Getting started in real estate can be a thrilling experience. And, while we adore the industry, we understand that things aren't always so simple. As time passes and reality sets in, that initial sense of excitement and motivation may begin to fade.

We learn that real estate success requires consistent and sustained effort, including countless hours prospecting, reaching out to clients, assuaging our clients' fears, and filling out paperwork...so much paperwork. Is there a way to stay motivated and excited about real estate every day? How can you ensure that you always give your all?

 

Why Did You Decide To Get Into Real Estate?

Think about why you got into real estate in the first place before we get into the motivational stuff. Consider why you got into real estate in the first place to help you identify your motivation.

While every real estate agent has their own reasons for choosing this line of work, the majority of them do so for the three reasons listed below:

• They are enthralled by the prospect of becoming their own boss.
• They are dissatisfied with their current position, and real estate appears to be appealing.
• They want to amass a large sum of money.

It's understandable that you'd want to be your own boss. Not having a boss or manager micromanaging you is certainly appealing. And when you’re your own boss, you don’t have a salary cap. Your income is dictated by your productivity.

 

Real estate can certainly be fun. And it’s way more mentally stimulating than a lot of other jobs out there.

But the most common reason people want to get into real estate is the third one. The potential to make a lot of money.

There are lots of HGTV shows that make it seem so easy to make a ton of money in real estate. And it seems as if everyone has a relative or acquaintance in real estate that seems to be doing quite nicely for themselves.

 

Is Motivation Absolutely Essential For Your Success?

No. But it sure helps.

One of the most difficult issues that all entrepreneurs (real estate agents included) need to overcome is doing your best even when you REALLY REALLY REALLY don’t want to.

Sure, you probably have read feel-good, easy-to-share inspirational quotes from celebrities going on about how passion is absolutely essential for success.

But those quotes don’t really tell the whole story.

No one wakes up DYING to deal with difficult clients, get countless doors slammed in their faces while canvassing, sitting through another boring training session in the office, or filing paperwork.

Sure, some people DO love those aspects of real estate, and to them, I say more power to them. But you don’t NEED to be enthusiastic about every single work in real estate to be successful. And even when it comes to parts that you truly appreciate, it’s impossible to maintain a heightened level of enthusiasm day in and out over the next 20-30 years.

So, before getting into the key to staying motivated in real estate, you need to come to grips with one crucial reality: you need to embrace the boring bits of your real estate tasks.

Why?

Because often, it’s the dull portions that end up paying your bills.

That’s right, we’re talking about prospecting, following up on old clients, phoning FSBOs, and updating your CRM. Repetitive and boring, but vital material.

 

Look For Purpose

Motivation is sexy and exciting. It fuels a multibillion-dollar industry of motivational speakers, books, and seminars, among other things. When you're motivated, you have the feeling that you're unstoppable.

However, motivation fades with time. It must be renewed on a regular basis.

But there's something far more potent than motivation: purpose.

To figure out what truly motivates you, you must first figure out your big why.

Why do you get up so early every morning to work in real estate? Why did you choose this career over a higher-paying job elsewhere?

The big why is frequently cited as money. However, money is a poor motivator. Why? You don’t really want money, you want the things that money can get you.

And buying physical goods will only bring temporary happiness. Sure, it may feel super exciting to buy a brand-new car, iPhone, boat, etc. But after that initial dopamine hit wears off, little by little you’ll go back to your normal level of happiness. And then you’ll want to buy the next thing, which repeats the cycle.

Of course, that’s not to say that material things aren’t essential. Money lets you buy groceries. It pays for your rent or mortgage. It lets you invest in your children’s education. It can finance vacations where you can make happy memories.

So why should you want the money that real estate could provide? Because it permits you to perform the immaterial, yet essential we all care about. It lets you provide for your family. It can make sure your children get the best education. It serves as protection if anyone you love needs medical attention. It allows you to donate to causes you care about.

But your big why doesn’t have to be exclusively about you and those around you. You may also make it your mission to deliver the greatest real estate advice in the market since you're tired of people being taken advantage of by swindlers.

Maybe you love your city and want to bring in additional investors through real estate to assist the local economy thrive.

Or perhaps you want to be an inspiration to your community about what is possible if you set your mind to it.

Identify your purpose, keep it front and center, and constantly remind yourself about it. And once you have a purpose, motivation will follow and push you forward even when you feel tired, bored, and ready to give up.

