*Written In Partnership With Dmitri Sharov

Since buying a home is one of the most important decisions a person can make, one would think that the process of selecting a real-estate agent would be very refined based off previous performance, local market knowledgeability, and testimonial reviews.

Yet despite its importance, most people find their agent based on word of mouth from a friend or family member without much research or due diligence. This is in part the case because of convenience factor but also due to the fact that most real-estate agents today struggle to define their unique value propositions and areas of distinction in an increasingly saturated market. In just the United States, the number of real estate license holders in the has grown to a staggering 3 million plus; of that number, roughly 1.5 million are active realtors.

With increasing competition from other agents as well as an ever increasing array of social media platforms to market on, it’s become more difficult than ever for agents to separate themselves from the pack and appeal to a wide, consistent pool of new clients.

Fortunately, there are workarounds to this and agents looking to ideally position themselves for the serious and discerning buyer now have tools to help distinguish themselves. One such example can be found with real-estate agent performance coach and career advisor Jere Metcalf.

The founder of JMPartners and former luxury real estate agent from Atlanta Fine Homes of Sotheby’s International Realty, Jere has built a flourishing consulting business by helping agents thrive. While informing the personal developments of her clients, she also speaks to insiders and leaders across the industry via her Top Agents Tell How They Do It Podcast, thereby continuously expanding her knowledge base and edification of her students.

For example, on a recent podcast episode released on November 17th, 2022, Jere hosted Roxanna Urban, an industry veteran involved in various facets of the real estate business. Having worked for 15 years as a mortgage broker, Roxanna eventually pivoted to sales where her interpersonal talent blossomed. Jere's forum enabled Roxanna to share her multifaceted experience with sincerity, providing valuable observations and recommendations for Jere's listeners (many of whom are students).

As Roxanna’s example underscores, Metcalf’s process guides the developing agent on how to to “build relationships and find your own strengths, focusing on serving, building a structure and a system that helps grow the business.”

While that may seem like general advice, Jere gets Roxanna to elaborate on each point so the feedback is very substantive and implementable.

How does one discover one’s strengths? By being in front of people and inquiring about it. When asked what the most successful agents have in common, Roxanna says that “a big component of success for every agent is self-development as real estate is a very dynamic business; the second component is authenticity, honing one’s skills trying to perfect them.” Roxanna continues to explain that it is paramount to be a “servant at heart” and have compassion, something that is often overlooked in sales.

“Compassion is the No 1 thing that will keep somebody sitting in front of you,” shares Roxanna pointing out that compassion and humility are the two central principles of Buddhism. Touching upon a crucial yet elusive work-life balance and the need to “slow down and take a step back and listen to your body” to find long-term success, Roxanna points out “you have to take that break or you will break.”

In a poignant question, Jere asks Roxanna what she thinks about the real estate agent’s role in the modern, online first, age. Speaking to the undeniable human value that an agent brings to the process, Roxanna answers, “Since I started in real estate in 1995, I’ve been hearing about the industry being destroyed. I stopped listening a long time ago because we are still here and are not going anywhere. People need us because while you can go online and see everything, data, price, pictures, etc. all you need… there is a component of feelings, how you feel about the house, what’s the energy of the house, something you don’t come across on the Internet. You need somebody to get to that point."

Roxanna continues, “At the end of the day, we are driven by emotions, so you need somebody to get there!”

Jere's interview with Roxanna continues to provide many wise and useful gems as the industry veteran feels totally at ease with Jere as an interviewer. This type of connection is achieved thanks to Jere's knowledge as well as the genuinely personable format of the podcast.

With plenty of similarly captivating interviews, we are excited to see how Jere Metcalf continues to grow her episode library. To learn about how to succeed as a real estate agent through conversations with top agents in the industry, check out the other episodes from the Metcalf Podcast.