The speed of the leader determines the speed of the pack.
This statement is true in all aspects of our lives.
Sports, business, community, even family.
But what does it mean to be a successful team leader?
Many real estate agents who become team leaders or brokerage owners have a hard time adjusting to a leadership position because they have spent their entire careers as independent business owners, selling houses on their own without the need to work with a team or to step up as a leader.
This brings up an interesting question for most new real estate team leaders and that is. What are the attributes of successful real estate team leaders as opposed to team leaders who fail?
As the career of a real estate agent progresses, they often see the need or have the desire to build a team or even start their own brokerage in order to scale their businesses to the point where it will provide them with the means to live the lifestyle that they can really enjoy. As more agents step into a leadership position they are often left wondering what makes a great real estate team leader and how to be a great real estate team leader.
Qualities of Leadership
If you want to be a successful real estate team leader, it’s important to have the right qualities. A good leader is someone who can inspire and motivate their team, set clear goals and expectations, and make sure everyone is working together towards common objectives.
Leaders also need to be able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, handle stress well, and make good decisions under pressure.
As you can probably tell by now, leaders have a tough job. But they are also the ones that reap the most rewards when it is said and done.
When it comes to the qualities and attributes that a successful real estate team leader must possess, I think it’s best for us to turn to one of the great influential philosophers of success for advice, Napoleon Hill.
In his legendary book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill shared the 11 attributes of all of the successful leaders in business that he had studied for over 25 years.
These 11 famous attributes of success can be seen across many facets of life in the great leaders of business, faith, and politics and have stood the test of time.
In our article, we will discuss these 11 attributes of success and how they may be applied to the world of real estate so that you can adopt these qualities for yourself and become the truly successful real estate team leader that you know you are.
Table of Contents
11 Attributes of a Successful Real Estate Team Leader:
1) Confidence and Courage
2) Discipline and Self-Control
3) A Sense of Fairness
4) Decisiveness
5) Have Definite Plans
6) The Habit of Going the Extra Mile for Their Agents
7) Easy to Get Along With
8) Empathy for and Understanding of Team Members
9) Mastery of Detail
10) Assume Full Accountability and Responsibility
11) Co-operation and Willingness to Work With Others
Are You a Real Estate Agent Looking to Start a Team? Click Below to Learn More About an Incredible Team Building Opportunity at the Fastest Growing Brokerage in the World!
1) Confidence and Courage
The number one most important attribute of a successful real estate team leader is unwavering confidence and courage.
Confidence in yourself is the most important trait that you have to develop before you can ever successfully lead a real estate team. You must believe in yourself and your abilities wholeheartedly if you want to be able to inspire the same confidence in those that you lead.
Courage is also essential for leaders as it allows them to face difficult challenges head-on without fear or hesitation. Leaders are often put in tough situations where they need to make quick decisions, and having courage allows them to do so without being paralyzed by fear.
As a team leader, one of your most important tasks is to inspire and motivate the agents on your team. The best way to do that is to be confident in your own abilities first.
This means being honest with yourself and knowing both your strengths and weaknesses so that you can confidently motivate and help your agents without having to pose or pretend like you are an expert in a subject that you are not.
2) Discipline and Self-Control
Discipline and self-control go hand in hand as they are both necessary for you to become a successful real estate team leader.
Leaders must have the discipline to work hard and stay focused on their goals, while also maintaining self-control so that they do not let their emotions get the best of them. Leaders who are able to stay calm under pressure and make rational decisions will be more successful than those who cannot.
One of the most important things a successful real estate team leader can do is to keep the promises that they make to their agents. It takes an enormous amount of discipline to be able to stick to your promises and do the things that you said that you are going to do.
Real estate team leaders and brokers have many responsibilities and are constantly faced with distractions and other people trying to get their attention. Agents will ask you questions, staff members will quit, and clients might even complain to you.
It is important to not be phased by these distractions and stay focused on doing the things you set out to do if you want to be a truly successful real estate team leader.
3) A Sense of Fairness
One of the most important qualities of a good leader is a sense of fairness.
Leaders must always maintain a fair and just attitude when dealing with their team members if they want to maintain respect. This means treating everyone equally, being open-minded, and listening to others’ viewpoints before making decisions.
A leader with no sense of fairness or justice will often find themselves with a team that is not loyal or motivated. Team members will feel like they are not being treated fairly and may begin to look for other opportunities.
As a real estate team leader, you will have times when there will be many agents who will require your time. It’s important to not play favorites when these situations arise when two or more agents will “need” your time and spend your time with those who deserve it through their work ethic and track record.
4) Decisiveness
Leaders who are indecisive will often find themselves struggling in their role as team leaders.
In order to be successful, leaders must be able to make quick decisions when needed and have the confidence to stand by them even if they are not popular.
Like Napoleon Hill said in Think and Grow Rich, “Those who succeed reach decisions promptly, and change them, if at all, very slowly. Those who fail, reach decisions, if at all, very slowly, and change them frequently, and quickly.”
Being definite in your decision-making is key to being a successful leader, especially in real estate. Markets are always changing and agents need clear direction in order to be successful. Clients will also look to you as the expert in real estate and will want to know what your thoughts are on the market.
As a leader, it is important to have a firm understanding of the market conditions and be able to make decisions quickly so that you can capitalize on opportunities when they arise.
5) Have Definite Plans
In order to be a successful real estate team leader, you must have definite plans and know what you want to achieve.
They cannot afford to be vague or make promises that they cannot keep. Leaders need to be very organized and have a clear idea of what they want their team to do, how they want them to do it, and what the end goal is.
