You don’t always need a convention or a course to become more knowledgeable in real estate. Sometimes you just need a book to teach you a few things. We asked some brokers and agents in the industry to share the book that taught them the most about succeeding in real estate.
Tyrone Steer, a sales representative with Royal LePage Porritt Real Estate in Toronto, was influenced by Silver Bullet Investing by Norair Yeretsian.
“This book showed me the power of investing in groups. It also gave an outline as to how to do this the right way,” says Steer. “This book inspired me to find ways to help small investors who didn’t think that they could get into real estate investing. This allowed me to assist individuals who I would’ve not been able to help before. Real estate can be had in more ways than you can imagine if you harness the power of teamwork.”
Craig Berke
Craig Berke, associate broker at 2% Realty Pro in Edmonton, shares his choice of an influential book: “The recent read that definitely impacted the way I live my life as a Realtor is High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard. After almost 30 years in the real estate industry, one would think figuring out a structured life of balancing work, family and health would be long done. The reality of the real estate industry is that agents are easily influenced and driven by the inconsistencies, the need to keep reinventing oneself and the singular lofty rewards that occur. I reached sales of 80-90 transactions a year, however, at the cost of health and social life.”
Berke continues, “The principles as outlined in this book are a great base for a high-producing agent to achieve some measured success in the balancing act of life. Use daily the simple process of electronic reminders to stop what you are doing to have a drink of water, a healthy snack or to go for a walk. I set my stopwatch on the phone for six breaks throughout the day. Secondly, start your day earlier and spend immediate time on exercise and then mapping out your day. Stick to your day plan as best you can and record everything.”
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter impacted Mark Neudorf, an agent with Re/Max North Country in Saskatoon. “It may be a bit overly optimistic but it will change the way that you both think and use money. Money is a tool and if it’s not working, it’s wasting,” says Kiyosaki.
Jenni Bast
Jenni Bast, a real estate salesperson with Century 21 Dome Realty in Regina, is currently crushing on Crushing It! How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence – And How You Can, Too by Gary Vaynerchuk.
“I have always been a fan of Gary Vee. Although he appears to come off vulgar, sometimes you just need that kick in the a$$ to get your butt in gear and motivated and I get that from him,” writes Bast in an email. “He is very transparent. He doesn’t put on a persona for the cameras or his audience. He is a straight shooter. I try to use that same mentality in my business. I don’t ever want to come off as fake or too polished. I have had past clients use me as their agent because of my transparency or that I have made them feel comfortable because I have a more relaxed business approach. I guess I am down to earth – I just act myself all the time – whether in a personal setting or a business one. I want my clients to feel ‘at home’ with and around me.”
Bast shares the five main things she learned from Crushing It:
- You never know what you’re going to put out that inspires someone important to reach out to you.
- Collaborations are the best way to grow a fan base quickly.
- Passion is your backup generator when all your other energy sources start to sputter.
- Create one big piece of pillar content that can be distributed into smaller bits of content.
- You need to constantly be in ‘do’ mode.
Sam McDadi
One of the best-selling books of all time sparked Sam McDadi, a sales representative at Sam McDadi Real Estate Brokerage in Mississauga, Ont. “The book that impacted me the most was one I read many years ago while attending university in the United States on a tennis scholarship. It was How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Even though it has been many years removed, I still to this day pick up the book as a refresher/reminder as to how to treat people. I have recommended this book often to family and friends and have given a copy to my entire team.”
McDadi says, “This book is a reminder on how to treat and really care about people, which is really the essence of selling. Ultimately, if your clients can like you and trust you and if they feel you have their best interest at heart, you will be well on your way to succeeding in your sales career. There are many principles in this book which if adhered to, will improve not only your sales career but, in my opinion, your life in general.”
Some of the highest selling books about working in real estate in recent years have included The Book of YES by Kevin Ward, Mastering the Art of Selling Real Estate by Tom Hopkins, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent: It’s Not About the Money… It’s About Being the Best You Can Be by Gary Keller, and Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin. I challenge you to find a book that helps take your real estate career up another notch. Happy reading!
Toby Welch is a contributing writer for REM.