 

Maintain A Healthy Routine

A purpose is a solid foundation for motivation. Now we need to build on it.

No matter how motivated you feel and how strong your purpose is, you won’t be able to do anything if your health fails. You need to take care of yourself.

In real estate, stress is unavoidable. However, learning how to deal with it is critical.

Stress isn't always a terrible thing. A little tension encourages you to get things done. However, if you are overly worried, your body will undoubtedly feel it.

Regular exercise and appropriate nutrition are two of the best strategies to handle stress. It's quite simple to disregard your physical health, especially when you have a lot of deals outstanding and unfinished business.

With the addition of COVID-19 worries, it's much simpler to become sedentary.

Make a habit of getting regular exercise and eating at regular times throughout the day.

Going to a crowded gym may not be the best idea right now, but there are plenty of options. Yoga, pilates, home workouts, jogging, cycling, and other forms of exercise are all options.

You must also schedule some time away from work for yourself. There isn't time to do chores or worry about things that aren't related to work. Some genuine vacation time.

 

Ensure That You Get Enough Sleep Every Night

Entrepreneurs, for some reason, enjoy bragging about how little sleep they get. They love seeing the reactions of people dropping their jaws in disbelief when they tell them they only got 3 hours of sleep each night in the last 2 weeks.

Sleep is extremely important for your physical well-being. It also allows you to have mental clarity, have more motivation, and be more detail-oriented with your tasks. Your body repairs itself when you sleep, and your brain stores all the information you gained throughout the day.

Never neglect sleep for the sake of getting one or two more tasks done. If you want to increase your productivity, learn to delegate tasks and get yourself a virtual assistant.

 

Study Successful Entrepreneurs

Reading about how other real estate agents have found success is not just a great way to help you stay motivated, but it will also help you learn from their mistakes.

Make a list of the top 10 real estate professionals you admire, and spend some time researching their back story. If they have a blog or podcast, follow them, and consume their content regularly.

Many top producers end up becoming real estate coaches and consultants, making it even easier to learn from them.

Of course, this shouldn’t just be an exercise in collecting biographies, listening to them for entertainment’s sake, or living vicariously through the success of others.

Your goal should be to learn about what they did, how they are regular people just like you, and why they became successful.

 

Give yourself incentives to reward yourself for a job well done. Whether they’re big or small, your real estate milestones towards your success should be celebrated.

Some motivational rewards could be:

• Go out for dinner at your favorite restaurant (if safe in our current COVID-19 reality).
• Buy yourself something you’ve always wanted.
• Celebrate with friends, coworkers, or team members.

Of course, you need to remember that these are REWARDS for your hard work. Make sure you’re not spending ALL of your hard-earned money in rewards, and you fail to do your financial duty and fail to save.

 

Organize Your Life

It may not be the sexiest, nor the most eye-catching tip out there. But if you MUST follow any tip in this list, follow this one.

When you organize your life, you get more done, you have more time to do the things you like, and you’ll get a better sense of accomplishment.

Start by keeping a schedule. Schedule all of your meetings, marketing tasks, client follow up efforts, CRM data entry, interviewing of new assistants, etc.

When you schedule your daily tasks, you will always know what to do next, and you’ll have something to work towards. And as you accomplish more and more of those necessary tasks, you’ll feel better about yourself, and more content with your level of productivity.

But don’t stop with organizing your work schedule. Take a look at your office, car, bedroom, home, and all the spaces where you spend your time. Keep them clean and neat, and arrange your tools, furniture, and everything to optimize your time.

 

Share Your Goals With Your Coworkers And Loved Ones

By sharing your goals with your coworkers and loved ones, you’ll place an additional incentive to accomplish your goals. That’s because you wouldn’t want to look bad in front of them.

Also, your loved ones will be incentivized to assist you when they can if they know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish.

 

Establish A Routine

Plan ahead what your week of activity will look like week after week, write it down, and stick to it.

For example, you could plan that on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays you’ll spend 2 hours prospecting each morning and that on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you’ll spend 2 hours reaching out to contacts you haven’t reached out to in a while.

 

Surround Yourself With People With A Drive For Success

When you surround yourself with people driven to succeed, you’ll encourage each other and help everyone stay positive and energetic.

Avoid spending too much time with people that love coming up with excuses for their failures, blame everyone else, and never take any personal responsibilities. People like that are energy vampires that will drag you down.

 

Conclusion

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