6 Traits Great Real Estate Leaders Share
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Every real estate team needs a great leader to strategize, motivate and move the team towards growth. The leader plays a pivotal role in driving teams to thrive and achieve results that benefit not just the team, but the individuals as well.
Here are some of the traits that set a great real estate team leader apart from the rest.
- Top-Notch Communication Skills
This may be the most important skill a leader needs. The ability to clearly define and communicate the mission and expectations is key. A leader must be clear on their own particular style, recognize those of their team members and be able to adapt to those styles.
Transparency is essential. The failure to not share information or only part of it will foster unease and distrust, leading to misunderstandings.
“You must be able to provide clarity regarding the mission, the vision, the values and the culture of the organization,” said Rachael Yeaman, corporate coach and REALStrengths® expert for Buffini & Company. “Provide clarity on expectations and on what is okay and what is not, and why.“
“When we are not actively in control of the words that are being said, or the communication that is taking place, we have absolutely no influence over the stories that our team members are making up in their head,” she added. “We lose control of the narrative.”
2. Concise Strategic Planning Skills
As the real estate team’s leader, you are in charge and responsible for the livelihoods of your team members. That means your direction (or lack of it) also affects their families. You need to have a clear cut plan, complete with goals and benchmarks you need to reach.
You also need the confidence and patience to stay the course. If you are not committed to your plan, your team will not be either.
3. Commitment to Following the Numbers
This is a critical component of your mission as a real estate team leader. The overall team’s numbers, as well as each individual’s, need to be tracked weekly, reviewed monthly and reprioritized quarterly, according to Brian Buffini, Buffini & Company’s founder and chairman.
“You also need to create and review a profit and loss statement,” he added. “It’s truly the only effective way you will know how you are doing.”
4. Grace and Empathy
No one, of course, is perfect. Allow yourself the grace to learn from your mistakes and move forward. Extend that grace to your team’s members as well without recriminations. Have an openness so they are not afraid to come to you for help. Analyzing the situation and learning from it will not only help them move forward, but it can also be of value to others, as well.
5. Recognizing the Importance of Delegation
As a real estate team leader, you need to be crystal clear on what is most important — and what is not. Too many times we want to do something because we feel that we “know how to do it best” or “it’s just easier if I do it.” And truthfully, sometimes we do those easy tasks because it’s a way to procrastinate and not do what we really should be concentrating on.
Make it your personal goal to stop micromanaging and instead, start delegating those tasks that are best suited to others.
“Identify what is the highest and best use of your time, energy and focus. Remember, if everything is a priority then nothing is a priority,” Buffini Coach Eric Santos advises.
6. Commitment to Growth
Along with delegation, the opportunity to allow your members to grow is important. Let them take on some of your tasks that will free up your time. Make sure they have opportunities for continued training that will help them develop their skills set. A stagnant, frustrated team member will either drag down the whole team or leave.
Are you ready to scale your team profitability to greater heights? We’ve got you! Sign up for Buffini & Company’s Leadership Conference to be held Sept. 7 – 8 in Austin, Texas. You’ll learn powerful strategies from some of the industry’s most revered legends on how to grow your leadership skills and create a team that wins the rest of the year and beyond.
