Being a realtor can be a fun and exciting career. Many soon to be and freshly minted agents can just picture the commission checks rolling in, setting their own schedule and being their own bosses. What other industry has the promise of instant riches, at least if HGTV is any indication? This is one industry that has a relatively low barrier of entry where expectations can be wildly out of sync with reality. The opportunity does exist, however you must be prepared to learn new skills at a high level, have a desire to achieve big goals and be willing to do whatever it takes to achieve them. It is so important to understand exactly what you hope to get out of becoming a real estate agent. You must ask yourself, what is driving you? What is your big why? What is going to make you get out of bed every morning and complete tasks that are unpleasant and not what you “signed up for” when you decided to get your real estate license? 9 out of 10 brand new realtors do not last in the business after the first year. Why is this number so high for a job that gives the ultimate job flexibility and virtually no accountability? It usually comes down to at least one of the following three things that are missing. 1) Skills There is no getting around it. You must be skilled at a number of things, first and foremost being sales. You have to know how to talk to people and get them to want to do business with you. You must be skilled at getting somebody from a no to a yes. Phone skills and phone prospecting are huge for you business. Being able to set appointments and close on the appointment is huge. Other important skills include negotiating, contracts, networking, and general real estate knowledge. Some of these skills will come more easily to you than others, but you must commit to becoming an expert in all of them. 2) Desire You must have the desire for success. You will need to have the desire for high production and big numbers, both in terms of volume produced and commissions earned. Big commissions for its own sake are not your primary goal. The purpose of making the money is to fund a perfect life by design for you and your family. If your desire is to do only one or two transactions a year then this is not much more than a hobby for you. No need to read any further. If you are serious about becoming successful in real estate, you must focus your desire. 3) Willingness This is where even those with a strong desire can get tripped up. The thing that is usually lacking the most even with seasoned agents is willingness. This is what sets apart the pros from the pretenders. I am talking about being willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes. You must be willing to do the things that most people don’t like to do, such as prospecting on the phone for clients every day or getting out of bed early and working until 10PM if that’s what it takes to get your business off the ground. Are you willing to develop your sales skill to a mastery level and dedicate yourself to becoming an expert negotiator? It is up to you to own and be accountable for your learning experience. You must be willing to invest in your training to gain the knowledge necessary to improve your skill. It is no longer a question of can I or can’t I. It is now a question of will I or won’t I. It all boils down to skills, desire, and willingness. If you are not at the top of your game I want you to ask yourself if you are deficient in any of these areas. If you are, identify which one and commit to overcoming it. For a more detailed analysis check out Agent 2 Agent. If you have any questions, post below and share with anybody that you feel may benefit from this article. Tim Brooks @realtimbrooks