Q: Between managing associates and managing my listings, plus any new business and referrals, rarely does a day go as planned. All it takes is two phone calls from associates in the office needing something, and everything gets thrown off track. With so many distractions, how do I plan for growth and stick to it?
A: To achieve growth, manage for success every day. Many real estate managers have fallen into the trap of becoming “reactors” to the events in their offices. The key is to remain focused on what is truly important to growing your business — the difference between the “urgent” and the “important” — and to leading sales associates by example. Instead of putting out fires, your role becomes that of mentor and coach to develop better businesspeople. Will emergencies still pop up from time to time? Of course, but when your associates are well trained and know where their businesses are headed, the number of crises decreases and the odds of success greatly increase.
Operating without a business plan is a prescription for failure. Today’s most effective managers are creating comprehensive business plans that detail not only how they plan to build market share, but also their recruiting and retention strategies, and much more. Simply having ideas in your head isn’t good enough anymore — a plan isn’t a plan unless it’s written down.
Meet the expert:
Greg Herder, CEO of Hobbs/Herder Training in Newport Beach, Calif
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Ask the Expert
Q: How do you make your business stand out from the competition? Prospects have many choices -- how do they know that you’re the expert that they can count on?
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