How to be authentic in your real estate business

Can we pretend for a minute? Just humor me on this. Okay, I want you to imagine someone you do business with regularly; ie. maybe it's your bank teller, the clerk at your dry cleaner, or grocery store attendant. Picture having a conversation with this person and them mentioning to you that they are going to look at houses tonight with their realtor. Now wait, hold on, don't get all "they should be working with me!" on this. This isn't about you...yet. Just work with me here.

Picture your acquaintance looking at properties with their agent. What visuals come to mind? What type of clothes are they wearing? Do they have jewelry on or a hat? How do they act? What is their vibe, their mannerisms, etc.? Now, I want you to ask yourself what are things about yourself that make you unique comparatively? Those traits are part of your authenticity my friend and that is why your clients will love you just for being you.

I wanted to write this article because so many times I see agents come into the real estate business and just conform to what they think people want or, worse yet, conform to what they think their brokerages want. I also wanted to write this article to tell you to STOP IT! Stop thinking about it, stop considering it, and don't do it. It's a mistake, a big mistake! You need to be you. The "you" that is real and authentically you. The "you" that people love you for. 

Let me explain why this is so very important. I've watched thousands of agents come into the business over the years. I've watched them slide into being what they thought the "typical realtor" should be and then I've watched them be miserable because it's not who they really are. Ultimately, they feel uncomfortable, they can't maintain the persona, they don't feel like they measure up, and then they fold. I've even had my moments of doing this myself. Let me explain.

At one point in my career, I use to wear business suits every day. It was ok, but I was always fidgeting with my skirt, and my feet hurt from my way-to-high heels. After I'd get home, I'd immediately put on something flowy and loose or a pair of jeans and a cute top. I'm more of a boho-hippie kind of girl at heart, so this is my comfort spot...and also how I'm most productive.

I'm not someone who puts a business suit on and is at my best. It's simply not who I am. Don't get me wrong, if you're at your best in a suit, then you should definitely be stepping into that role 100%, but it's not for everyone. It wasn't for me that's for sure and if it's not you, then don't do it. It'll deter your productivity in the long run. I don't know about you, but I work at exceptionally higher levels when I'm comfortable. It's me being me.

That being said, do I think we should all look presentable? Of course I do! Don't show up in old dirty sweats or daisy dukes (you can Google that term if you're too young to know what they are). Your clients still want a nicely presentable person, but they also want the real you, not some "lifelike version of _____________(<--insert your name here)." 

Ok, so the next question usually is "But won't I lose clients?" To which I'll ask you this in return, "Do you want clients that don't enjoy you for who you really are or that make you miserable?" Of course not. None of us do. You got into business for yourself so you could do things YOUR way. Part of that is being comfortable with yourself. It's also stepping into the higher version of yourself and not who you think the world wants you to be. As business owners, we make that choice every single day whether we're aware of it or not. 

One huge bonus about attracting clients that adore your "authentic self" is that usually, you'll adore them too. This doesn't seem like a big deal when you're first starting out as you've never had a client that drove you absolutely bat sh*t crazy before, but it'll only take a few to understand how important this is in your real estate business.

If you've been in this business a while, then you know exactly what I mean and when you have great clients, you open-heartedly adore doing business with them. This is one of the sweet spots of having a real estate business that isn't talked about nearly enough in our industry. It's when you are abundantly grateful for having "Mr. Seller" or "Ms. Buyer" in your life because they've contributed to your life experience just as you have theirs.

It's not about money, it's about connection. I've learned some amazing things from some of my clients over the years. I've learned different thinking styles, business savviness, cultural diversities, and investment mentalities. These people aren't just clients, they contribute to your life in profound ways. 

I know a lot of people say "business is business," but I'm going to argue with them on that. Yes, we need to have healthy boundaries for our businesses, the customer is not always right, we need to take breaks, and we don't need to be working 24/7. However, our businesses are part of our being. We create them. They are a passing thought early on and we literally bring them into existence. They are a part of us. We pour into them, so shouldn't we be pouring our authentic hearts and minds into them for others who have similar hearts and minds? You may be the perfect real estate agent for those clients, but they'll never find you if you don't bring your own personal authenticity to the table for the world to see. 

Stay True to Yourself and Keep Shining On ~ Your Real Estate Coach,
Amanda