Although real estate as an industry has been around for hundreds of years, real estate fundamentals haven’t changed that much. Real estate professionals are still in the business of helping buyers, sellers and investors transact property.
How these deals get done has changed — social media marketing, virtual tours, remote closings, lead generation automation, specialized teams and more.
The industry is evolving rapidly right now, and to stay ahead of the competition, we must ensure we are operating at peak performance and making sure our team members are doing the same.
There are lots of nuanced definitions of peak performance, but I like this explanation from BrainForest, “Peak Performance is a state in which the person performs to the maximum of their ability, characterized by subjective feelings of confidence, effortlessness and total concentration on the task.”
Peak performance is just as much about the results as how one feels when engaged in certain activities.
How can you ensure every member of your team is operating at peak performance? Follow these simple practices to end the year on a high note.
1. Focus on their strengths
First step? Make sure you know what your team members’ individual strengths are. Regular one-to-one meetings are a great time to dive into this; however, if you don’t have those meetings on your calendar, it’s never too late to schedule them.
Heading into the fourth quarter is a great time to set up check-in, career development and goal-setting meetings with your staff and agents. Before those meetings, I recommend you revisit any behavior assessments they may have taken, or if you’ve never done one with them before, now is the time.
A few of my favorites include the DiSC Profile, 16 Personalities, CliftonStrengths, PrinciplesYou or the Enneagram. Remember, it’s not a test. Whichever assessment you choose, there are no right or wrong answers.
These tools are great conversation-starters with your team members to learn more about them, discover their strengths and ultimately use that collective information to help them find the path that will enable them to operate at peak performance every day.
2. Remove distractions
One of the most important things a leader must do is remove distractions for their team members. If they are operating under the false assumption that everything is necessary, then nothing is.
They need your guidance and direction to help clarify priorities and remove all other distractions from their day.
Doing this might mean permitting them to say “no” to obligatory happy hours, meetings that they don’t need to be in or random requests from you that don’t align with the most crucial task at hand.
Empower your team to say “no.” Take anything off their plate that doesn’t make sense right now. Outsource or delegate as needed. The ability to completely concentrate on the most essential items of the day will lead to peak performance for your team.
3. Build confidence through preparation and practice
Preparation plus practice makes progress in the confidence department. And confident team members lead to an entire team operating at peak performance.
The more prepared your agents and staff are, the more confident they will feel when prospecting, following up with clients or creating a new marketing campaign.
The first part of feeling prepared is understanding the vision for the company and their particular role in that vision. That’s up to you to provide that clarity.
From there, supporting and equipping your team members with the information and resources they need to do their job well is critical; for example, talking points about an upcoming client event, a robust CRM and beautiful marketing collateral to showcase a seller’s home. Couple that with practice — such as practicing calls and conversations — and your team will confidently crush Q4.
4. Make time for R&R
Peak performers need to be just as great at being “off” as they do at being “on.” Rest and recovery are an essential part of operating at your best regularly.
So whether you are encouraging your team members to take a day off or planning a team hike on a Thursday, make sure you’re incorporating these periods of recharge into the week.
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of good sleep, supplemented by good nutrition, exercise, meditation or mindfulness practices. Without them, your team members run the risk of burnout, which is never good for business.
Proactively plan time for R&R, and create daily energy management routines to keep your team operating at peak performance year-round.
5. Lead by example
Want your team to be operating at peak performance in Q4? Then you better be at your best too.
Gut-check yourself:
- Are you focusing on your strengths?
- Are you making time for thinking, planning, rest and recovery?
- Have you removed distractions from your day, and are you only focused on the most critical activities that will move the business forward?
- Are you managing your energy and following your personal development routine?
- Are you prepared for meetings?
- Are you regularly pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and sharing the experience?
- Are you casting the vision daily, if not every few hours?
- Are you the leader that others want to follow each day?
Your team’s peak performance starts with you — you set the tone.
The real estate industry is rapidly changing, and we all have to be on our A-game. Committing to operating at our best each day is the best way to do this for ourselves and our team members — by focusing on how we show up each day: confident, rested, focused, clear, energetic and prepared.
Adam Hergenrother is the founder and CEO of Adam Hergenrother Companies, the author of The Founder & The Force Multiplier, and the host of the podcast, Business Meets Spirituality.