When you have a plan, it gives your team something to work towards and helps them stay focused. It also makes it easier for you to track progress and make changes when needed.
As a leader, you should always be looking for ways to improve your team’s productivity and efficiency. Having a plan gives you a framework to work within and makes it easier to make changes when needed.
6) The Habit of Going the Extra Mile for Their Agents
Truly great real estate team leaders always go the extra mile for their teams.
This means going above and beyond what is expected and doing whatever they can to help their agents be successful. Leaders who do not go the extra mile for their team members will quickly find themselves with a team that is not productive or motivated.
As a leader, you should always be looking for ways to provide more value to your agents and their clients. Going the extra mile for your agents is one way to do this.
This attribute should be the first quality that all team leaders adopt because it does not require any special talent or skill. All it takes is a conscious effort. Going the extra mile and doing more than what you are paid for is the simplest task a team leader can do, yet it is the one thing that will yield more rewards than all the other attributes combined.
The extra mile, is truly, never crowded.
Make it a habit to under-promise and over-deliver for your team.
Are You a Real Estate Agent Looking to Start a Team? Click Below to Learn More About an Incredible Team Building Opportunity at the Fastest Growing Brokerage in the World!
7) Easy to Get Along With
No one wants to work with someone who is difficult to get along with. As a real estate team leader, it is important to have a pleasing personality so that your agents will want to work with you and clients will feel comfortable working with you.
If you are constantly snapping at your agents or always putting them down, they will quickly lose respect for you and become unproductive. On the other hand, if you are kind and supportive, they will be more likely to go the extra mile for you in return.
The same principle applies to clients. If they feel like they cannot trust or talk to you openly, they will not be comfortable working with you. However, if you are friendly and open-minded, they will be more likely to trust you and feel comfortable working with you.
As a leader, it is important to be likable and easy to get along with. This will make your job much easier and will help you build better relationships with your agents, staff members, and clients.
8) Empathy for and Understanding of Team Members
In order to be a great real estate team leader, you need to be able to show empathy for and understanding of all of the agents on your team.
No two agents are the same and they each have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. As a leader, it is important to understand what makes each agent tick and how they best work.
You also need to be able to see things from their perspective and understand their points of view. This will help you communicate with them more effectively and resolve any conflicts that may arise.
It is also important to be supportive of your team members. When agents feel supported by their leader, they are more likely to be productive and efficient.
Give Praise and Recognition Often
Leaders who do not give praise or recognition often find themselves with unmotivated teams.
Everyone likes to be recognized for their hard work, and praising your team members is one of the best ways to show them that you appreciate their efforts.
When team members feel appreciated, they are more likely to work harder and be more productive. It also makes them feel like they are part of a team and that their contributions are valued.
Make it a habit to give praise and recognition often and your team will be sure to appreciate it.
9) Mastery of Detail
One of the most important qualities of a successful real estate team leader is the ability to master the details of their position.
This means being able to understand and manage all of the intricate workings of their team. A leader who is not detail-oriented will not be able to effectively manage their team or resolve conflicts.
They will also be less effective at communicating with their team members and clients.
Successful leaders need to be able to master the details of their position in order to be successful.
10) Assume Full Accountability and Responsibility
As a real estate team leader, you need to be responsible for everything that goes on in your team.
This means that if something goes wrong, you are the one who takes full responsibility. This will show your agents and staff that you are a leader who can be trusted. Being accountable and responsible is an important part of being a successful leader.
A truly successful real estate team leader must not blame their agents for any of their mistakes or shortcomings and always assume full responsibility. If one of your agents is “incompetent” or not reaching their goals, you as the team leader, are the one who has failed, not the agent.
Focuses on Solutions, Not Problems
As a leader, it is important to also focus on solutions, not problems when it comes to taking responsibility for your teams’ actions.
When you focus on problems, all you do is dwell on the negative and this will only lead to frustration and negativity.
However, when you focus on solutions, you are looking for ways to resolve the issue at hand and move forward. This is a much more positive approach that will help you maintain a positive attitude, even in difficult times.
As a leader, it is important to remember that your attitude affects everyone around you. If you are negative and always complaining, your team will be negative and unproductive. However, if you focus on solutions and maintain a positive attitude, your team will be more productive and happier.
11) Co-operation and Willingness to Work With Others
As a real estate team leader, you need to work with other people.
It’s important to cooperate with the other agents in your team because they are the backbone of your business. And it’s also a good idea for real estate team leaders to induce the same spirit of cooperative effort in their agents as well because if one agent doesn’t do something right then the others will help out.
In order to be a successful leader, you need to be cooperative and willing to work with others in harmony. This will help maintain a positive team spirit and will make your job much easier.
The Ability to Delegate
Leaders who are unwilling or unable to delegate tasks will often find themselves struggling in their role.
A good leader knows that they cannot do everything themselves and must delegate tasks accordingly. This means trusting others with important tasks and letting them take ownership of those tasks.
This will help free up the leader’s time so they can focus on more important, income-producing tasks and will also help develop the skills of those who are being delegated to.
Delegating tasks is an important skill that a successful real estate team leader must possess.
Becoming a Successful Real Estate Team Leader
If you want to be a successful real estate team leader, it is important to remember these 11 qualities.
Remember, leadership is not about being bossy or demanding, it’s about being able to lead by example and inspire others to reach their full potential. If you can do this, then you will be well on your way to becoming a successful leader.
Are You a Real Estate Agent Looking to Start a Team? Click Below to Learn More About an Incredible Team Building Opportunity at the Fastest Growing Brokerage in the World!