Here is a great study on successful habits. Terry LeClair writes about foundational habits from Jack Canfield's classic personal development book in the July issue of Inman Real Estate Magazine.
1. Take 100% responsibility for your life
You can’t blame the market, your clients or your broker. If your listing didn’t sell, ask yourself: Did I market it well enough? Did I manage the seller’s expectations? Taking responsibility gives you control — and control is power.
2. Be clear why you’re here
Why did you get into real estate? Money? Freedom? Helping people? Your “why” is your anchor when a transaction falls apart or a client ghosts you.
3. Decide what you want
Winging it won’t cut it. Want to close 25 deals? Move into luxury? Build a team? Decide — and get specific.
4. Believe it’s possible
If you don’t believe a $2 million sale is possible for you, you’ll never do the prospecting strategies to land it. Belief precedes behavior.
5. Believe in yourself
Confidence shows up in your listing presentations, your pricing recommendations and your negotiations. Self-belief is your competitive edge.
6. Use the law of attraction
Your energy is magnetic. If you walk into every open house drained and discouraged, guess what you’ll attract? Disengagement. But if you lead with enthusiasm and value, you’ll start pulling out opportunities.
7. Unleash the power of goal setting
Goal setting isn’t wishful thinking — it’s strategic universal command. Agents with written goals earn significantly more. Period.
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8. Chunk it down
That $500,000 income goal? It’s overwhelming until you break it into daily calls, weekly appointments and monthly closings.
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9. Success leaves clues
There’s no need to reinvent anything in this business. Follow the top producers, mimic their models, then put your own spin on it.
10. Release the brakes
Your limiting beliefs are the brakes on your Ferrari. If you don’t believe you’re worthy of big success, you’ll sabotage yourself every time.
11. See what you want, get what you see
Canfield says that your brain doesn’t distinguish between real and vividly imagined experiences. So if you consistently visualize selling oceanfront property in Laguna Beach, you’re training your brain to find the path.
12. Act as if
Start acting like the agent you want to become. Dress like a $10 million producer. Learn your market, and speak eloquently to it. Lead with that confidence. Remember, perception is reality.
13. Take action
You can work for the best brokerage, have the best CRM, listing presentation or brand — but it’s meaningless without action. Action is the key to lead generation and conversion.
14. Just lean into it
You don’t need a five-year plan. Just take the next best step. Success has many twists, turns and failures — it’s a series of course corrections and being able to pivot.
15. Feel the fear, and do it anyway
Fear is your green light. That luxury listing pitch that scares you? Do it. That video you’re afraid to post? Post it. Growth lives on the other side of fear.
16. Be willing to pay the price
Real estate isn’t a 40-hour-a-week job. It’s a commitment. Open houses on weekends. Prospecting before 9 a.m. Mastery demands sacrifice.
17. Ask! Ask! Ask!
Ask for referrals. Ask for the listing. Ask for testimonials. Closed mouths don’t get fed.
18. Reject rejection
No is just one more step toward a yes. It’s critical to understand that the rejection you receive is not a personal rejection; it’s just that they are rejecting your proposition or your timing. Never take it personally, but realize you either need to have a better value proposition or a longer follow-up process.
19. Use feedback to your advantage
That client who said your listing photos weren’t good enough? Gold. Use it. Upgrade your service. Feedback isn’t failure — it’s fertilizer.
20. Commit to constant and never-ending improvement
Real estate evolves. So should you. Mastering contracts, pricing, marketing and technology is a lifelong game.