Fear And Uncertainty In The Face Of Change

Tom – First off, thanks for sending the post out on Twitter, I appreciate that. Fear is a big challenge, but it can also be a great motivator. I hate being afraid of things (and no matter how hard I try, I’m still afraid of spiders), but some days you just need to say “who cares” and deal with your own insecurities. I’m looking forward to what the change will bring and I already feel as if it’s brought a few good things.

Fear can be crippling, but as I learned from being on stage, sometimes it can provide the biggest adrenaline rush as well. I’ll never forget shaking and trying to warm up as I faced 100,000 people in Bonn, Germany. Single biggest crowd I’ve ever seen. Yet, within moments of the first note, the fear was gone and replaced with exhilaration. If you can move beyond fear and uncertainty, there is often a better day ahead.

Matt,

I moved brokers two years ago on the heels of the sale of our franchise to a traditional local brokerage. For 18 months leading up to this sale my wife and I had been heavily recruited by another local company – albeit a national brand (KW).

It was the same fear, the same sweaty palms, concern over my appearance, everything. We interviewed with the traditional brokerage’s owner and his son – two well established, locally reknown gentlemen. It was clear they expected an employee-employer relationship and concessions were non-existant.

The broker with the KW firm we ended up with did EXACTLY what you noted. Addressed our fears, our loyalty issues, our change issues. She went miles above and beyond accomodating our particular situation.

The culture here at my new firm fits me like a glove. It is what I have been searching for since leaving the warm blanket of camraderie I enjoyed among my fellow Chiefs in my Navy days. I did not think I would ever find the kind of company to mirror that “in-the-trenches-together” mentality, but I have.

Change is confronting us every day – most of it we have limited or zero control over. It’s the moves we make – educated risks if you will – that enable us to succeed or fail. If fear had governed our decision, I firmly believe I would be mired in depressing sales meeting and demands for performance during a stagnant market trend.

I’m thriving. Life is Good. Change is GOOD! Great, awesome, magnificent post – you Rock in many more ways than on stage!

Navy Chief, Navy Pride

Matt – Congrats! I changed brokers in January – going from a big brokerage to an independent. It was as scary as you experienced, but now, I am much stronger and feel like I made an excellent choice.

Good Luck!

Matt – I can tell you with certainty, my old broker – although a big broker – would have had no idea what MIBOR was talking about. She would have told me to take down my site.

I honestly believe a huge reason my site was reported is because of the broker I am now with. We both have sites by the same web design company and we both understand technology. The “good ole boys” didn’t like the fact we had three sites in the top ten for the search “Indianapolis Real Estate”.

That’s not the case right now, as I am struggling for some reason with those keywords, but am gaining with other keywords and search phrases.

This is a tough one for me. I’m just 15 months into this career after 20 years in another sales business. I went with my broker because of his great marketing campaign. But business overall is tough and yesterday he informed us all that we would be moving into an office 1/4 the size of our current one and that only full time agents would get referrals (I’m full time), and the commission structure would be changed. I can’t figure out if I’ll make less or more. I said something like “wow” and he said if you don’t like it you can leave. Am I being too sensitive to think that maybe a new place would be best for me? I’m going to do a couple million this year in a market where the average home is $100,000. Not bad, when you consider that 80% of the agents in the area do less than 1 million, and the fact that I am new. I have been recruited by a couple of other brokers, but I have to admit right now I’m wondering if this is the business for me. To change brokers with that mindset might be wrong, I’m thinking. Any advice?

Alice – Sounds like you have a lot of thinking to do. Much like my feelings on how a consumer should choose an agent, I think agents need to consider one basic item before choosing a broker – comfort. Not the kind of comfort that leads you to complacency, but the kind of comfort that breeds the free flow of ideas, the encouragement by others, and (most importantly) the kind of comfort that allows you to raise your hand and ask your broker what might seem like a stupid question to many, but your broker knows is important to you.

Personally, I wouldn’t perform well under the “if you don’t like it you can leave” structure. Sure, I’m free to go whenever I want, but I don’t need to be told that because I said “wow.” It sounds like you’ve built a strong business for yourself, so you need to go where someone will challenge you, support you, and most of all – allow you to flourish.

I would sit down with some of those brokers. I’d talk to them. I’d cut through the crap of recruiting and get to the heart of the issues – what will they do for you, how will they support you, and I love the question “why me?” I think asking that can often reveal a lot about a broker’s position. In your case, it sounds like your production is strong enough to warrant recruiting, but look beyond the money and find out why a broker wants you. To me, that will spell it all out for you.

Matt, good decision.

When I moved brokers to my RE/MAX office almost 15 years ago, I was nervous too. But within a few weeks the positive reception that my clients gave seemed like a pat on the back. Consumer perception of RE/MAX is positive and you will immediately benefit from RE/MAX’s 35 years of pro-agent business philosophy.

By the way, try your best to meet Dave Liniger… he’s a great guy!