you’ve started this new habit, it’s time to automate it. You should not be thinking about what time to make calls every day.
You should be thinking about how many people you’re going to reach out to each day. Once you start seeing the benefits of the habit, it will become easier to do. You won’t have to use willpower to do it. You will feel good doing it, and it will feel good to you. You won’t have to keep forcing yourself to do it. It will become a part of you. You will become a part of it. The two of you are one.
Of course, you’ll have to fine-tune your process. You’ll need to stay flexible and adaptable as the market changes. But if you start with the intention to automate the habit, the changes you make will be much easier to implement. And your prospects will be easier to reach. Think about it this way. How many times have you heard that real estate is a contact sport? It’s so true! The more contacts you make, the more deals you get. The more deals you get, the more income you generate. The more income you generate, the more your business grows. The prospecting habit is your key to success in real estate.
Final Thoughts
If you want to be successful in real estate, you need to make prospecting a part of your daily routine. Start by figuring out your why. Make a commitment. Go public with that commitment. Schedule it. Leverage that commitment. Take action. And finally, automate the habit. Once you get into the groove, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start doing this sooner. And I’ll be here cheering you on every step of the way.
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