Being a successful real estate agent is like running a marathon. You prepare for months, learned your scripts, learning how to handle objections, and how to prospect effectively. You have set your goals, prepared your calendar for the year, and you are ready to roll.

First 5 miles – You’re Inspired…

You are feeling excited confident. You’re inspired; you’ve done your preparation and it shows. Around you are other real estate agents who also want to be the first person to cross the finish line. Filled with inspiration, you are determined to reach the goals you set with your broker/coach and everything seems obtainable; everything seems easy!

Miles 5-9 – The Difficulties Come…

Inspiration, however, can carry us only so far before exhaustion starts to sink in. You start to feel the pain in your knees and joints as your feet land on the hard concrete. You are really tired: your back and legs hurt from door knocking. You are sick and tired of hearing, “No, I am not interested.”  You start seeing other agents selling properties, and you start wondering why you aren’t.  Frustration begins to set in. You want to walk but commit yourself to keeping your head down and running at the same pace. You remember the compelling feelings of inspiration you had in the beginning as you continue to prospect, practice your scripts, and contact your sphere of influence.  Sticking to your schedule, you don’t back down, but following your plan is getting more difficult.

Miles 10-17 – You’re In The Thick Of It…

Lactic acid starts to build up in your muscles. Your lungs feel as though they are on fire. Your competition, the other real estate agents, seem to be flying by you as they sell property after property. Are you going to give up? Every bead of sweat on your face is a drop of the inspiration you once had leaving your body. You fear that one of your sellers, whose listing is about to expire will hire another agent. You are still waiting for authorization from the bank on two short sales. An escrow that was set to close hasn’t, because inspections were not completed on time. You’re in the thick of it, and the problems seem to be everywhere. Despite the mounting difficulties, and the pain you are feeling, you continue on.

Miles 18-21 – Fight Through It Or Quit

In the final stretch, your character is tested and proven, these are the moments which define your character, when things are difficult and you want to give up. Maybe your mind starts drifting and trying to rationalize the moments. Maybe you think you can just coast the rest of the way? Or maybe you think the inspiration that carried you in the first few miles will kick in. You try to compromise with yourself and say that you’ve worked hard enough already to get where you are and the pain and frustration fill your mind and cloud your very reasons for starting this career path.

But you choose to keep on running and working as hard as you can to close deals. I mean, giving up now, when you’re so close to the finish line would be crazy! Your body hits the wall, and you’re sure you can’t go any further. Your body is starting to control your mind but you dig deeper and seek the mental fortitude. You tell your body that you can do this and try your best to suppress the pain your body feels. You continue cold-calling every weekday morning; you door-knock expired and 10 houses on either side; you role-play, set and go on appointments.

Miles 22-24 Keep Fighting

Somehow, you keep pushing, and you’re on mile 22. You know you have only 4.2 miles left, and your rational brain starts kicking in. You have your moment of clarity, as you remember why you started this race. You can envision yourself crossing that finish line, which is just a few short miles away. You hear people cheering you on as, somehow, the inspiration with which you started the race returns to you. You have buyers and sellers, and three of your escrows should close in the next few days. Convinced that you will finish this race. you pick up the pace! You have tapped into a strength that you have deep within yourself. Congratulations, you have pushed yourself beyond where you thought you could go. High performing real estate agents tap into this inner strength and use it to push themselves to achieve success far beyond what they originally thought possible! You are doing that.

Miles 25-26.2 With Momentum Built, the End in Sight–Time to Soar

Invigorated, with the end in sight, you decide to sprint the last couple hundred yards. You are running faster than when you began the race. You feel as though you’re almost floating. After 26.1 miles you should be exhausted, but you’re not. This phenomenon is called the “runner’s kick,” and it happens to an athlete who has been pushing him or herself to the limit.  This phenomenon also stands as evidence that if we actually put every ounce of ourselves into the race, or any challenge we face, we can achieve our goal. You are determined to get you through this; your daily tasks don’t feel difficult anymore; your muscle memory has kicked in, and, you are used to the long hours, rejection, and problems which inevitably arise.

After you soar across the finish line, you are overcome with joy by this tremendous feat. Finishing this race came at a cost, which pales in comparison to the sheer elation you feel. You sold some houses and have other listings and clients. You are getting better and better, you know your scripts and objection handlers and continue practicing them.  You look and feel like a successful real estate agent. You look back and marvel that there was actually a moment when you considered giving up. You would have never had these feelings of elation, or known how far you could actually push yourself if you had given up.

Lessons Learned

Anything in life worth doing will be difficult, but the difficult undertakings in life are worth the effort. From the race, you learned that pain is temporary, while pride and great earning power are forever.

We must force ourselves to keep our eyes on our goals, and we will find our inspiration. In life, it isn’t the person who crosses the finish line first who achieves the greatest success. It is the person who can work through the pain and adversity, while keeping his or her focus on the finish line, who will achieves the most success.

You can do it; just work through the pain, build your muscle memory.  The finish line is closer than you think. Are you ready to run? What are you going to do to get started?