Summary:

On today’s episode, I want to talk to you about becoming good at hard conversations. Some conversations, especially about money and compensation, can be hard and awkward, but if you aren’t going to stand up and advocate for yourself, who will?

Learning to advocate for myself

When I was young and applying for a W2 type job, I asked for more money than was typically paid for that position. It wasn’t because I was greedy, but I knew the experience and familiarity I was bringing to that institution, and I felt I deserved more money. I felt the value I was bringing the organization was worth more money. I became a good advocate for myself—because I got good at hard conversations. I got good at saying, this is the value that I bring to the company and the organization. I think a lot of this comes down to how much you believe in what you're doing and how much you believe in yourself.

Advocate for yourself

As a Realtor, you will encounter hard conversations in your business. Suppose you were to change companies and ask for a higher split than their normal percentage. They will want to know what value you bring to the company that deserves a higher split than the norm. What will you say? You can’t just sit and stare back at them—you have to be your biggest advocate and get good at the hard conversations. What if a client comes to you asking why they should list with you when there’s a discount broker that has a lower commission? You need to be prepared to advocate for yourself by telling them what you bring to the table and what your company brings to the table. Tell them that you deserve their listing because you know the quality of the work you do, know that you’re going to communicate well with them and outwork any other agent. Then provide your client reviews to prove it. Don’t run away when people question your value and don’t try to change the subject to avoid hard conversations.

Real estate can be very hard. If you embrace the difficult, stretch those muscles, get better at the things that are hard, get better at talking about the hard stuff, talking about your value, and talking about what your compensation should be—get better at having those kinds of conversations—you’ll have more success in your real estate business.

Podcast edited by Kenny Carfagno.

Show notes and blog posts are created by Jennifer Harshman and RealtorEmails.

John Schuchman is a licensed REALTOR® in Lancaster, PA, with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Homesale Realty and a part of the Andrew Welk Group. The opinions shared on this show represent the opinions & values of John Schuchman and do not necessarily represent the opinions & values of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Homesale Realty. The opinions & ideas shared in this podcast do not guarantee or promise any results of success to the listener.