Next month, the Estate Agent Content Club (EACC) celebrates its fifth anniversary.
What began as a simple idea while lounging on a sunbed in Turkey has become something far beyond my wildest dreams.
We’ve now served over 500 estate agents, raised more than £60,000 for community and charitable causes through the Karma Club (our community/charity arm), and completely transformed the direction of my family’s lives.
I’m particularly proud of building a community of genuine and supportive agents with more than 2,000 years of collective agency experience (in our WhatsApp groups).
There’s so much for me to be thankful for.
And there’s a lot I’ve learned – not just about business and the estate agency industry, but about human nature, too.
This week, I’m looking back at five key lessons I’ve picked up over these past five years.
1) Complacency is more dangerous than your competition
When we first dipped our toes into the world of estate agent content, it was just us and Chris Watkin making a significant impact on independent agents in the industry.
Over the years, Chris has become a good friend – someone I trust implicitly, unlike some of our other competitors who I wouldn’t trust with a lie (as my Uncle Tighe used to say).
Whenever our business has had a bit of a wobble, it’s never been because of what the competition is up to – it’s always been down to us.
When things have dipped (and they have, occasionally), I’ve asked these questions:
Has our focus slipped?
Has our enthusiasm waned?
Have we started cutting corners?
Have we stopped listening to our clients?
Are we getting the basics wrong?
How do we get momentum back?
Where can we improve, and how?
I think any business owner can benefit from guarding against complacency.
It’s more dangerous than any competitor out there.
2) Authenticity is everything
One of the things that has driven our growth since September 2019 is that we’re a team of decent people who genuinely have our clients’ best interests at heart.
For me, authenticity is everything in this digital age.
There’s no hiding on the internet.
Your reviews will reflect your standards more often than not. It’s crucial to tell the truth – it’s better to disappoint someone with the truth upfront than to p!ss them off later when a lie or over-promise comes back to bite you.
There’s so much bullsh!t and so many fake people nowadays that simply being ‘real’ stands out far more, especially in estate agency.
3) Be an outsider
If you want to succeed in business, learning from industry colleagues is all good, but seeking knowledge from outside your industry is where the magic happens.
Here’s what I mean: If everyone in estate agency listens to the same podcasts and reads the same blogs, we’re all armed with the same information.
But you can gain a real competitive edge if you look beyond the horizon for different ideas and approaches from diverse sources.
I’ll be honest – 99% of estate agency podcasts bore me to tears.
A lot of my inspiration and ideas come from football coaching and sports finance blogs and podcasts.
It’s about looking outside your bubble and bringing fresh perspectives into your business.
4) You win some, you lose some
In the club’s early days (around years 0-3), I used to feel like I’d been punched in the stomach when a member left.
These days, it doesn’t bother me as much – it’s just part of the game.
Perry Power once told me he knows the percentage (ish) of how many valuations his agency won’t convert.
Once you understand why you’re not converting certain opportunities, you can start improving.
It also softens the blow when you ‘miss out’ on an instruction.
It’s all part of the learning process.
5) Just say no
Some clients aren’t worth the hassle. I know estate agents encounter this all the time.
It’s usually the people who want to pay the least but demand the most.
I’ve experienced this a few times myself.
Some people will drain your time and energy, and those people must be avoided at all costs.
Save your time and efforts for those who truly value what you bring to the table.
My time-waster radar is now finely tuned, and we’re lucky enough to be able to pick and choose who we work with.
Change is essential
Reflecting on these past five years, one truth stands out: change isn’t just good – it’s essential.
In business, there’s no such thing as staying neutral; you’re either moving forward or slipping back.
With that in mind, this will be the last of our weekly emails in this format.
It’s time for something new.
On 2 September, we’re launching our Daily Idea WhatsApp group – where I’ll share an idea each weekday, delivered to your mobile, that will help you and your agency improve.
It’s open to all active estate agents, and I’d love to see you there.
If you want to join, send me your name and mobile number.
The weekly email you receive will now come out each Thursday at 4.00 pm and will be a round-up of the previous week’s Daily Ideas.
Thank you for reading and being part of the past five years.
Here’s to the next five.
Jerry, Team EACC and the Ethical Agent Network crew.
PS: Check out our short video celebrating the Karma Club here.