How to Get Out of a Real Estate Rut

There will be times in your real estate career when things seem bleak and nothing is going according to plan. It might be a slump in sales, crazy clients, or deals that keep blowing up! It’s normal to get frustrated or even feel anger towards your work. The thing that matters most is not what’s happening to you but rather how you respond. You can feel pitiful and blame the situation or you can motivate yourself to take charge of your business. There are many ways to get your confidence and drive back, here are few ideas to get you started.

Evaluate and Plan

The first step to getting out of a rut is to accept that you are in one but don’t beat yourself up. Next, focus on creating specific solutions and make a list of steps to move forward. This is your action plan. Remember that small wins such as the completion of one of your steps will begin to add up to big wins and this creates momentum. If you find yourself thinking about what’s not working, try shifting your mindset and go back to your action plan.

Skillset

Are you generating leads but struggling to convert them into clients who want to work with you? It may be time to look objectively at your communication style, your ability to build rapport, or your market knowledge. It’s difficult to admit that you might be having trouble connecting with people personally, but it may be helpful to role play with a successful peer. You may be doing or saying things that are hurting your business without ever knowing it.

Are you having trouble generating leads or expanding your sphere? This generally means you are not putting yourself in the position to meet potential buyers or sellers. Oftentimes agents know the activities they should be doing but are not comfortable doing them. Be honest with yourself about this and adjust accordingly. Find an outreach strategy that works for you because being passive definitely won’t work. You may benefit from enhancing your social media strategy with lead generation and engagement posts. Whatever the hurdle is, there are solutions to fix it if you can look at your situation rationally and critically.

Mindset

When you are working yourself out of a rut, you can increase your chances of reaching your goal with empowering self-talk. It’s common to tell yourself things like, ‘I can’t do all of this” or “I can’t finish this” when you’re in a tough spot. However, in a 2011 study, researchers found that people who use empowered refusals are more likely to reach their goals. For example, if you are having trouble responding to your clients in a timely manner, try repeating the phrase, “I don’t keep my clients waiting.” or “I don’t let my clients go unnoticed.” Using positive, empowering language can help your subconscious brain stay motivated to complete tasks and keep you out of a rut.

Finally, if you want to stay motivated and successful for a long period of time, you have to be taking care of yourself. This involves having a regular routine for sleep, exercise, and diet. It may be beneficial to have occasional late nights or to skip your workout to finish a project, but if this becomes your routine, it may lead to feelings of burning out. Getting out of a rut is all about identifying the problem and taking action to fix it, but that all starts with proper self-care.



Breakthrough Broker Toolbox

Find additional resources below to make sure you stay out of those ruts.

On-Demand Webinar: I Shall not Should on Myself
10 Action Items for Agents
SOI Marketing Ideas
Self-Promotion Social Posts

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