Redfin surveyed 1200 agents who closed at least 1 transaction in the past year, asking what they disliked most about being a real estate agent. In other words, what’s your pet peeve?

A whopping 77.2% said their #1 issue is “dealing with other agents who are rude or unprofessional.” 926 agents out of 1200 find dealing with their fellow agents disagreeable.

What can be done?

Let’s start by being nice. Good manners and common courtesy go a long way. Be professional. Stay educated and trained on how to do the job. And cooperate with each other. 

There’s an old saying that if you run into a jerk first thing in the morning, chances are you’ve just run into a jerk. But if you run into nothing but jerks all day long, day after day, maybe you’re the jerk! 

Coming in at #2, 76.8% said “the unpredictability of income” was the thing they disliked most about real estate.

Ironically, most agents are attracted to real estate because of the income opportunity, knowing it was risky. 

Risk and reward always seek the same level.

There is no such thing as high reward with low risk. Nevertheless, income is predictable with a pretty fair degree of accuracy.

Show me an agent’s Book of Business, marketing plan and execution and I can predict their income.

Show me an agent’s weekly activity plan and their consistency in working that plan and I can predict their income. 

Here’s how to solve unpredictability.

Accountability - to build your Book of Business, work your marketing plan, track and report activity and results. And do it consistently.

Variety is the spice of life, but spice only adds flavor. The real substance comes from consistency.

In third place, 75.8% of agents surveyed said the “difficulty of finding customers” is the thing they dislike most about real estate.

You know what? It is difficult. But there is a simple solution that has worked for hundreds of thousands of successful agents. 

Listings are the name of the game. Customers (buyers) can earn you a paycheck, but building a listing inventory of clients gives you a business.

The best sales opportunities include a great product that is always in demand, and real estate is all that, and more. But it is first and foremost an inventory business, and when you are out of inventory, you are out of business.

Learn how to prospect for listings. Learn how to get face-to-face with potential sellers. Learn how to put on a dynamic listing presentation. Learn how to make your listings marketable and saleable. And that will take care of the difficulty of finding customers.

There are always things to dislike about any business, but when you can treat others the way you want to be treated; work your business plan consistently; and build your listing inventory, you will fall and stay in love with real estate.

Struggling with one of these issues? Let’s talk about how coaching can help—book a free strategy call today.