Trevor James | Source | Staff Writer at The Close

I have met plenty of agents who are more than happy to be superstars doing 50-plus transactions a year. They love helping their clients and being busy. I’ve met agents who are team members and extremely successful at over $200,000 annual gross commission income (GCI), and they love the team camaraderie. They wouldn’t dream of leaving just to strike out on their own. You’ll need to find that balance of what works for you—whether that looks like a solo agent, a team member, a team leader, or a managing broker.

Did you know the average age of a real estate agent is 55? Keep in mind that most agents struggle in today’s digital world. They have a lot of knowledge but every year, their client base is being eroded by those adapting to the times.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

"One, Persistence. Sometimes it’s hard to keep going, and we’re all going to have bad days, weeks or even months. That’s okay. Shake it off and keep going! Life is short and there’s so much to experience. Take the ups with the downs. Remember that the tide ebbs and flows, especially in sales and entreprenurship.

Two, Empathy. Working as a real estate professional can be an intimate job, where you can learn closely-guarded details of your clients. Being able to put yourself in their shoes is really important—after all, there are always two sides to every story. Remember to really listen to people and respond to what they’re saying. Make them feel cared for and heard.

Three, Nike’s slogan is well-known for a reason: Just Do It. Get your tasks done. Do your calls, your follow up emails and your paperwork. Does it suck? Most likely. But if you’re able to frame a hard tasks around curiosity and learning, instead of slogging through it, you’ll find it more interesting. Work and life is full of things we don’t want to do. As was carved on the tomb of an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh, 'your deeds are your monuments.'"