Stop Setting Your Real Estate Team Up for Failure

“I won’t make that mistake again.”

That’s what my ghostwriter, Madison, said when she told me the story of her first book coaching client. Instead of writing the book for the client, as she usually does, the idea was to coach the client to write the book themselves.

By the end of the process, a few things were clear:

1. Writing well and getting someone else to write well are two completely different skills.
2. The client’s manuscript was nowhere near the level of quality she would have produced herself.
3. No amount of coaching would ever lead to real improvement as long as the client’s aim was to get the book done, not to become a better writer.

Why am I telling you this story?

Because this is EXACTLY what you will experience as a real estate team leader, {{ first_name }}. 

In the last blog in this series, I challenged you: why not just do the rainmaker model?

You know what you’re capable of. Why not just surround yourself with support people and sell as much as you can? You just have to be disciplined about saving your money so that when the gig is over, you’re okay.

For 90% of agents who are thinking of starting a team, the rainmaker path is the best choice. 

For the insane 10%, you need to understand now: building a team is very different from being the rainmaker.

It’s about empowering other people—not yourself—to succeed at the highest level. And, as Madison learned, that is a totally distinct job that you may or may not enjoy at all.

It is NOT EASY to get other people to produce the way you would…especially if they’re coming to the table with the aim of closing the next deal, not becoming a better real estate agent.

And therein lies the biggest impediment to team success, which I see team leaders repeat over and over again…  

You’re picking C and D players to be on your team.

Newsflash: coaches don’t win games—players do.

When you pick C and D players, even if you manage to raise them up a notch to B and C, you have a team full of mediocre people…and that’s going to give you LESS than a mediocre result.

I know you know what an A player looks like. 

Success leaves clues. If there are no clues of success in someone’s history, what makes you think they’ll be successful on your team?

That’s a big red light telling you to STOP and wait for a better candidate…

But you run that red light because you want someone NOW. You’re busy being a rainmaker and don’t have the time to slow down, think through the recruitment process, and find someone of real quality.

But let’s be clear about something: the people on your team are NOT just warm bodies.

You don’t need warm bodies—you need PERFORMERS. 

Poor performance from team members is ultimately what kills any team. It spreads like a cancer. Tolerating it from even one person gives everyone an excuse not to perform at their highest level.

And guess what? The burden is on YOU to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Most team leaders make the mistake of assuming everyone is like them…

Self-motivated, hard working, and driven to produce as much as possible so they can maximize their paycheck.

That would be nice…but that’s not likely, especially not if you’re hiring C and D players.

You’re gonna have to get comfortable pushing people to perform—not being abusive, but challenging them, making them reach deeper, not letting them off the hook.

As the head coach, YOU have to be the one to see who they are, what they’re capable of, and how you can position them to succeed.

YOU have to get the right people, put them in the right place, give them the right training and accountability, then empower them to go out and perform.

That’s the job of a team leader—a head coach. If you’re not prepared to do that job, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Just consider this (admittedly extreme) comparison…

On a pro football team, there are 53 players on the roster and probably about 20 coaches. There are no C or D players—only Bs and As.

For 365 days of the year, absolutely everything is mapped out. There are contingency plans for contingency plans. Nothing is left to chance or done on the fly. 

On a real estate team with 53 agents, there’s probably not even ONE head coach. Virtually EVERYONE is a C or D player. And as a result, NOTHING is mapped out and NO ONE is accountable.

How can you possibly expect success in this situation? It’s impossible.

So, if you still think you’re part of the insane 10% that really, truly want to lead a team…

And you don’t want to doom your organization to failure from the very start…

You’ve got to ask yourself: are you prepared to create the conditions for success?

Are you going to foster a culture of excellence…create repeatable processes…hire the right people…provide effective training and support…and hold everyone accountable for performing at the highest level?

Again, this is NOT an easy job—and if you want help with it, we’re here for you.

Just book a free consultation with our team to learn how you can get the coaching you need to become the leader your team needs.