Are life coaches the new real estate agents?

For this post I thought I would do something a little different, just a little bit of fun.

For those who don’t know my work history, I spent 17 years in the property industry working in both Sydney and London before training to become a Mindset and Business Coach.

When I first discovered coaching, I thought it was the most positive and inspiring way to give back, support and empower others. But as I delved deeper into the world of coaching, I began to notice a few similarities between the coaching and real estate world… some good, and some bad.

Whilst not everyone will engage and work with a life coach, everyone deals with an agent at some point in the life… and as a result every agent has a LOT of stories to tell!

• A nice one to start – why do we become a life coach or estate agent? Because we want to help people achieve their dreams! Coaches work with clients to achieve their goals, whether it’s to have their own business, better health or stronger relationships. Estate agents work to help you find and purchase your dream home through each stage of your life.

• People turn to coaches and agents in times of need and change. When there is uncertainty and change, whether good or bad, people look for support, security and reassurance that it will be okay. A coach helps you get that new job… and then an agent helps you find the new home… whether it be a bit bigger with a home office, or relocate to a new city.

• It’s all in the presentation!  As much as everyone says that looks don’t matter, it’s not always true. Coaches need to show a level of success to inspire their clients and give them hope that they too can change their life! I know I would be sceptical about working with a coach who was clearly struggling to get their own life together. And in the property world, your success can be open based on the car you drive, the area that you personally live in and the people you keep as company.

• This one had to make the list! We are both perceived as money hungry. I can tell you now from my own experience, both jobs are not ‘get rich quick’ schemes. Don’t get me wrong, some people do achieve success very quickly, but for most we are in it for the long run and it takes time to build relationships, positive reputations and financial success.

• There is a general perception about how easy the job is. Surely coaches just listen to your problems and tell you to be positive! Surely agents just open the front door for buyers and renters to fall in love with the property. Oh, if only it was that easy! But that’s for another blog.

• In the UK, anyone can wake up one day and decided to be an estate agent or a coach! Currently the industries are not regulated. This can be great for anyone looking for a career change with minimal set up costs, but it also means that there are untrained coaches and agents offering advice, guidance and charging for services. Most people who are committed to their industry and maintaining a high standard so they won’t hesitate about investing in themselves and continuing their CPD training.

• As anyone can become a coach or agent the markets can feel saturated. You don’t need to search long on the internet to find a coach and it would only take a few seconds on Instagram to track down a coach behind all of the inspiration quotes. Plus, every high street has an abundance of estate agent shops. On the flip side, the coaching industry is already a billion-dollar industry and more and more people still learning about the benefits and transformations, for both themselves and their businesses and there are a lot of properties to be bought, sold and rented. Everyone needs to live somewhere!

• Relationships are key! We work hard to build them with clients, providing free content and valuations to help build the like, know and trust factor. Not only are you selling the benefits of coaching or the spacious family home in an ideal street, we are also asking for you to invest in us to deliver our services.

• We become a personal brand so it feels like our faces are everywhere! Sorry guys, but it needs to be done.

• It’s not as glamorous as the professional photos make it look. Most coaches begin building their business as a side hustle. We have to work full time and go into debt to pay for training, advertising and programs to help us build our audience. Often our morning, nights and weekends are spent studying, creating free content and trying to build our audience on social media. And ask any agent, they all have their stories of cleaning properties, visiting muddy construction sites and treading carefully through derelict houses.

• We don’t do DIY! We both engage other professionals when it comes to doing what we do for ourselves!  We know the importance of a trained, outsiders’ perspective.

• Lastly, we are actually really nice people who are passionate about helping people achieve their dreams, and do our best to provide an exceptional, professional service for you!

Photo by Ian Schneider.