A Simple Switch
Remember back in early 2020 when the world shut down?
Travel stopped. Families were separated. Business closed down. Work from home became the new norm. Face masks. People lost lives and livelihoods and nobody knew what was going to happen, or for how long it would last.
At this junction in time, just before the real estate industry re-opened and the covid buying frenzy ensued, there was a lot of FEAR.
People needing to make their real estate moves were frozen in fear of the unknown.
We didn’t know if we were heading to another housing crash.
Real estate professionals literally could not go to work for several weeks.
At this time, at Thrive, we chose to lean into the fear. Embrace it and take a stance of service over sales.
Our communication and engagement with our clients and sphere turned from “real estate sales” calls to “are you OK?” and “do you need any toilet paper, I have some spare” calls. Yup, remember TP-Gate!
This was not a strategy to get more business. It was simply, advocating selflessly.
Then the real estate industry was deemed as “essential”, and we continued to carry that position of advocacy through one of the most challenging times in real estate (good and bad).
But, let’s think about what that means. “Essential”.
Governments decided that the work you do as a real estate professional was essential to the functioning of our cities and society in the midst of a global pandemic.
That’s a huge weight of responsibility to carry.
While the pandemic is now in the rear-view mirror, the effects of it are still being felt within our industry, and for our clients and communities.
The pendulum has swung.
We are now in a world where recession is the new buzzword. Rates are high, but may lower 🤞. Affordability is at an all-time low. Companies are laying off employees. Return to the office instruction is the new norm. Homes are sitting on the market for longer.
The correction in the market is here. People are scared.
Buyers are scared that they’ll never be able to afford a home.
Sellers are scared of losing their well-won equity.
Real estate agents are scared they won’t be able to make enough money to survive the shift.
What will you do in this time of fear? Lean in. Or run for the hills.
Stop imagining and exaggerating what might be, and start accepting what is, and watering what good can come from the action you take.
~ Omar Itani
As the real estate market transitions through another shift and moves into the seasonal up-swing, think about how you can lean into the fear.
The simple switch of service > sales.
A simple change in your language and mindset when you’re just “touching base”.
As you look to deepen relationships and become top-of-mind for one of life’s biggest decisions - switch from a “think of me” plea to a “thinking of you” promise.