Ben Kinney, founder of PLACE, has nearly 20 years of experience as a real estate leader. After overcoming a humble start, he embraced a lifelong learning approach, adopting a growth mindset. From working for a local cable company to becoming a mega real estate agent, entrepreneur, and co-founder of PLACE, his hard-earned advice has helped over 100,000 agents overcome challenges and move toward their business and personal goals.
To help you navigate adversity in the marketplace and in your real estate business, we’ve compiled Ben’s top 10 rules for improving your mindset.
10 Rules for Growth Facility Development
1. Simplify Complex Tasks and Stop Justifying Inaction
We all experience times when we feel overwhelmed by the task at hand, stuck, and unable to move forward due to the apparent complexity of the work ahead. In these stressful situations, try breaking the task down into smaller, more manageable parts and addressing each one individually. Acquiring this rewarding habit will make it easier to overcome the fear of failure, and each small step forward will give you momentum and increase your chances of success in your work.
2. Focus on what you can control, not what you want to control
Remember, winners focus only on what they can control and aren’t distracted by things others can take care of for them. In your professional life, this means prioritizing your daily habits and time management. Learn to say no to non-revenue-generating tasks or activities that don’t require supervision so you can free up valuable time.
3. Listen first, speak last
In many of our social interactions, we tend to think we have to have the last word in any discussion. This attitude can make us unwilling to listen to others and disregard their needs or perspectives. If we decide to become better communicators by actively listening instead of speaking, two things will happen.
First, it will give you insight into their current thinking and reactions, which will ultimately have a significant impact on your actual performance and career path. Second, by listening, you gather information that other agents don’t have access to. This means you can ask more detailed and helpful questions and assist your clients at a higher level. When speaking with real estate clients, it’s helpful to take notes to help you focus and process the information presented.
4. Ask yourself if you are responsible for the problem
When your real estate business starts to suffer—an agent leaves, listings become outdated, deals fall through, or productivity declines—it can be difficult to objectively assess what went wrong. It’s easy to relinquish blame and continue down the wrong path, but this damaging approach won’t help you improve your situation or solve the real problem, which may be you.
Successful people who adhere to growth psychology make it a rule to ask themselves if they themselves are the problem. No matter how successful we are, there is always room to grow and improve. The best approach is to take responsibility and take action for change. The advantage of being aware of the problem is that you have complete control over how you change your personal and professional growth.
5. See failures as a gift
Failure is an inevitable part of life. We all face it sooner or later, and how we respond to it can determine our future success or failure. Therefore, it is important to abandon the victim mentality. We are not our mistakes, and there is a positive side to those mistakes: valuable experience. By marking our defeats and using them to influence and improve our future achievements, we have the opportunity to learn and grow on the path to success. It helps us improve as individuals and as real estate entrepreneurs.
6. Stay humble
Your position, status, net worth, income, or place in life do not define you. Only you can decide who you are and how much you’re worth to yourself and others. You don’t deserve your dream life just because you want it, and bragging about it benefits no one. Everyone is equal, regardless of their financial situation or professional status. You don’t need to be rich to be successful; a success-oriented mindset is built on inner determination and hard work. Make it your goal to have a positive impact, cultivate an abundance mindset, and be humble, kind, and considerate.
7. Say Goodbye to Everyone, Even If They’re Unrepentant
It’s easy to get caught in the cycle of waiting for an apology or forgiveness from someone. We often think that our completion and ability to leave a situation in the past depend on the other person’s reaction. But the truth is, we don’t need anyone’s apology or forgiveness to close the door on a difficult experience and free ourselves from its grip. Once you make this small shift in your belief system, you’ll discover that forgiveness has a direct impact on your energy level and your path to success.
8. Be generous to strangers, opponents, and competitors
Generosity can be a powerful force in our lives. When we give to others, it not only makes us feel good, but it also strengthens relationships and builds deeper trust. It’s important to remember that true generosity isn’t just about money or material things; it’s about showing kindness and care for everyone. Often, this is through charitable donations, and in real estate, it can even mean inviting new agents to your meetings and open houses to help them on their learning journey.
9. Don’t count on someone to save you from your job
Life is a learning process. One of the most important things you can learn at work is that no one will come to rescue you. Only you can do it. You have the power to create your own success and happiness. So trust yourself with the things no one else can do for you, and delegate the rest responsibly. When you take responsibility for your life, you are responsible for its positive and negative consequences.
10. Do something about it
Every day, remember that you can control your thoughts and actions. Make it a daily practice to tell yourself, “I will work to solve my problems,” to stimulate positive thinking and be a springboard for growth. To begin, think about the challenges you face in the areas of health, relationships, or business. Once you identify areas where improvements can be made, make an action plan. This could include reading a self-help book, attending a leadership development course, or hiring a business coach to help you uncover hidden potential.
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