Real Estate Agents. It seems like everyone is, was, will be, or at the very least is related to, or knows one. Whether it be full time, part time, casual or “hanging their license” masses of folks look at the fancy cars, the nice clothes, the socialite like schedule and the hefty commission cheques and think to themselves “Why not me?”
But a career in real estate isn’t necessarily as simple as it appears. Becoming a real estate agent offers both advantages and disadvantages. Most agents face challenges. The first year can be great, followed by struggles. Or the first years can be slow builds to a fantastic and rewarding career. In the end the rewards and independence may be well worth it. And, while it’s a notoriously difficult profession for newcomers, some real estate gurus, such as industry veteran Christopher Audette, believe that if one is devoted to this vocation and takes the job and the quality of the work seriously, then the barriers to success can be overcome and they can thrive and attain their goals. Christopher, the founder of Real-Estate.ca, has worked in sales for more than three decades in a variety of businesses. Christopher has marketed everything from nuts and bolts to plastic surgery equipment during his career. He has also founded a number of enterprises, some of which have been successful and others which have not.
Christopher’s entrepreneurial journey started when he was 17 with a DJ business. He says, “Not only was this my first business, but it was also my first partnership.” He has had several business partners during his career and business efforts. Partnerships are difficult, and he has found that they rarely work. The most crucial aspect of forming a relationship, according to Christopher, is that complementing skills, talents, and abilities be combined with shared ethics, values, and morals.
Christopher has had better success in the team dynamic with more of a clear hierarchy than in the partnerships he has built in the past. He asserts, “The establishment of collaboration and consultation combined with one clear, “the buck stops here” approach seems to have been the most successful in my opinion.” He further adds, “At the end of the day, responsibility needs to lie largely with one person while accountability should ride with a small, respected group of advisers.”
Sharing Key Insights as a Professional
Christopher has had the tremendous fortune of being surrounded by some of the industry’s most successful teams, individuals, and executives who have been open and eager to share their knowledge. There are recurring themes in the counsel he has received. He has decided to disregard some of the advice. He has come to acknowledge that much of this has been quite sage advice and should not have been so quick to disregard.
He shares, some of the common key elements that have been passed to him are:
- Seek coachable people on your teams (and self), this is paramount.
- Understanding the different types of characteristics and personality traits that fit each role is also a key element.
- Hiring or recruiting first for financial success can often bring financial headache.
The biggest and most pervasive key point has always been to always hire for culture. The key element to this, he believes, is to first define what you want that culture to be and then often check back and re-evaluate.
Priorities can change over time or with the realization that these are not really priorities after all. While financial success is one of the elements that Christopher has looked for, it is not the most important. A mentality of abundance and charitable giving, mutual respect, and gratitude are extremely important.
According to Christopher, one of the best things that he has done for his professional career was to put great thought and energy into what his personal mission statement is. He shares that his mission statement, has guided him through difficult times throughout the years, and has been his compass in moving forward. “My mission is to live life, authentically and passionately, with unrelenting self-confidence and unwavering integrity, to always do the right thing, for myself and others,” he explains. He further adds that it is something that guides him when things are difficult, and when people are looking or when they aren’t.
Challenges that Bring Strength
Christopher considers himself fortunate enough to have more failures than he can count. He shares his biggest failures, which have almost invariably led to what have become his strongest personality traits and his biggest successes. He opines, “I would not have www.Real-Estate.ca if I had not failed with an online pharmacy site, and I would not have learned what I did to get Real-Estate.ca successful if I had not put in the “Failed time, money, and energy” on that pharmacy website. The foundation of personal development is, and always will be, accountability. When we look at the situations around us with true accountability and in the absence of blame, we can grow strongly from the situation. It allows us to look at future situations and derive with different outcomes, more favorable outcomes, than if we look to blame others, or ourselves, or in the general circumstances around us that are even beyond our control.”
He further adds that accountability without blame allows people to realize the power they hold. He says, “The key to overcoming failures is to learn from them, to grow from them, and to take control of our own destinies.” In this, accountability in those failures is key. The more accountable that he has been through any situation, the stronger and better he has come out of it. He adds that without some of his greatest failures, he doesn’t know that his life would be where it is today.
Advice for Next Generation Leaders
Success in real estate also largely depends on an individual’s drive and dedication. One exciting aspect of real estate is that there are no salary limits. Since it’s typically based on commission, what you put into real estate will directly impact what you get out of it. Christopher’s advice for emerging realtors is to “Don’t be afraid to fail. Remain vigilant about your goals and aspirations. Check in often on what your priorities in life actually are, and why. Remember, when life puts up hurdles, it is actually God testing you on your resolve, on how badly you want something.”
He further adds that anything worth doing, anything worth having, and anything really worth achieving, is unlikely to come easily. If it does, great, but most likely it will have to be earned. He asserts, “Know that you are, at all points in time, no matter where you are in life, one step away from great success and one step away from great failure. Always know that you have to be aware of either side. Luck comes to the prepared, and great misfortune comes to those whose eyes are closed.”
