Top performers in virtually all industries share one common trait: a positive mindset. You can have the best systems and understand how to apply leverage and attraction, but it is your mindset that will ultimately make or break your success.
Maintaining a positive mindset is one of the most important elements in creating real estate sales success. Having strong systems creates a sense of confidence. Leverage makes it easier for you to create and maintain momentum. Potential clients are attracted to those who have a positive mindset and a get-it-done attitude. So, what can you do to improve your mindset? Here are five proven strategies.
1. Emotional resilience
Vince Lombardi, who coached the Green Bay Packers football team during the 1960s, once said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” Real estate is filled with rejection: Sellers list with other agents; your buyers walk in and buy a property at an open house without you; or your closest friend does business with someone else.
A positive mindset is what allows you to get up again, even when you are knocked down repeatedly. As one persistent agent once said, “Every ‘no’ brings me closer to my next ‘yes.’”
If events are getting you down, you can pull yourself back up by having a strong support network. This can be a coach, a mentor, a good friend, your manager or someone else whom you trust to be there in your corner. There’s no need to struggle through a difficult situation alone.
A slightly different approach comes from brain researcher Daniel Amen. Amen recommends that when you have a persistent or “automatic negative thought” (an “ANT”), the way to kill the “ANTs” is to write them down. This process allows you to evaluate the situation more objectively and makes it easier to find a workable solution to the issue.
2. Laughter is still the best medicine
Numerous research studies have shown that when you laugh, the muscular changes in your body trigger the release of beta-endorphin, the feel-good neurotransmitter, which in turn makes you feel happier and more positive. If you are feeling down, watch a funny movie, listen to the comedy network, get a massage or do whatever makes you feel better.
Another way to raise your endorphins is to have some chocolate. Avoid self-medicating with alcohol or drugs, which will actually make you feel worse when they wear off.
3. Create a supportive environment
Philosopher and architect Buckminster Fuller once said, “Environment is stronger than will.” In other words, to maintain a positive mindset, surround yourself with people who are positive.
For example, if your office is filled with negative people, consider working from home. If you must interact with someone who is negative, stop his or her negative comments by saying, “Tell me one thing that went right today.” Again, the best strategy is to avoid them altogether.
To be even more proactive in upgrading your environment, join a mastermind group or some other group of highly successful people who are already operating at the level you would like to reach.
For example, motivational speaker Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame shared how he didn’t start making lots of money until he changed his peer group. According to Canfield, if you take the average income of your 10 closest friends and/or colleagues, you can pretty accurately predict what your earnings will be. Upgrading your peer group upgrades your mindset, which upgrades your income.
4. Be proactive rather than reactive
Consider each of the following statements. Can you spot what they have in common?
- There’s just no inventory/buyers.
- I’m not getting any good leads from my marketing.
- I’ve been holding open houses every Sunday, but I never get any leads.
Each statement illustrates a reactive mindset — waiting for the business to come to you rather than going out and proactively generating leads from prospecting, print and digital marketing, or connecting on the major social media platforms. It’s hard to feel positive when you are not in control.
A simple way to remedy this situation is to take baby steps. Begin by calling one or two of your past clients every day. If you prefer to use social media, respond to five of your friends’ or followers’ posts on social media daily. Staying in contact with your referral database is one of the best ways to maintain a positive mindset and generate business.
5. Be willing to say ‘no’
One of the most underrated mindset skills is knowing when to walk away. Some agents develop internal screening criteria to protect their time and well-being. One version of this approach? Only work with people who are kind, realistic and communicative.
If a potential client shows red flags, unrealistic expectations, a pattern of disrespect or boundary-pushing behavior, say “no” early. In fact, as one of the country’s most successful agents puts it, “A bad client is like bad cholesterol — they clog your energy and block your flow.”
The best version of “no” doesn’t need to be harsh. You can simply say, “I don’t think I’m the best agent to meet your needs, but I’d be happy to introduce you to someone who might be a better fit.” That one sentence has saved many agents months of stress and hundreds of hours.
It makes no difference where you begin. Each step you take raises your personal standards, which in turn help you create a mindset that not only keeps you going but also helps you thrive even in the toughest market.
As Lao Tzu once said, “A journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Bernice Ross is president and CEO of BrokerageUP and RealEstateCoach.com, the founder of Profit.RealEstate and a national speaker, author and trainer with over 1,500 published articles.
