It’s Time to Take Learning Seriously
In order to have the lifestyle of an entrepreneur, I had to take real estate seriously. I had to learn the business and take ownership of learning it. So I did, I became not just a REALTOR, I became a student of real estate. If I needed information I made sure I was in the office to ask questions, I showed up to training and I took in person classes. If I didn’t know something I took ownership of my learning and found the information.
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Once when I was in the office, someone called to see a HUD home. In the early 2000’s, agents or the office had to have a HUD key. When I would talk to agents about borrowing the key, the agents would not share how to get a key or how working HUD homes worked. After being frustrated I google how to work with HUD homes. I read every detail about HUD homes. Not only did I become an expert, I figured out how to obtain my own HUD key. That’s right! I took ownership of learning. I got tired of everyone else having the information that I needed.
When a market market is stable, we have a large number of new agents coming to the business. When business is good starting a new business appears easy. We have agents entering the business from those that think it’s a get quick rich opportunity, part timers, some of the timers, investors and some full time agents. Sometimes, I think we made real estate look easy on Instagram.
As a broker owner, real estate speaker and digital marketing instructor, I am amazed that folks still want to just make a phone call to ask a question, but they refuse to show up to class. I like to say, “I’m not the help desk”. I think if I started an 800 number line, my phone would never stop ringing with agents that don’t come to class or they can’t, because their full-time job gets in the way.
“Learn how to Learn or figure out how to figure it out” Carrie J. Little
I love it when agents come to class and then asks for clarity. If you don’t come to class it’s hard to teach a concept in 5 minutes. The truth, it’s hard to answer a question on the phone when it really takes a few hours to teach the concept. So, when an agent does call and asks a question, I have to provide the watered down version and then say, “there is so much more to your question, please come to class or watch the online class in our workplace social media site. If the agent is from another office, I have to refer them back to their managing broker. On the flip side, I do offer training in my Facebook group Smart Girl Media Live, on YouTube and IGTV. Join me today.
When I don’t have time to answer the question, I must tell the agent what to do and the agent doesn’t know why they are taking the action I suggested. The need to just do and then here was no learning involved. When learning isn’t involved you will always be servant to those that have the knowledge. Learning happens after you’ve taken the class, gotten the experience and then when you asks questions for clarity. Wouldn’t you rather know the information for yourself?
“If I teach you how to learn or you learn how to learn, you’ll have a real estate business for a lifetime.” Carrie J. Little
Running a real estate business without learning is like trying to put together a piece of IKEA furniture without instructions. Taking the real estate course and working in the real estate business is like putting together the IKEA furniture with the instructions. You may not have all the pieces and all the holes may not line up well, but you have the information to get the job done. You may have to call for help and get more pieces but you were better prepared because you already had the instructions. If you don’t have the instructions or the knowledge, you’re likely to make mistakes. Agents that wing it and agents that don’t learn this business are more likely to quit, obtain a code of ethics fine, lose their license or never quit their real jobs because they never became proficient.
- Decide today to take learning seriously
- Sign up for class, pay attention in class and take notes
- Share what you’ve learned with others
- Those that teach remember what they’ve learned
- Ad education to your annual plan
- Learn so you Earn
The truth, if you don’t want to be told what do for the rest of your life, learn the business. If you want to run the business like a business become an agent that learns and agent that seeks to understand. Learn how to figure out how to figure it out! Wouldn’t you rather be the go to person for the knowledge? Or would you rather someone else be your boss forever? Entrepreneurs have to be willing to learn! With that I implore you, please take learning seriously, learn how to figure things out, come to class and put into practice what you’ve learned.
