11 Things Top Performers Know—and Most Real Estate Agents Don’t

Last week we talked about the 3 forces that impact your production, {{ first_name }}...

1. What you do
2. What the market is doing
3. What your clients are doing

What you do is probably the LEAST influential of the three…however, it’s the ONLY one you’re in control of.

So, that’s what we need to focus on.

If I were to ask real estate agents what are the 3 things they need in order to be more productive, here’s the answer I’d get…

1. More leads
2. More appointments
3. A higher closing ratio

That thought process is VERY misguided.

Real estate is a performance business. You don’t get paid for your time or effort. You get paid for one thing: your RESULTS.

Unfortunately, as I keep saying, you’re not in control of your results.

This is the big dilemma of real estate. It’s a very complex challenge, and there’s no escaping it. No wonder you’re so stressed out! 

Knowing this is what you’re up against, what do you do?

To answer this question, let’s look at another group of people who face the same dilemma: ATHLETES.

They are in the exact same situation. Nobody cares how many hours they put in. Nobody cares how hard they try. None of that will bring home a trophy or a paycheck.

The only thing that matters is whether they WIN—just like you.

So what sets elite athletes—the ones who win the most—apart from everyone else?

They understand 11 crucial things most people don’t.

#1 - Elite athletes understand the importance of MINDSET.

What you do is TOUGH. 

It is very easy to get scared, discouraged, anxious, frustrated, and overwhelmed…and you CANNOT perform your best when you are in that state of mind. 

That’s why everything starts with getting your mind SET on the right things. 

Because you WILL get hit. You WILL fall down. And if you’re not ready, it will be very hard to get back up and keep giving it your all.

Being ready doesn’t happen by accident. You have to make an intentional effort to prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually before you step on the playing field every day…and that’s what mindset is all about.

#2 - Elite athletes understand the value of CONSISTENCY.

In real estate—just as in sports—what gets results more than anything else is consistency.

Doing the same things over and over again, in the same way…NOT constantly trying new things, slapping them against the wall and hoping something sticks.

Going an inch wide and a mile deep…NOT the other way around.

Every athlete nails it occasionally. They’ll hit a home run, slam an ace, throw a touchdown, dunk a basket…sometimes.

GREAT athletes nail it over and over again, practice after practice, game after game, season after season. And they can do that because…

#3 - Elite athletes understand the power of HABIT, ROUTINE, and RITUAL.

They know that good habits compound in their favor and bad habits compound against them, so they spend a lot of time performing the RIGHT habits.

And they don’t do it blindly. They do it with purpose and intention. They PAY ATTENTION to what they’re doing and how it’s working.

As a result, instead of chasing, they’re BUILDING. Instead of starting from zero and figuring out what to do every day, they start each day with a FOUNDATION and a PLAN.

And the more they execute their habits, the more they learn and grow. Doing the right things becomes easier and more automatic.

As Bruce Lee said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

#4 - Elite athletes understand the necessity of CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.

This goes beyond consistency and good habits. It’s an attitude, a mindset, an approach to life.

It’s a whole way of being.

Elite athletes are ALWAYS looking to create an edge over the competition. They are constantly assessing their performance and searching for ways to improve.

Not judging and beating themselves up, but evaluating and trying to grow. There’s a big difference.

A huge part of this is MEASUREMENT—what gets measured gets improved. If you watch sports these days, you’ll see lots of athletes wearing vests that track every movement, every heartbeat, every breath. They measure exactly what they’re doing so they can figure out how to do it better…

And if you want to be great, you have to do the same in your business.

#5 - Elite athletes understand the role of SACRIFICE.

There is a price to pay if you want to be great. It’s not free.

And the first thing you have to sacrifice is COMFORT.

You will have to put yourself in uncomfortable situations, make tough choices, say no to almost everything, and do things you don’t want to do, every single day.

In the Tom Brady video I sent out a couple weeks ago, his family describes the moment they knew Tom was on the way to superstardom. Suddenly, he started saying no to going out to dinner, no to seeing a movie, no to playing a round of golf…

Because he had a JOB to do. He had his sights set on greatness, and he understood the sacrifices required to get there.

#6 - Elite athletes understand the power of being CLEAR and PRESENT.

Elite performers are FOCUSED.

They are clear about what they want and what it takes to get it. They know what needs to be worked on every day, and that’s what they work on. They’re not pinballing from thing to thing.

And when they do something, they do it in the PRESENT MOMENT. They are not distracted by the past or the future. They do not let regret or anticipation get in the way. They stay in the NOW.

#7 - Elite athletes understand the importance of RECOVERY and BALANCE.

Elite performers know they can’t go 24/7.

You gotta work a muscle, then rest it. Work your brain, then rest it. Life is much more marathon than sprint.

And if you follow athletes, you’ll see that their rest and recovery activities are just as thoughtful, intentional, and habitual as the training activities. 

They don’t just go home and sit on the couch until the next training session. They have a cool down, then a recovery drink, then an ice bath, then a massage, then 8 solid hours of sleep. That’s how they set themselves up to perform their best the next day.

#8 - Elite athletes understand the value of a TEAM.

As Tom Brady said in his Patriots Hall of Fame speech…

Nothing of significance can be achieved alone.

Every elite performer understands this. They build a team around them to help with every part of their game—coaches, mentors, advisors, managers, teammates, peers. 

Instead of putting themselves on an island, they leverage the expertise, experience, and support of others.

#9 - Elite athletes understand the role of ADAPTABILITY.

Situations change. Environments change. Rules change.

The one constant in life is change!

So, you have to be able to pivot when necessary.

My coach, Don Shula, didn’t become the winningest NFL coach in history by sticking to one strategy for 32 years. Early on, he used a run-heavy offense with great success. Then he drafted Dan Marino, an outstanding passer, and had to retool his entire offensive philosophy from run to pass.

In the real estate world, just look at what’s happening with buyer commissions. The environment has changed, and if you don’t adjust, you’ll get left behind. 

All elite performers know how to anticipate, recognize, and respond to change.

#10 - Elite athletes understand the significance of COMPETITION.

Elite athletes are FUELED by competition.

They aren’t scared of it. They don’t shy away from it. They charge TOWARDS it.

Competition should challenge you, motivate you, and inspire you to stretch. It raises the bar and keeps you on your toes, so you never get too content.

Again, another reference to the Tom Brady video (you must be getting tired of these)—he THANKED his rivals for being such strong competitors and driving him to elevate his game.

#11 - Elite athletes understand the need for both CONFIDENCE and HUMILITY.

This may sound like a paradox…

But confidence without humility makes an a**hole, and humility without confidence makes a pushover.

The key is to believe in yourself without thinking anyone else is beneath you. To know that you are capable of SO MUCH…and at the same time, you have so much to learn from others.

This attitude will allow you to give your best every day and keep getting better. It will also attract excellent people to your team and keep them there…which is SO crucial, because you can’t do this alone.

There you have it—11 powerful lessons on what it takes to become elite when you have SO LITTLE control over your results.

Notice that none of these lessons is about chasing, convincing, or closing.

They’re not really about how to win more, at least not directly.

They’re about getting your mind and your processes right…

Because THAT’S what it takes to perform to the best of your capabilities, get better every day, and be ready when opportunity knocks.

Have a great week!

Steve