4 Traits of a Top Producer

Some people just walk in the light.

I'm sure you know which light I'm talking about – the "everything they do seems to turn out great" light. This is rare – few can claim they all of a sudden just knew how to be successful. Sure, instinct plays a big role here, but for the most part, there are a few ingredients that go into making someone a top producer.

Education

Don't know the answer? Go and find it.

This is where a good dose of humility comes in handy. You do not know everything. Sometimes (er, rather, a lot of times) there are others who have more experience than we do. It's wise to go and ask them for advice. There are several people I go to frequently when I don't know the answer or how to do something. One such friend is Google. He is quite knowledgeable.

But seriously, Google it. Rarely do I not find an answer to a question after Googling.

There are also a ton of resources out there for pretty much everything you want to do--real estate especially. Take that class, read that book, look up that article – it will all come in handy and will further your success and knowledge base. The internet is a BIG asset here – not only can you take classes online, but you can watch "how-to" videos, download books in an instant (or three if the connection is slow), and keep it stored in one place for later reference.

However, all of this knowledge building is not possible without hard work, which leads me into my next point...

Hard Work

The next ingredient top producers have in abundance is hard work. Sure, you can cut corners – you might even be a little successful for awhile. In the long run, however, all those cut corners add up and cause more harm than good – like damaging your reputation among other things. A top producer works hard. They go the extra mile and put in those hours, call those clients and leads, do their homework (like knowing the market), and do all of that on a consistent basis.

They market themselves well, successfully hold an active presence on social media, network like a pro, and know how to sell well.

It's a combination of everything. Find which areas you are weak in and start developing those more. Successful agents put in the work needed to move upward in their career. You have to stick out the tough clients, be a good negotiator (and sometimes counselor), get your name out there, and stay on top of everything. It's not easy, but it is rewarding. Rarely do you not benefit from working hard and doing a good job.

Sometimes, though, it does help to have a little bit of natural talent to help you.

Natural Talent

There are those people who naturally are really good at sales, relating to people, or _________.

You don't need to be those people.

What talent do YOU have? Find what you are good at and run with it! Maybe you aren't so good at negotiating. This is where education and hard work kick in – you don't have to be the best to do a good job. Do the best you can in your weak areas then kick butt in the other areas to make up for it.

It's a given that the agents who have a great deal of natural talent in multiple areas will have the advantage. Their success, however, does not take away from yours. It's a big market and you may find that client who wants the agent they connect with and wouldn't ya know, that's your biggest strength.

The motto here is never give up. It might be hard and challenging, but you can do it. One of the biggest qualities that makes agents shoot to the top is how well they can bounce back from adversity.

Adaptable

A top producer is adaptable. Adaptable describes someone who is "able to adjust to new conditions." If you're me, you had to learn this the hard way – i.e., your life constantly changing until you are okay with change. Change is inevitable. Change is a part of life.

So are challenges.

Some people actually like challenges – it's okay if you are not one of those people. It's not okay if you run from every challenge that comes your way, though. Without challenges we do not grow, simple as that.

Here in San Diego, we don't get many storms or bad weather. This is nice, until a big storm hits. Suddenly you see trees all over the place that have fallen over because their roots never went deep. Trees need storms and bad weather throughout their lifespan so that their roots can grow deep and strong. Without storms to toughen them up, they topple at the slightest windstorm.

The same can be said of us humans. Without hard circumstances in our lives that we are forced to overcome, we would never grow or mature. The key is never backing down and always getting back up when something hits us hard. You get a sale that falls through, the team you're on crumbles, you lose your house, you get a divorce – the list could go on and on. The thing that separates top producers from average agents is their ability to jump back up from getting knocked down – and how fast they do so.

So next time you encounter a hard situation, just remember that it can make you better if you respond in the right ways. Roll with the punches, be flexible, and adapt to changes.

You now have several keys to be a top producer – get to it, agent!

To view the original article, visit the Showing Suite blog.