Introduction

Not long ago, I met a real estate agent who was at the top of her game in every way.

She was making more money than she ever expected, and her business just kept growing. She had the space and flexibility to do all the other things she cared about, like spending quality time with her family and traveling. She felt confident in her planning, decision-making, and execution in every aspect of her business.

In short, real estate had turned out to be everything she had dreamed of. Her life was perfect, and she was loving every minute of it.

Just kidding.

I talk to thousands of real estate agents every year, and that story has never once been true. Itis, however, what most people imagine will happen when they become real estate agents. That’s what attracts people to this business: the promise of earning a six-figure income, being your own boss, and having a flexible schedule.

The dream of what real estate can be is very alluring.

However, those expectations can get crushed very quickly. The new agents I meet usually find themselves working unexpectedly long days to build their client base—not to mention being on call 24/7. They wanted to be their own boss, but it turns out that’s a hard job, and they’re feeling the anxiety and loneliness of having to make every decision themselves. Every dollar is a battle, and there’s never enough. They think,If only I could sell more, I’d achieve the dream I set out with.

But the grass is not greener on the other side. Top-producing agents suffer just as much, if not more. After years of pounding the pavement and building their empires from scratch, they’re still working twelve-plus-hour days and on call 24/7. They’re still bad at being their own boss. They still want more sales. Only now they have more to lose, so their stress levels are even higher. Even worse, they are still giving away their commissions to put deals together.

I’ve been coaching real estate agents for more than thirty years, so I’ve seen this over and over and over. Every agent, new or experienced, aspiring or top performer, struggles almost every day.

Virtually everyone responds to this dilemma in the same way: by looking for new ideas. They think some other agent has sourced the “magic pill.”Something has to be easier, faster, or more effective than what they’re doing now. So they try different things—send a mailer, run an ad, up their social media game, buy some leads, revamp their listing presentation—anything that might move the needle.

The problem is, they can’t tell what works and what doesn’t. So, they just do what feels good or urgent at the moment—which usually means chasing after deals indiscriminately.

It seems logical, but instead of leading to more success, this approach leaves them stuck and frustrated. They’re exhausted and perpetually racing to catch up. They’re always too busy reacting to the present situation to plan for the future. They feel like the only way to grow their business is to work harder, but they’re already maxed out.

Sound familiar?

You Don’t Need a New Idea

Itis possible to succeed in this business without constant work, stress, and overwhelm, but there are no shortcuts to that outcome. As you’ll soon learn, real estate is a blue-sky business, and opportunity is truly everywhere. You just won’t get there by looking for shiny new ideas. In over thirty years, I have yet to hear a good new idea in real estate.

At its heart, this is a very simple business.

People complicate it all the time, and usually not with your best interests in mind. All those quick fixes and secret strategies that land in your inbox—10 Listings in 90 Days! Get Every Buye