Virtual open houses, digital closings, conversations from behind face masks — what productivity looks like for real estate agents this summer covers new terrain for all of us. All June, Inman surveys the New Productivity: the tools, skills and insights needed to make it work now.
Often, in the ever-evolving world of real estate, individuals see an accomplished team and ask for the secret to its success. Working in a team can inspire, motivate and drive its members, however, it doesn’t immediately guarantee success.
In our fast-paced industry, a real estate team must instill positive habits and behaviors for it to be truly effective. To achieve long-term success, a team must not just alter attitudes or behaviors on the surface level, but also look deeper into the fundamentals of its operation. Here are three habits of highly effective teams worth adopting.
Synergize
By understanding and valuing the differences in each team member’s perspective, we have the opportunity to create synergy, which is one of the most important ingredients for team success.
By coming together in our efforts, we are able to improve the quality of our work and also achieve more than if we were working on our own.
Whenever we are about to begin a new project, whether it be launching a new listing or running a new marketing campaign, we start by holding a series of meetings to ensure that we are in complete synergy as a team.
This allows us to create alternatives to our existing plans, open new possibilities and collectively agree in which direction we are going.
Having synergy as a team allows us to expand the perspective of individual members, encourage openness and propel solutions for optimal results. Having synergy allows teams to uncover new possibilities through openness and creativity, and get the job done in the most effective manner.
Leverage all talent
Arguably the greatest advantage of working in a team as opposed to individually in real estate is being among people with differing talents. A team is most successful when it has a variety of members who excel in different areas of the business.
When someone on our team is more skilled in a certain area, we cherish it and use it to the benefit of our collective group and the project at hand.
No matter the level of our experience, we also take the opportunity to learn from one another. There is always room for improvement and adjustments as our team and business evolve over time.
By surrounding ourselves with multitalented colleagues, we are able to master other aspects of the business that aren’t our speciality and also gain inspiration for our teammates. Learning from the experiences of your colleagues is invaluable, and it’s a key component for collective success.
Nurture the bond
It’s imperative to build a bond when working in real estate. It’s important to mesh well when working together, but a social connection is vital, too.
Given that we spend the majority of the day communicating, even if only virtually at this time, our team is more like a family, and our bond is irreplaceable. Aside from the demands of our daily work, we make sure to schedule team meals, group exercises and fun team social gatherings.
Building a bond with colleagues allows us all to have fun working together and leads to a more productive and efficient working environment. Studies have found that a fun-orientated culture results in lower levels of absenteeism, greater job satisfaction, less down time and increased employee loyalty.
Success comes from developing personal effectiveness and growing healthy relationships with team members and colleagues.
David Parnes is a director at The Agency in Los Angeles. Connect with him on Instagram. James Harris is a director at The Agency in Los Angeles. Connect with him on Instagram.
