What we know about real estate is that it always comes down to the fundamentals. The fundamentals always stay the same, but the ‘game’ just speeds up. Here fundamentals 1 through 5 of the 19 Things They Don’t Teach You in Real Estate School:

1. Database. As an agent, this is your business plan. The thing that we are striving for is top of mind awareness as an agent. These are going to be the people that know, like, and trust you. Here are the 4 database rules:
   • Have one. Be an agent that effectively communicates with those who are a part of your database. The size of your business will be in direct proportion to the size of your database so, don’t cherry pick your database.
   • Communicate with your database systematically. Leveraging it with technology could be a viable option, too.
   • Feed it daily. Always grow and/or add to your database and make sure to update the information of your contacts so that it is accurate.
   • Service all leads that come your way. This seems simple but when you’re in a busy season of your business, it can be hard to juggle it all. This comes back to making sure that you have things running in a systematic way so that nothing falls through the cracks. You’re not just in the real estate business, you’re also in the lead generation business.

2. Lead with Revenue, Not Expenses. Don’t fall for the “shiny objects”. Agents do not have to spend money to make money, but they do need leads. And leads can be found in a referral-based business and that will continue to feed you for a lifetime. To be successful, it takes hard work and consists of having conversations. Be a person of value and have real, authentic and genuine conversations. By doing this, you’ll naturally make friends. It might take time but there is a difference between a gamble and an investment. Know the difference. 
3. Lead Generation. Have consistent conversations every single day to lead generate. It’s recommended to spend 2-3 hours a day with the goal of getting appointments. Remember that you wake up unemployed each day, so this is the engine behind your business. Your Real Estate Agent job description is doing the following 5 things every working day: Lead Generation, Lead Follow Up, Going on Appointments, Negotiating Contracts, and Script & Role Play. This is a model, not a menu. Each day you go to work though, you should be doing these 5 things. You are being trusted with one of the biggest financial investments of people’s lives…Would you hire yourself? This is mission critical and impacts everything else about your career so master the art of conversation and asking for business.
4. Find an Accountability Partner or Coach. Success leaves clues and no one succeeds alone. As an agent, it’s important to be intentional about building the bunker of accountability because we let ourselves down much easier than we let other people down. You are the average of the top 5 people that you surround yourself with the most. As you think about that, analyze who are you choosing to allow in your circle. One of the quickest ways to succeed is to surround yourself with people who have already done it and experienced it. Ask them great questions and take notes and remember, your network equals your net worth. Continue to find people that care and who will hold you accountable whether you’re at your best or your worst. 
5. Define Your Standards & Systems. 

1. • Standards are whatever you allow for yourself, as well as what you will allow and accept from other people. “You can’t complain about the things you tolerate.” As the agent, you’re in the driver’s seat so think about what you’re willing to tolerate. And when you start to feel stress and pressure, it’s time to revisit your standards.
   • Systems make the ordinary extraordinary. All a system is is a repeatable, duplicatable, step-by-step-process so that you don’t have to work off memory each time. Real Estate agents aren’t great with follow-up. Most are so caught up in the here and now that they neglect to think about the long-term benefit of systems. In doing so, you lose out on ongoing clients for life. Just because you close on a home with somebody doesn’t mean that you forget about them and move onto the next. They are still a client and you need to continue to nurture and love on them knowing that their next need might not be until a handful of years down the road.