| One of the first steps toward success is to know | | | | make themselves constantly available to |
| what you want out of your real estate career, | | | | prospects and clients, and they work on-demand |
| and "financial independence" is not a | | | | with no restraints. |
| specific-enough answer. | | | | 2. Buy clients. The second-most frequent pathway |
| I've been in real estate, either in direct sales or | | | | to success is to buy business through massive |
| teaching, speaking, training, writing, or coaching | | | | marketing campaigns. Some agents buy or |
| people, for nearly 20 years. I've met tens of | | | | "brand" their way to the top level of real estate |
| thousands of agents and nearly every one | | | | by investing in billboards and bus benches, |
| started selling real estate with the same goal of | | | | thousands of direct mailers, expensive ad |
| financial independence. Countless times I've asked | | | | schedules, and all kinds of promotions. Others buy |
| the same question: "Tell me, how do you define | | | | their way to the top by discounting their |
| financial independence?" What I usually hear in | | | | commissions. By offering themselves at the |
| response is some variation of the answer, "So I | | | | lowest prices, these agents eliminate the need to |
| don't have to worry about money anymore." | | | | emphasize their skills, abilities, and expertise. |
| The key to eliminating money worries is to | | | | 3. Take the shady road. Another avenue to real |
| establish a financial goal - an actual number | | | | estate financial success is to abandon ethics and |
| ¬¬- that you need to accumulate in order | | | | just go for the deal and the resulting money. |
| to achieve the quality of life you want to enjoy. | | | | Unlike the vast majority of agents who advise |
| Financial independence boils down to a number. | | | | and advocate for their clients, agents who take |
| Set that number in your mind and then launch | | | | this route choose not to be bound by the ethics |
| your career with the intention to achieve your | | | | and code of conduct of the National Association |
| goal by a specific date. | | | | of REALTORS. They put their own needs first |
| With your financial goal in mind, you'll have a clarity | | | | and their clients' best interests in distant second |
| that will see you through the valleys and hard | | | | place. Fortunately, these agents are few and far |
| work that lie ahead of you. When you have to | | | | between. |
| endure the rejection, competition, disloyal | | | | 4. Build a professional services business. The |
| customers, and challenges that are inevitable along | | | | fourth and best pathway is to create a |
| the way, your knowledge about the wealth you're | | | | well-rounded, professional services business not |
| working to achieve will help you weather the | | | | unlike that of a doctor, dentist, attorney, or |
| storms of the business. | | | | accountant. Fewer than 5% of all agents follow |
| Pathways agents follow in search of success | | | | this route, yet the ones that do are the ones |
| Agents follow one of these four basic approaches | | | | who earn the largest sums of money ¬- |
| in the quest to achieve real estate success: | | | | some exceeding $1 million annually while also |
| 1. Become a workaholic. More than 80% of | | | | having quality lives and time for friends and family. |
| agents who generate a reasonable income | | | | Plus, when they're ready to bow out of the |
| achieve their success by turning their careers into | | | | industry, they have a business asset they can sell |
| a seven-day-a-week, 24-hour-a-day job. They | | | | to another agent. This is the route I urge you to |
| answer business phone calls day and night, they | | | | follow. |