10 Success Habits of Top Performing Real Estate Agents

Let’s face it: real estate is a highly competitive industry. It takes determination and a drive to succeed if you plan on building a profitable real estate career. Only by cultivating the right success habits can you break the cycle of defeat that holds you prisoner and discovers your true potential as an agent and a person.

You may be haunted by past disappointments, failures of not getting enough clients, and mistakes. You may be struggling to find helpful mentors to guide you in your new career, or you may be simply at a loss as to how you should be spending your time each day.

Change Negative Behaviour

While it may seem obvious, recognizing negative behavior is the first step to realizing success.

Bestselling author Napoleon Hill noted 17 key principles for success in any field. His books, Laws of Success and Think & Grow Rich, have inspired thousands of entrepreneurs to pursue their wildest ambitions by aligning their dreams and core values with their behavior.

It’s easy to imagine the kind of lifestyle you want, but much harder to practice behaviors that will lead you to your goals. If you want more leisure time with your family, what are you doing each day to improve your productivity and efficiency? If you’d like to increase your annual income, what steps are you taking each day to reach that goal? What is the annual figure you are working towards?

Just as top-performing athletes rely on consistent training and preparation, real estate agents who seek to become top performers need to build consistent success habits into their routine.

Take a look at our list of the top 10 habits of successful agents, and see which ones you can adopt for yourself starting today!

10 Success Habits of Top Performers in Real Estate

#1 Be motivated every day

There are countless tasks an agent must attend to that are necessary, but no fun. Successful agents are able to engage in the most monotonous, routine aspects of their job with enthusiasm EVERY DAY.

That means they pick up the phone and make cold calls, even when they don’t feel like it. They update their calendar and contacts obsessively. They attend industry events and local events even when they’d rather binge-watch Netflix because they understand success is not a feeling—it’s an action.

So instead of making excuses, find a reason to do the things you hate. Post a picture of your dream home on your office wall. Listen to ambient music. Drink less caffeine—or more! Whatever will motivate you to act is a good thing!

#2 Be consistent in your habits.

Top performers are consistent with their efforts and hold themselves accountable each day.

You will accomplish very little of worth in life, without a consistent effort. Updating your website sporadically or engaging on social media occasionally will not win you listings. If you plan to use social media or you’re investing in a website, you should also be investing time each day making these tools useful. A website that hasn’t been updated in months conveys the image of an agent who isn’t dedicated, enthusiastic, or engaged.

Consistency shows others that you are committed. Even if you’re posting content to social media regularly and not getting comments, people are seeing your content. Your consistency speaks volumes to those around you.

#3 Establish clear, actionable goals.

It’s not enough to say you want to be the top performer in your brokerage. How many homes specifically do you need to sell to become the top performer? How many leads will you need to convert to reach your goal? How many cold calls will you need to make each week to uncover prospects? Will the neighborhood turnover rate be high enough for you to reach your goal?

Wishful thinking doesn’t sell homes or make dreams come true. If you’re serious about growing your career, consider setting goals for each aspect of your business. Don’t stop until you’ve reached that goal each day. Set realistic goals that take into consideration your available resources, as well as your proposed deadline.

#4 Maintain an online presence

Successful agents are constantly maintaining their digital presence because they understand how crucial first impressions can be. Like it or not, buyers and sellers are increasingly searching online for their dream home first before they connect with an agent.

Listings on your site should include detailed specs and bright, clear, images. Your contact information, image, and location should all be easily accessible. Register a business address with local online directories and you’ll gain higher SERP visibility with search engines like Yahoo! and Google. This means that, over time, your website will appear near the top of the search results page, making it easier for potential buyers and sellers to find you.

#5 Understand Your Target Audience

Winning repeat business and referral business is easier for top performers because they are experts on the needs of their clients. They understand what appeals to their clients, their challenges, and their goals. As a result, their clients feel confident recommending them to their peers. Start by creating an ideal client persona and work towards getting their attention.

Make your clients feel like you understand them. Empower them with information, resources, and contacts at your disposal to help them make informed decisions. Take special note of their concerns and address them with possible solutions.

#6 Stay Informed About The Industry

Keeping current with industry trends and market conditions is yet another common success habit of top-selling real estate agents. They dedicate time each day to reading market reports so they can stay informed, plan more effectively, and properly advise their clients.

NAR research and reports provide you with critical insights into buyer and seller trends so you can be strategic about your marketing. Follow NAR reports regularly to understand how to effectively connect with buyers and sellers. HubSpot is another great online resource for information on marketing, sales, and branding in any industry, including real estate. You can also listen regularly to real estate podcasts during your commute or while you have downtime in the office.

#7 Become a social media maverick.

Publishing frequent updates on your social media channels will improve your visibility in search results on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media sites. Quite simply, the more often you’re posting current information on your website, blog, or social media profile, the more likely you’ll be seen in search results by potential buyers and sellers.

Try tweeting about breaking news and developments in your neighborhood regularly, and see how quickly you gain followers! Loyal followers can become sources of referral business.  

Consider using Hootsuite or a similar tool for scheduling posts across multiple platforms.

#8 Be accountable and transparent in your communications.

Top-performing agents tend to take personal responsibility for the success of their clients. To that end, they work extra hard to provide clear and consistent communication. Whether it’s a document that needs signing or an appointment with an appraiser, you should strive to maintain timely communications with clear instructions for your clients.

Use technology to make yourself available to clients. A messenger bot installed on your website, for example, can engage prospective buyers or sellers who discover you online while you’re away.

When you communicate by email, be sure to keep your copy simple, direct, and easy to follow. Provide links and instructions that will lead your prospect to their goal in as few steps as possible. Invite your clients to ask questions and engage the help of other experts if it will help reassure your clients.

#9 Allocate your resources effectively.

We all wish we had more resources, but top real estate agents are adept at using the tools they have to their full potential. Investing in expensive software when you have no listings is probably not the best use of your money. Spending an hour on a thank you email is not being efficient with your time.

Find out what the top agents in your brokerage or area are using to schedule their appointments, meetings, send e-documents, and schedule emails. There are a ton of free time management apps and software you could be using to make your daily routine more efficient.

#10 Go the extra mile

It sounds cliche but it’s 100% true! Word of mouth will spread about you when you go out of your way to impress your clients, as well as those in your network. Give them more than what they ask for, and aim to do more than any other competing agent in your area.

Make note of your client’s needs as well as their preferences if you want to make an impression. If your client likes donuts, bring them the best gourmet donuts you can find. If your client is interested in taking yoga classes, connect them with someone in your circle who can offer a free class.

Seek out opportunities to be of service to those within your sphere of influence by connecting individuals and organizations. Make this a habit and watch as your influence widens within your target market.

Summary

If you have the courage to embrace change, you can absolutely have the life you’ve always dreamed of! Your journey to success begins by recognizing negative behavior that has held you back.

Once you’re able to acknowledge your shortcomings and bad habits, you can begin changing them, one by one. The change will require a commitment from you to seek out the resources and support you need to facilitate your growth.

Finally, surround yourself with the kind of people you admire. Seek them out and don’t be afraid to let people know that you’re on a mission to become your absolute best. Join an association, listen to podcasts, and read content that inspires you. Feed your soul with positive affirmations daily, and your real estate career will begin to blossom in surprising ways.