Here’s how to strike the balance in promoting your business at the same time as acknowledging the work of the team that supports you.

Fifty years ago, American astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became the first humans to land on the moon.

Not a single proud American who can recall that moment doesn’t associate Aldrin and Armstrong for that landmark accomplishment. And there is no doubt that, as Armstrong put it, he took that one small step as a man, but the mission itself was a giant leap for mankind.

And behind that mission was a team of engineers, designers, rocket scientists and mathematicians who made it all possible, which brings me to the point of this article.

As a Realtor, one part of our job is to establish ourselves as a leader in our fields of expertise. But we don’t get to where we are without our teams. Where is the fine line between recognizing those who helped you reach your moon? And if we do recognize their efforts, does it make us any less of a professional if we give credit to a great team or company that stands behind us?

My answer is “no.”  The balance is found in incorporating subtle and professional reminders into our daily business practices that create a healthy balance between the promotion of self and the expression of gratitude for support.

I call it the “6 steps of great agents who remember the who in their career.”

These great agents:

1. Create a team

The universal law of creation proves that the combined effort of many is much more effective than the sole effort of one.

Therefore, a great agent understands the importance of creating a team, or being part of a team or company — but not just a team of random individuals; it is a team with a synergy, vision, slogan and name, and each member has a specific seat on the team bus.

2. Recognize their team

Certainly, it is not professional to place an acknowledgement list on every full-page ad. And we all know it would look silly to list our entire team by name in our social media.

That said however, you can hashtag your team name and team slogan, and by doing so, you recognize everyone who has contributed to your success. (#Surterre),

3. Make their team feel visible every day

Great agents take the time to make each of their team members visible.  This means, addressing them by name, making eye contact when they have questions, developing a habit of going out of your way to say hello and acknowledge them in words and writing when they do a good job.

4. Show their appreciation by acts of service

Great agents make a point to show their appreciation by investing back into their team. This can include small gestures, such as buying lunch or providing pastries on a scheduled date every week or month. Or this can mean holiday bonuses or small gift cards for birthdays.

Always keep in mind that your team makes a very small fraction of what you do, yet their contribution is immense. And small acts of service are a big way to offer ongoing recognition.

5. Are team players themselves who live by example

Great agents not only pay recognition forward to their team, but they are also pay it upward. That means they show by example recognition to the company that invested in them first. Without that investment we might not be where we are today in our careers.

6. Take the right time to publicly say thank you

And then at the end of the day, a great agent sometimes takes the right opportunity to publicly thank the important members of their team in writing at landmark moments.

So at this point, I would like to use this platform to thank Surterre Properties and their amazing staff and leadership and my excellent public relations agency Sterling Public Relations and Paula Steuer and her team for creating this opportunity for me to have my real estate voice heard on Inman.

I realize that statement did come back to the “me factor.” Yet I know that I wouldn’t be here, without you.

Spyro Kemble is a Realtor with Surterre Properties/Relegance Group in Orange County, California. Follow him on Instagram or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×