What are your real estate strengths?

Have you given a lot of thought to your real estate strengths, or do you worry more about your weaknesses?

If you’re like most people, you work on trying to improve in those areas where you are weak. But why? Why not spend your time working on getting even better at the things you do well?

Your real estate strengths are probably related to things you enjoy.

That’s why you’re good at them. On the other hand, your weaknesses probably revolve around things you don’t do well, don’t much enjoy doing, or would rather not do at all.

Which of these tasks are your favorites and wish do you dislike?

• Cold calling
• Knocking on Doors
• Responding quickly to Internet leads
• Compiling lists for prospecting
• Maintaining your database
• Writing your prospecting letters
• Marketing yourself and/or your listings on social media
• Taking listings / talking with sellers
• Preparing a market analysis
• Writing your property descriptions
• Photographing your listings
• Assisting with staging
• Researching statistics and market trends
• Writing your web pages
• Blogging
• Showing homes
• Holding customer appreciation events

Do you excel at the tasks you enjoy? Do you struggle with the ones you don’t enjoy?

My guess is the answer to both of those questions is yes.

If so, how do you react regarding the tasks you don’t enjoy? Most people go with one of two choices:

• Procrastination.
• Trying harder to get good at what they don’t want to do.

There IS a 3^rd and better choice: Let someone else do what you don’t want to do while you polish your skills on those tasks you enjoy.

If you work with a partner or as part of a team, you can capitalize on your individual real estate strengths by dividing the work.

Some people do this naturally. If you haven’t done so, take time to sit down and talk about it. You will both (or all) be more efficient if you enjoy what you’re doing.

If you work alone, consider hiring someone to handle the tasks you dislike.

Yes, it costs money, but when you use the saved time to do more of or get even better at what you love doing, you’ll more than make up for it in added productivity.

Consider the following tasks…

Cold calling and door knocking: No, you don’t have to get better at them if you don’t like them. Simply eliminate them from your to-do lists. There are many other ways to find new clients.

If you do like them, then work on perfecting your scripts, so you can adjust quickly to whatever your prospects say.

Responding quickly to Internet leads, compiling lists for prospecting, maintaining your database, blogging, and marketing on social media: If you don’t like them, you’ll find plenty of virtual assistants who excel at these tasks and would love to help you.

If you do like them – or some of them – work on ways to streamline the work. Can some of your prospecting letters do double duty on your blog or as a social media posts? Can you automate sending your blog posts to your social media accounts?

Preparing a market analysis and researching statistics and market trends: If you want to avoid these chores, you’ll probably need to hire a licensed agent, or at least someone who works closely with you and understands the data.

If you love it, then do it and find more ways to use the information you compile. One agent in our County has a quarterly column in the Co-op newspaper that discusses changes in the market in the 3 northern counties. It includes a spreadsheet-type block showing the median selling prices, number of homes sold, etc. over the past year. That free newspaper goes in every mailbox in the county and I’m guessing he picks up more than one new client each time his column appears.

You could also create an info-graphic for use on your blog – and to include with your listing presentations.

Writing: If you don’t like to write, you can purchase pre-written prospecting letters and you can hire someone like me to write your agent bio, property descriptions, community pages, custom prospecting letters, and various web  pages. You’ll still have to answer emails, so taking a class or two would be wise, but the burden can be considerably lifted.

If you do like writing, consider reading some good marketing books or taking a course to help you better use psychology in your copy. Remember that while marketing methods change, human nature does not. So consider reading some of the “old” copywriting masters: Eugene M. Schwartz, Claude C. Hopkins, and David Ogilvy.

Photography: Some people specialize in real estate photography. Use them! The difference in how your listings are perceived by buyers searching on line (and by potential listing clients) will be well worth the expense.

If you love taking pictures, take a class on real estate photography. Learn all about framing, the use of light, etc.

Staging assistance: Some stagers will offer a free or low-cost consultation. Provide that for your listing clients with the hope that they’ll either follow instructions or hire the stager.

If you love it and you’re an expert, do it yourself, but if your client is resisting your suggestions, that “outside expert” could be a big help to you.

Listing homes and showing homes: If you don’t love either one or the other, you are in the wrong job! But if you love one and dislike the other, why not become a  specialist? You’re allowed to do that, and it works very well for some agents.

An added bonus for focusing on your real estate strengths…

When you’re doing things you love, you’ll have less stress and will be happier. You’ll look forward to each day, and you’ll work with enthusiasm. And, since prospects and clients can feel your positivity, you’ll be more successful.

PLUS: When you’re happier, your loved ones will be happier. Your life, both at home and at work, will be enriched.