Inman is exploring what the future of real estate leadership should look like through a series of articles, Q&As with industry pros, and an upcoming five-part series called Leadership Week. Please send your feedback to leadership@sandbox.inman.com. If you’re a leader who wants to join us for our exclusive Disconnect in The Desert event on March 26-28, or want to recommend a colleague, send a note to brad@sandbox.inman.com explaining why.
Sarita Dua is the principal broker and MAPS Mastery Coach at Keller Williams Realty Professionals in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty Inc. is an international real estate company with over 930 offices located across the world. The company began franchising in 1991, and following years of phenomenal growth and success, the company recently claimed it had become no. 1 in units and sales volume in 2017.
The company has succeeded by treating its associates as partners, and it shares its knowledge, policy control and company profits on a system-wide basis.
We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Sarita and pick her brain on what the future of real estate leadership holds for 2018.
As a leader, what keeps you up at night?
How to add value to my people. How to create a culture that is more than results and numbers — to be at a place they want to be where their opinions are valued and they are excited about working with our clients and prospects.
Sarita Dua
If you could change one thing in real estate, what would it be?
Facebook! Seriously too many agents online and not enough of them out there in the field working, learning and growing. The brokerage infighting and the subtle and not so subtle direct jabs. I am excited about agents from every brokerage and every walk of life. Everyone has a choice. But to say there is only one option and one is better than the other is short-sighted and not the way to make this industry better.
How have your expectations of your management team changed over the past two years?
They really haven’t. It is always relationships first. I guess the only element from a digital world is the expectation that we are always available and we have to be even more responsive. We have stepped up to that challenge. At the end of the day, clients will need us when they need us, and we want to be there and available to answer questions.
How do you keep your team competitive?
Training on systems and processes. Sharing wins and losses and lessons learned. In depth market knowledge and overview. Encouraging reading, doing book clubs, sharing articles and videos.
I care for them and want everyone to grow individually (and personally) so they can be their very best self.
With so much disruption in real estate, what’s your best advice for managing change?
The only thing that doesn’t change is change itself.
While it is good to know what direction we are headed in, you can’t get paralyzed due to impending change, nor can you change what you do today for a future problem or issue.
I believe this business is all about relationships, and as long as we have that and hold it near and dear to our hearts, we are ready for any change that comes our way.
Want to connect with Sarita? You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.