Are you investing in yourself?
Do you read books that will improve your mind or your skills?
Do you attend classes or events that will improve your mind or your skills?
Are you watching webinars that will improve your mind or your skills?
When I say “investing,” I mean time and/or money. Some of these will cost you nothing but time. Reading my blog and implementing the strategies I suggest is an example.
Some of these will cost you money. Perhaps your lead agent will pay for them, but I also suggest spending your own money on yourself.
Why invest your own money?
Because, you never know where life will take you. You may think you’ll have this position as a real estate assistant for a very long time. And that may be true. But what if it’s not? Nothing lasts forever.
- Your lead agent could get very, very sick or become injured and not be able to work.
- Your lead agent could decide that real estate is just not for him anymore and just quit altogether.
- Your lead agent could decide to move to another state and shut down his real estate practice in your state.
- Your lead agent could decide to retire and sell the team to another agent.
- You may decide that there is greater opportunity with another agent.
Having skills and knowledge gained through self-improvement makes you more marketable if you find yourself in the job market. Not only that, but improving yourself makes you more valuable to your lead agent, and makes it more likely for you to increase your salary.
At this point in my career, I can move to any state I want and find a position with a local real estate agent. I have a proven track record of accomplishment. I can analyze a real estate business and identify what areas need bolstering. I can assess an agent’s skill level and recommend ways to improve. I can look at systems and immediately know where the break-downs are.
I don’t say all this to brag. I say it to get you to understand that you control your own destiny.
When you improve your mindset and your skill level, you open more doors.
I would even go so far as to say if you are not thinking about ways to improve yourself and your real estate business, this real estate assistant job might not be for you. Lack of motivation to be constantly upgrading yourself is a clear indicator you have no passion for this business. In which case, I would implore you to find something you are passionate about.
My husband sees me typing away on my computer at home in the evenings and on weekends or engrossed in a business book, and he will ask me if I’m working. What he means is, am I occupying my time with work-related things?
And yes, typically I spend quite a bit of time “working.” I’m doing things and reading things that will be useful to me in my job. But I don’t consider the time I spend doing those things to be “working.”
I get excited when I learn something I can apply at the office. I am passionate about improving my time and self management skills. It gives me confidence when I learn about leadership and what it means to become a leader.
All these things benefit me and my lead agent. It’s a win-win.
So I ask you this: Are you investing your time, or are you spending your time?
What have been some of your favorite investments? Tell me about them in the comments, or send me an email. I’d love to hear from you! egilbert@kw.com
