Six High Performance Traits

I have identified six features that keep popping up time and again when I speak with agents who are running their business in a real stand-out manner.  Whether they mean to or not, they often reveal some performance clues.  Brusque and bullish or gentle and generous, I have spotted some features that I believe can be emulated. 

Worth Ethic

The agents that I speak to whom are performing at a high level are up and ‘switched on’ early, they are often still going late. They are highly productive workers and work at a rapid pace. They get an awful lot done in a day.

Marketing

These agents are obsessed with getting their marketing right. They are often perfectionists in this respect. These are the agents that drive photographers mad at photoshoots and reschedule on rainy days. They are attentive to line spacing and punctuation. They check and review all marketing on all platforms. They get irate when the marketing is not right and expect it fixed yesterday.

Service

These high performers understand that if they offer the best service, their clients can see that all avenues are being explored and that no stone is being left unturned. The duty that top performers feel towards their clients borders on obsession and I have noticed a feeling of possessiveness in the agent when they talk about their client. This is not unfounded, because as we have found in this business our clients follow us. Service begets loyalty.

Standards

Top performers hold themselves to very high standards and won’t accept anything less from the people around them. This makes these people a pleasure to work with if you want to lift your standards, and a challenge to work with if you just want to maintain the status quo. 

Giving Back

The top performers that I speak to usually support a cause, often humanitarian and usually related to children. There seems to be a certain relationship to selflessly sending generosity out into the world which leads to something in return.  

Outside Interests

In the interests of health, I am also going to mention that these agents often take frequent mini-breaks, as well as longer breaks. They have interests outside of real estate. These interests are often centered around outdoors activities and or activities that require concentration to be done well and/or done safely – it may be thought of as active relaxation. Fishing, walking, golf, cricket, tennis, martial arts, beekeeping, flying planes, surfing, farming, running, hitting the gym. These are some the activities that some of the performers that I have the pleasure to work with spend their time doing.  

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It’s a Great Time to do that.

This has been my message of the month. I’ve been having fun with it. I don’t really know where it has come from but it’s been sign off for a lot of conversations.

Starting a new self-promotion, trying to build a new habit, encouraging some kind of decision. It is a great time. Because now is better than tomorrow. It’s a great time to be alive, and you might as well use your time well. 

It’s a great time to do it.

If someone is sitting on the fence, trying to pluck up the courage to do something positive for themselves or others, try this line; ‘It’s a great time to do it’. 

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November…. 

There are an awful lot of November birthdays in my family. Two of my children, my mum and one of my sisters, and me, were all born in November.

Skylah is my youngest and is turning 6. She came to me with her birthday list (I was of course in the middle of some work – this is lockdown remember, kids are at home at all hours), she sat on my knee while I tapped away at the keyboard and we worked on her list together. She is planning music and dancing, and balloons. And cake. Her last entry on her list, No Working Dad.

She has reminded me of this requirement several times since. It is a reminder to me of how distracted I often am by my work. This applies to many of us as we are running our own businesses. As real estate guys and girls we know that if we don’t sell, we don’t eat, and so what we do can be all consuming. And let’s admit it – it is just a little bit addictive!

I am going to try and take the reminder that the people around us who love us really just want our attention. It is a beautiful reminder and one I intend to take seriously.

As it happens, Skylah is back at school now (well, every second day…) and she wants to go in on her birthday, which is great. However we will have a birthday morning and we are going to go and do some level 3 outdoor activities in the afternoon. The phone is going to be away for these parts of the day. No Working Dad.

Lastly, a warm welcome to Kevin Jiang. We are working our way south to Palmerston North. Kevin is a subdivision expert and maintains a very respectable business in a niche market dealing with sections, subdivisions and new builds. Self motivated, he works with efficiency, care and humour – my favourite ways to work. He is chasing big goals and I am super pleased and privileged that we get to be a part of his story.  All the very best to you Kevin!