In today’s virtual, work-from-home environment, agents are seeking training and coaching in entirely new ways. In August, we’re laser-focused on what defines good coaching today and how to get the most out of it.
What comes to your mind when you hear “life coaching”? A comfy couch and a therapist with a notepad and pen? Your best friend commiserating with you about work over a glass of pinot noir? A woo-woo mystical healer with crystals and incense?
It doesn’t sound like something that belongs in the business world, does it? Well, maybe not if those are your images of life coaching. (Though wine with friends and crystals all have their place!)
Let’s try this definition on for size instead: Life coaching is a holistic coaching experience based on the unique needs and goals of the whole person, which can include, but is not limited to, career, leadership, wealth, parenthood, energy, finances, spirituality, health, relationships, business, recruiting and hiring, personal growth and sales. Who wouldn’t want some coaching like that in their life?
I think that in business — and in real estate specifically — we get so wrapped up in the number of dials, the conversion rate, the prospecting scripts, the contracts and the deals that we can’t see the forest for the trees.
Yes, the numbers tell a story. Yes, they are important parts of the business of real estate. Yes, focusing on the basics gives you a solid foundation to launch a successful career. But life coaching will actually give you a competitive edge on all of that.
Success means different things to different people. In fact, this week, we asked this question: “What does success mean to you?” The responses ranged from daily growth, commitment, happiness, curiosity and freedom to more time with family, tolerance of failure, consistency and change.
I don’t hear anything about volume or number of transactions in there! It’s important to drill down on these responses and find out what success means to the individual.
Most goals revolve around more money or more time. But is it really about more money? Why? Is it more time? Why? Is it more growth? Why? Ultimately, determining what this life (of more money, more time or more growth) looks like on a day-to-day basis is a great place to start. Focusing only on transactions or real estate will only get you so far. In order to get to that future version of you, you need someone to coach the whole you.
Real estate agents work long hours. This isn’t news to any of us. Working at night and on weekends adds an additional layer of complexity to agents’ home life. Working with a coach to develop an effective and supportive schedule so that agents have a rhythm to their days, weeks and life is key.
Beyond just the tactical exercise of creating a schedule is managing an agent’s energy. It’s so easy for agents to run hard, grind, burn hot and fast, and then burn out. A life coach will work with you to ensure you create a morning routine, focus on your health and wellness, watch for signs of burn-out and make time for rest and recovery.
And how about your relationships? Are you making time for your partner? Spending quality time with your kids? Are you present with your parents? Being in real estate can wreak havoc on your relationships — but only if you let it.
Real estate agents have an incredible opportunity of being in charge of their own income. The ceiling is limitless. And with that opportunity comes responsibility and taxes. Real estate agents know how to make money. But not enough of them understand how to strategically save and invest. Let’s not be healthy and wealthy for a day or week, but healthy and wealthy for life.
Can your leadership use some help? Have you begun to build a business but can’t seem to get out of the day-to-day transactions? Are you succeeding through others? Who do you need to become in order to attract top-level talent? I believe that the next generation of leaders will be just as committed to their inner growth and spiritual lives as they are to contracts and bottom lines.
So, yes, life coaching definitely has a place in real estate — so much so that we’ve created what we call “The Fulfillment Formula.” The formula focuses on four key areas of a person’s life:
- Health and wellness: Fitness, nutrition, energy, sleep, breathing exercises and stress management.
- Wealth: Money mindset, personal financials, net-worth creation, debt reduction, investing, cash flow management, charitable giving and business financials.
- Spirituality and growth: Journaling, meditation, visualization, self-awareness, letting go, reading, gratitude and the idea of human being versus human doing.
- Leadership and relationships: Leading yourself first, time management, communication, leading through others, change management, creating deep and meaningful connections, and vision-casting.
A life coach will take all the true, messy, beautiful, challenging and exciting pieces of your life and help you weave them together to create the life you desire.
Ultimately, the question isn’t how to build a real estate career and fit your life into that, but rather, what life do you want and how do you build that life through a real estate business. Remember, business is nothing but a conduit for your personal growth. Get clarity on the life you want. Get a life coach, and get to living!
Adam Hergenrother is the founder and CEO of Adam Hergenrother Companies
