Brian Copeland

By Brian Copeland

I’m really tired of “Pants On The Ground” from American Idol.  It was a moment of time that a few cool people jumped on and then it was over.  Now, seeing the late-to-the-party-people start talking about it just makes me pull out my southern statement of, “Bless Their Heart.”  All that aside, we face the same eminent 15-minute reputation as YPNers.

Many agents today WILL SEE lacking staying power as a trend, thanks to our pop culture influences of trends and passers-by.  Here are four things to remember to ensure you last beyond your 15 minutes in this career.

Change Your Technology Talk. Technology is simply an accent or complement to what we already do.  The basic principles of listings, buyers and referrals need to stay central with technology as a secondary.  View Web strategy and social strategy with other agents and consumers as common as a TV remote.  No one today says, “I have this amazing button box that when you touch it, a magic light comes on a beam people from Los Angeles into your living room.”  The consumers are not impressed as much with your tech talk as much as they are impressed by your ability to apply the tools to the basics.  Integrate your technology plan in your listing and buyer meetings smoothly without trying to be overly impressive on the tools.  Make them a part of real estate life.

Concentrate On Local Relationships. Get to every city council, metro council, school board, zoning, whatever meeting you can in your area.  Sit back, watch and be informed.  Don’t make it your mission to let EVERYONE know you are there.  They will notice.  Just because a mic is open on the floor doesn’t mean you should grab it.  The more present you are, the more in-the-flow you become, the more you will start to gain the power and influence you need in your local community outside the REALTOR® population.

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is…EARLY! I look at this in two areas… philanthropy and “power-giving.”  Budget for both, keep records and articulate it to your clients.  They need to know you care about (a) their community and (b) their social economy in the REALTOR® world.  Leverage your philanthropy giving in places that affect your world directly.  Most of mine goes to community building and hunger issues.  Get your RPAC giving in EARLY in the year.  You may miss a ton of local and national benefits offered through the year if you wait, plus YPNers need to let our predecessors know we care about our future, too.

Invest In Education. Forget about the alphabet soup behind your name.  Designations are important, but get them because you want the education and the networks that come along with the designation.  Check your education history often to make sure it is correct, and if your association has education awards, apply for them.  Take an interest in other agents’ education.  If they are hurting in an area, take it as your duty (whether they are affiliated with you or not), to help them out.  When you raise the bar for someone else, your bar rises, too.  Direct them to a free REBarCamp, a designation course or some course you know are happening around town.

I could honestly blog on this one for another 20 pages, but these are my big four to keep your pants off the ground and your staying power in check.

Brian Copeland is a REALTOR® in Nashville, Tenn. You can check out his websites at nashvilleandbeyond.com and brian-copeland.com. You can follow Brian on Twitter: @NashvilleBrian