Chris Nichols
By Chris Nichols
I had the unique opportunity to attend a special event this last Friday. I didn’t realize how unique this event was until I got there and heard the speaker admit that he was a little nervous as he had never spoken to a stadium full of people before. That was kind of shocking to me since the speaker was none other than the founder of a little website many of you use daily… Facebook!
That’s right, Mark Zuckerberg came to visit a few thousand of us packed into the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. There was a lot of buzz surrounding this event and he was greeted by an awestruck audience as he entered the facility to answer various questions that were posed to him, on what else but a Facebook page! Mark discussed many interesting things as he answered the wide spectrum of questions, but two of the answers intrigued me most.
The first question was regarding what college classes have been most beneficial to him. Mark admitted that he wasn’t in school for that long and that he was a double major in computer science and psychology. Surprisingly his response wasn’t a computer science course, it was psychology! He said, “At the end of the day, all of the problems we face are about people. People care about people.”
The second question was asked about what advice and or character traits a budding entrepreneur needs to possess. Mark’s answer was spot-on, “You have to have passion for what you are doing. If you don’t completely love or believe in what you are doing, the natural thing will be to give up when you face the challenges that will inevitably come. More than anything you have to really have faith in what you are doing.”
It was interesting to me that Mark Zuckerberg, the guy who has revolutionized our world, boiled it down to two simple things: People and Passion.
As I often do with anything I encounter in life, I try to apply lessons learned to real estate. What better way for us as REALTORS® to be successful than to be passionate about people? Too often we get caught up in the minutia of a transaction and lose sight that this business is about people who want to experience the dream of home ownership. If the founder of a tech company used by 1-in-11 people in the world can see this, then shouldn’t we as well?
Chris Nichols is a full time REALTOR® with Prudential Utah Elite Real Estate in Orem, Utah. Learn more about Chris at: buysellinvestutah.com, utahrepro.com or @utahREpro.
Comments 4
Chris, I couldn’t agree more. I think that is a great synopsis from an unintentional leader in today’s times. His creative passion about people has carried him to lofty heights.
I would also add the importance of professionalism and doing the right thing for the simple reason that it is the right thing to do. With passion about people and the courage to do the right thing, success is imminent.
Thanks for the post.
Thanks Chris for a great post and sharing with us. Passion about People will always be THE underlying backbone of a truly great real estate professional.
I printed your post, highlighted Mark’s quote within it and put it up in our office. I also emailed it to all of our agents in FL & GA. Serves as a great reminder.
Thanks again!
Anand
Nice article Chris. I have also found that passion is critical for one’s own work, and being passionately interested in client’s passions works wonders in developing strong relationships. Know your clients passions, and be passionate about learning why they are passionate.
Good article, Chris. It’s hard to be satisified through your soul when you’re not doing something you love. I’ve found that taking a couple extra minutes to talk with people enhances my chances of making a sale. it’s also increases the odds that person will help me with a connection i’m looking to make later on.