9 Ways to Overcome Your Professional Slump

Real estate work is invigorating. The excitement of scoring a big listing, the satisfaction of a buyer or who secures their dream house or a seller who gets the best price, the little thrill of a great agent review popping up in your email – all of these things fuel our professional passion.

Yet, as with any profession, it’s not all million dollar deals and month-on-month growth. Sometimes work can get you down. Here are nine ways to keep going when you feel like giving up (and they don’t just apply to agents!):

Treat Yourself

Presentation is a massive part of success in the real estate industry, and sometimes when you don’t feel good, it helps to know that you still look good.

Don’t wait for the big win to get that new pair of shoes, dress jacket or skirt you’ve been eyeing. Go ahead and get it. Sometimes you need to present better, which helps you feel better, which helps you perform better.

Make Podcasts & Audiobooks Your Friends

Don’t rely on management to be your sole source of professional and personal training.

One of the biggest keys to success is self-education. Download the Top Agent’s Playbook podcasts and put them on every time you’re in the car. Or, download an audio book that will help you achieve in another area of your life.

That way when you’re alone with your thoughts you’re learning instead of stressing.

Use Your Resume to Build Yourself Up

One of the easiest ways to overcome the big misses is by taking the time to remind yourself of all the little things you have achieved in the last week, month, year and decade.

If you’re not sure where to begin, whip out your old resume and start updating your skills and experience sections. It won’t be long until you realise how far you’ve come.

Get Out of Your Workplace Bubble

Sometimes being around the same people day in and day out (yourself included) can make your networking game weak and your outlook a little stale.

Find ways to meet new people in your industry – whether by taking training, going to conferences or attending industry events.

Not only will you get an opportunity to voice your troubles to people who understand (but aren’t part of the company) but you’ll also make mutually beneficial professional relationships down the track.

Get Out of You Real Estate Bubble

This tip may seem contradictory to the previous piece of advice, but they actually go hand in hand. Meeting and learning from other agents will help you be more prepared for your next interaction with a potential client or influencer. However, in order to meet these potential clients or influencers, you’ll have to get out into the real world.

Make sure that you’re actively maintaining relationships with trusted individuals who have many community connections. A lot of the time the staff at your local nail salon, surf lifesaving club or butcher will come into contact with many more people who will be valuable to your career than those wealthy power players in the real estate industry.

Exercise

Let’s be honest: If you haven’t worked out in a while it’s not a very physically pleasurable experience. However, a good workout is incredible for your state of mind.

When your inner voice is playing a loop of stressful thoughts on repeating some physical exertion is the best way to silence that noise.

There’s something immensely satisfying about that moment where you’re so exhausted you literally don’t care about last month’s sales figures, that paperwork piling up on your desk or the awkward interaction you had with a potential client that never eventuated into the sign-on you so desperately needed.

Report on Yourself

Don’t wait for management to give you a performance evaluation. Set time aside every month to have a look at the activities you’ve been doing and the results they’ve been achieving.

A large part of stress comes from taking on too much work without knowing how it’s going to turn out. Once you get your head around what’s working and what’s not worth your time and you’ll be more productive and happier.

Learn to Say “No”

This sounds like one of those cliché pieces of advice that get thrown around a lot. But the power of that two-letter word simply cannot be stressed enough.

Dreading spending your weekend on pre-arranged commitments that you don’t really benefit from? Should have said no.

Resenting staying late to help someone else out (especially when you can’t remember the last thing they did for you)? Should have said no.

Saying no isn’t selfish or anti-management. It actually helps your business because it gives them a clear indication of what you’re capable of (without burning out and taking more days off than you need to) and allows them to plan accordingly.

Remember That You’re Human

No matter what profession you’re in, or how high up the ranks you are, you’re still going to have bad days and even bad weeks.

Don’t take your perceived failures as a personal shortcoming. Just acknowledge how it is, tell yourself that you are going to improve, and move on.

Want more real estate advice? Read more of our blogs here. We’ve got tips for everyone from rookie agents looking to make their first big break through to experienced real estate professionals.

Or, if you’re considering upskilling, why not look over our courses? We can help you become an agent, administrator, property manager, principal or anything in between!