Why 99% of Real Estate Agents Sabotage Their Own Business (And How to Break Free)

Listen up, folks! It's Ricky here, and I'm about to light a fire under your real estate career. I've been in this game for a while now, and I've seen agents come and go. But today, I'm going to break down exactly why most agents are stuck in a rut and how you can break free and absolutely crush it in this business.

The Truth About Unlimited Business

First things first, let's talk about the elephant in the room: the scarcity mindset. Most agents have been fed a bunch of BS about there only being so much business to go around. But let me tell you something - that's a complete lie!

"Closings have happened every day of your life, are happening right now, today, and will happen every day for the rest of your life, regardless of market conditions."

I've been screaming this from the rooftops for over a decade now. Think about it - real estate deals are like waves crashing on the beach or the air you breathe. There's an infinite supply. You can't do all the deals, just like you can't breathe all the air. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet of opportunities!

The Problem with Traditional Lead Sources

Now, let's talk about why you're stuck. The industry has programmed you to think in terms of these limited lead boxes:

• For Sale By Owners
• Open Houses
• Expired Listings
• Zillow Leads/Online Buyer Leads
• Google Pay-Per-Click
• Sphere of Influence
• Direct Mail / Farming

But here's the kicker - all of these teach you scarcity! You're waiting for leads to come in, fighting over the same scraps as every other agent. It's time to break free from this mindset.

The Truth: All Humans Are Leads

Here's the mind-blowing truth: Every single human is a lead. Yes, you heard that right. Every. Single. Human. They'll either buy or sell property in their lifetime or know someone who will. When you realize this, it crushes the entire theory of scarcity.

"If you realize that all humans are leads, then it totally crushes the entire theory of scarcity, which is what we've been taught our entire career."

Building Your Real Estate Empire

Now, let's talk about building your real estate empire. Picture it like building a house:

• Foundation: Trust
• Roof: Integrity
• Windows: Lead Conversations, Deals Closing, Your Brand, and yes, even a Trash Can

Most agents start out thinking the goal is just to get leads and close deals. They either throw away leads that aren't ready to buy or sell immediately or they close the deal and move on. But that's short-term thinking.

The key is to shift your focus from just closing deals to building lasting relationships and a strong brand. It's not about trading time for money; it's about creating a machine that generates leads and closes deals automatically.

"Eventually, you have the brand window starting to seep, bring leads in automatically into the lead window. And now we're having conversations with people, not from outside the house trading time for leads, but we're getting leads automatically from the brand that we built with people."

The Wisdom Factor

Here's something that'll blow your mind: In this business, we get paid way more than just commissions. Every single deal, we get paid in:

1. Relationships
2. Knowledge
3. Experience

The commission? That's just a bonus, baby!

These three things - relationships, knowledge, and experience - are the main ingredients of wisdom. And let me tell you, wisdom is worth way more than money.

"If you have the choice between wisdom and money, always choose wisdom because you can make more money with the wisdom, but you can't necessarily make more wisdom with the money."

Why Agents Stay Stuck

Now, let's talk about why most agents stay stuck. There are three main reasons:

1. Scarcity Mindset: They've been programmed to believe there's not enough business to go around.
2. Stereotype Threat: They're afraid clients will see them as that obnoxious, high-pressure realtor stereotype, so they don't make calls.
3. Know-It-All Syndrome: They think they already know everything they need to know to succeed, so they keep doing the same thing forever without leveling up with new wisdom.

That last one is a killer. Most agents hit a plateau and stay there forever. They think doing more of what got them there will push them higher. Wrong!

Breaking Through Plateaus

To break through, you need to:

1. Recognize when you've plateaued
2. Appreciate where you are and how far you have come
3. Learn something new (coach, book, podcast, etc.)
4. Apply that new knowledge
5. Repeat

It's a stair-step journey to success, not a straight line. You've got to keep learning and growing.

"You're the sum of the five people you spend most of your time with." - Jim Rohn

That's why I have two $50,000 a year coaches. They're two of my five people, and they're doing what I want to do at the highest level.

Your Call to Action

Alright, here's what you need to do to stop sabotaging your success:

1. Reprogram your mind for abundance: Understand that there's more than enough business for everyone.
2. Overcome your fears: Stop worrying about what prospects might think of you. Be yourself and focus on helping people.
3. Never stop learning: Align with successful people, find a community, hire coaches, do challenges. Keep expanding your mind.

Remember, the real estate world is your oyster. There's more than enough business for everyone to have more than enough, with plenty left over.

So, are you ready to stop playing small and start building the real estate empire of your dreams? The choice is yours. Now go out there and crush it!

If you are ready for the next level, maybe it's time you take my Listing Challenge