Tip: Network with other practitioners and learn to adapt to their work styles.
Sales associate Tom Morgan says there’s a point in every transaction at which someone must take the lead. Chairing a committee for his local board of REALTORS® and participating in a Real Estate Academy of Leadership training program have given Morgan ample opportunity to cultivate that skill.
“Just because you’re younger than the average sales associate doesn’t mean you have to wait your turn for leadership,” says Morgan, who received the 2001 Donna Stevens Award for his work with local charities. Being visible at the board and community level, he says, is good for business. “Other salespeople know the type of person you are. Sometimes that makes a transaction smoother. [Clients] realize you’re a professional and someone they can depend on when things get tough,” says Morgan, who closed more than $3.1 million in sales last year with Carpenter GMAC Real Estate in Indianapolis.
Although it can be tough to juggle both professional and personal commitments, Morgan likes the challenge. “You have to set an example that it’s possible to balance a sales career and professional involvement.”