Be a Good Observer
Understanding people is the most important skill a real estate agent can have. The more you watch others, the more you will understand them. Don't just observe your clients and customers, the agents in your office, and others in the real estate profession. Watch everyone you encounter and imagine what it must be like to be in his or her shoes. When someone is upset, try to see past his frustration and ask yourself why he is upset. When someone is happy or excited, look at the entire situation and determine what part of it makes her feel so good.
Question
Should I even watch people in the grocery store or at the beach?
Yes. By seeing people in all situations and noting their behavior, you can gain a better understanding of what is important to them. You can transfer that understanding of human nature to encounters in your real estate career.
Observe your own actions and reactions as well. Did you push that client to act because you really need the money or because you really believe he will regret it if he doesn't buy that particular house? Being mindful of your own motivations will help you to be more insightful about the motivations of others. Did you skip your prospecting calls because you had too many rejections last time? It is easy to take each rejection personally, so instead of becoming upset, step back and imagine what the other person was thinking. Perhaps you caught them at a bad time, or maybe they have several friends in the real estate business all pushing to sell them a new house. Think about how you handled things, too. It is not always the other person who needs to make a change — sometimes it is you.
