Real Estate Productivity: Knowledge is Overrated

As a real estate productivity trainer and coach I have seen one underlying mindset that has repeatedly kept real estate agents from succeeding in their businesses: The Quest for Knowledge.  Not to say that indsutry knowledge isn't an important part of real estate, but it should never be the primary focus of an agent's practice if his or her goal is to succeed in the business over time.  This is becasue the pursuit of knowledge often soon becomes a barrier to an agent actually learning how to succeed.  Obtaining knowledge is safe, but in order to actually learn one must get a bit uncomfortable in taking some sort of action that might result in failure.  In the face of this daunting undertaking, many agents hurridly run back to their security blanket of knowledge.  At least it's still productive? It's not laying on the couch watching daytime television.

Put Knowledge Back in its Place

This endless search for knowledge actually creates a mindset of scarcity: "If I could just learn __________, I will be successful."  Once this victim-like mentality takes hold, all future knowledge obtained can never be truly learned.  This dangerous belief starts to look at knowledge as a magic pill that solves all ills.  The agent quickly discounts the importance of taking action and failing forward as the key ingredients to learning.  Personal accountiablity is completely thrust aside as the security blanket gets warmer.

The agent then starts watching too many webinars, reading too many books, and attending too many classes and seminars.  All for nothing!  These efforts are all wasted if undertaken while being unclear about what learing really is.  Learning is not just watching, reading, attending, listing or any form of obtaining knowledge.  Instead, learning is really about translating knowing what to do into doing what we know. If wisdom is gained without the awareness that it soon must be converted into uncomfortable action, it is soon discounted and lost. It's not about what you know, it's about how you think.

Get Uncomfortable

The concept of transforming knowledge into suceeding involves a significant amount of change. If we don't change have we actually learned anything?  Change and action always involve taking risks. Risks are never easy, but the alternative choice of doing nothing through inaction is almost never the better alternative.  So one must be willing to fail, often multiple times, in order to truly learn and succeed. Otherwise, inaction allows you to snuggle deeper into the security blanket of knowledge while learning becomes more of an improbability.

Those that put the quest for knowledge in its proper place and choose to learn by taking action are rewarded if they embrace failure as the only means to achieve success.  This concept of failing forward is embedded in the minds of top real estate agents. They actually seek out opportunities to fail as they understand that it is the only way to achieve significant personal growth.  Soon the habit of getting uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable is formed, and they break through ceilings of achievement on a regular basis. They understand how to learn as an ongoing part of their practices.

Take Action

Remember that it is always better to be told to wait than wait to be told.  So to truly learn how to be successful in real estate, agents must decide what to do and start doing it.

Action builds confidence; Inaction breeds doubt

Action teaches courage; Inaction indicates fear

Action brings growth through mistakes; Inaction brings stagnation and atrophy

Action leads to solutions; Inaction concentrates on the problems

What to do now? Step away from this article, decide how you are going to get uncomfortable and fail today so that you can actually learn how to implement some of that precious knowledge that's already in your noggin!