Six Ways Real Estate Professionals Can Keep Growing And Learning

 1. Network With Local Market Leaders
Image result for networking

When entering a market or gaining a better understanding of your own, look for local market leaders who have insight you can trust. On a daily basis, I network with real estate wholesalers, agents, Realtors, attorneys, developers, builders and my mentors to determine whether actions I take in a given area will be profitable over time. There’s no substitute for local, actionable information.

2. Surround Yourself With Great People

Related imageNetwork equals net worth: The more people you speak to, the more opinions and knowledge you receive, which eventually molds your decisions for the better. Be proud to be the dumbest person in the room. Surround yourself with great people, and you too will be great.

 

 

3. Listen To In-Person Instructors Who Encourage Interaction

Related imageMy favorite classes have become in-person classes, where instructors encourage interaction. We all have different experiences and ideas. It’s interesting to hear what has worked for others, and then take those ideas and evolve them into something that is my own. Find instructors who keep your attention and function in similar niches, and follow them.

4. Sit Down With Clients And Discuss Their Pain Points

Image result for meetingThe greatest learning occurs not in schools or meeting rooms, but when you sit down with your customers and discuss their pain points. I make it a point to meet as many of our clients in person as possible, and to personally respond to inbound inquiries about our services. This allows me to understand how an end user perceives our business, what their challenges are and how we could benefit them.

 

 

5. Leverage Associations And Industry Knowledge

Image result for real estate knowledgeWe continue to benefit from the fantastic content, network and events provided by the Urban Land Institute, International Council of Shopping Centers and National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. Pairing the deep knowledge there with more contemporary and real estate-specific media outlets gives us an insight into how our industry is shifting and moving.

 

 

6. Study Other Industries’ Cultures And Products For Ideas

Image result for studyReal estate is a slow-moving beast that is years behind other industries. I don’t have a single resource, nor would I recommend using a single resource. Instead, I seek out a broad perspective by following a number of industries, consumer software products and any companies that I think are doing a good job creating culture. The best ideas for real estate education often come from elsewhere.