Erion – Playing Sepultura on any occasion is not a bad thing. Time for rock memories… I played soccer with them (after Max left) at a festival. Igor invited us to go shopping at his clothes store while we were in Rio, unfortunately I got food poisoning. I’ve played with Max a few times and he’s the most down to earth music loving guy I’ve met. Memory over.

Michael – Benn, Lani, and Brad Nix deserves all the thanks for the “be yourself” one. They pounded it into my head and wouldn’t let me be anyone but. I knew it, but I think I feared the letting rock and roll and real estate cross paths.

Matt – Look at any of my comments on the topic of education and you’ll know I’m nodding my head in agreement right now. I do my best to learn as much as I can as often as I can. I shake my head in disbelief at some of the things I’ve heard agents say that I knew were wrong. I also shake my head is disbelief in the agents that don’t seem to care, they just want to collect their checks.

Bill – You’re one of the people I look up to. Your knowledgeable and yourself. When I first “met” you, I would have never guessed you had the sharp-witted tongue you do or could be so much fun. I learned a lot in my first perception of you based only off of posts – I thought you were too “Mr. Real Estate” to be as funny as you are. It may not sound like, but you surprised me (pleasantly) and that my friend, is a compliment.

Jeff – I think you know the sentiment is returned. I still fear you may fill my head with too much and it might just blow up, but I’ll take that chance.

Good post. I think that this is incredibly important to leverage the correct mindset for agents (both new and old) regardless of what office that they are in. I especially like your “Don’t be anyone but yourself” but along the lines of your Slayer analogy, think that too many agents don’t recognize what they are actually dealing with.

Too many in our industry think of people as “leads” or what I refer to as the “Paycheck Mentality”. And… in their defense, I can understand that being broke, hungry, or unable to pay the lease on the fancy BMW might influence my actions.

But… I also realize (and have seen firsthand in our Chicago Market) the perils associated with inexperienced, uneducated, or just plain greedy agents allowing clients to purchase homes that were either:

1. Out of their price range
2. Out of their price range with ridiculous financing
3. A unit that they would outgrow quickly
4. Overpay for a unit that they are now upside-down on

Which brings me one glaring element that I think you overlooked.

EDUCATION – EDUCATION – EDUCATION

As a coach for a company of almost 800 agents I preach this day in and day out to new and experienced agents alike. There is NO replacement for education and knowledge about your local market hands down. Too many agents think that their prowess online, or with handling leads is the foundation to a good and profitable real estate business. I disagree… knowing your market, latest financing options, how to deal with short sales/foreclosures, etc. will differentiate you from the pack.

This is even more important for new agents because they have little or no experience in the buildings or communities that they are servicing.

Want to set your self apart as a new agent? Be smarter than everyone else in your office and then you have a differentiator for your brand.

Matt Dollinger

You mean it is not okay to pull up to a showing with Sepultura blaring with your windows down?

Thoroughly enjoyed this post and its sincerity. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Joe – I appreciate you posting it there. I love your list as well. One of the things I love about my posts here at AgentGenius is that I’m writing from a new agent perspective and trying to give a few things I’ve learned to other new agents (because it’s not an easy start), yet the agents who have been around for a long time (and are the people I look up to) come in and drop their knowledge in there and even sometimes (which flatters me to no end) take away something. As I said in my earlier comment, a lot of what goes on in real estate revolves around common sense. We all should have it, but it can be one of the hardest things to put into practice.

Brandie – “Don’t be afraid to be wrong.” is one of those lessons I sometimes struggle with. I don’t like to be wrong. I don’t like to make mistakes. I don’t like to fail. Learning to recognize that has been a hard lessons in my life (and not just in real estate), but when you keep it in your head and put it into practice, you can do some amazing things. I hate the moment of realizing I was wrong, but getting past that I realize that my error is my strength. You mention “might have been” as well…this was my thought process of switching brokers. Will it help me? Am I making the right decision? Am I just fooling myself? Can I afford to take this step? A lot of doubt as to whether I could do it or not. Two weeks in and I only wish I had made the decision sooner. One of my big considerations when I felt hesitant to switch was the thought that if I didn’t do it, I’d spend a lot of time wondering what “might have been.” Even my wife said it. I’m glad I don’t have to wonder anymore.

Susie – The problem is the brokerage model that was built to grow their business is not built to grow mine in most cases. It’s built to feed off of fees and piddling amounts when instead they could nurture me into a awesome top-producing agent. What I heard often was the brokers (several I have met) complaining that “we used to try to do this or that, but the agents never cared.” What I got from that was that the brokers gave up trying. A broker’s job isn’t an easy one – you (in my opinion) should care and push your agents to be the best.

Glenn – If you don’t make mistakes, you’re lying. That’s the way I look at it. It’s the recovery from those mistakes that matters most.

Ken – Glad you enjoyed them. Even more glad that you think they apply to “agents of all ages.”

Missy – I heard a lot of “blogging won’t sell houses” talk. When I did I just got online and read some of my favorite bloggers who were using it effectively. It is true though – blogging won’t sell houses. The agent putting their honest words out there on the internet will make a connection. The agent still has to do the work.