4 WAYS MENTORING

4 Ways Mentoring Up-and-Coming Employees Makes You a Better Agent

In the world of real estate, there are always new agents joining the ranks. Even if you’ve been practicing for just a few short years, you’ve likely learned your fair share of lesson along the way. As an agent, much of your working philosophy is derived from first-hand experience and your work on the ground. This means that new agents are less prepared for the inevitable curveballs of the industry. That’s where you come in.

While mentorship is often pitched as a relationship that solely benefits the mentee, there is actually plenty to be gained from becoming a mentor. After all, personal growth goes hand-in-hand with professional growth, and becoming a mentor asks agents to thoughtfully explore and demonstrate their own ideologies, practices, and rationale. With that in mind, take a look at some of the benefits of mentorship below, and you’ll get a sense of why counseling new agents can be a boon to your own business.

Teaching lessons to others reinforces your own professional values. Showing the ropes to young agents is a great way to brush-up on your foundational skills. Verbalizing and demonstrating processes, or walking through the rationale behind negotiation tactics—all cause mentors to think through their established practices and outline in detail why they’ve chosen this route over an

alternative. This helps older agents fine-tune their routines, while getting back in touch with the critical thinking that went into constructing those habits.

Mentorships allows you to see the big picture. After a lengthy industry tenure, it’s not uncommon for battle-worn agents to lose some steam and begin to burn out. By devoting some time to mentoring up-and-coming agents, you’ll get back in touch with your early days, remembering the excitement, the trials, and the hard lessons gleaned. Spending time with the next generation of real estate professionals can reinvigorate your practice, as seeing the business from the eyes of an eager amateur can inject energy into your working life. You’ll benefit from seeing things from a new perspective. Just as working with young agents can help you remember your career’s big picture, you may also benefit from working alongside someone with a new perspective. Young agents bring a different set of skills and awareness to their work, and established agents can benefit from a fresh take. If technology isn’t your strong suit, or you’re interested in tapping the Millennial homebuyer market, working with a younger agent is an excellent way to see through fresh eyes. Mentoring young agents makes you a better leader. As a mentor, you’ll often direct the flow of your professional relationship—figuring out which issues to tackle, making an agenda, and imparting lessons in a clear way. These are all characteristics of a leader, and acting in a position of authority as mentor can surely sharpen your ability as the head of a team. What’s more, you’ll be building skills of empathy, understanding, teaching, and constructive criticism. Working on those skills will better your practice and your ability to

lead in your office. While some may balk at the time commitment or energy required to take on a mentee or two, you might consider it an act of ongoing education or professional development. While your mentee will undoubtedly benefit from access to your expertise, there’s certainly much to be gained from taking the time to cultivate tomorrow’s real estate leaders.

DUSTIN MULLINS

When Dustin Mullins broke both of his ankles in a brutal skiing accident, he decided to use the tragedy as an opportunity to start a new chapter in his life. After working in the car business for many years, he became disabled and had to be off work for nine months due to his injuries. He used his disability time for a greater purpose, and started taking real estate classes. He knew right away that real estate was the right choice and as soon as he got his license he joined Century 21 Prestige. He is currently the leader of the Dustin Mullins team and serves clients throughout Chattanooga.

With his family running the #1 pizza place in Chattanooga, Dustin started out his real estate journey with a great built-in network of people, but that never stops him from going out and marketing himself. “Networking is absolutely crucial in this business. I’m always handing out my business cards to people from all walks of life. In fact, in my spare time I often go to explore new restaurants and I take 10 business cards with me with the goal of passing them all out by the end of the night,” he says.

Dustin’s hard work mentality and drive to make things happen are two traits that have earned him a large percentage of repeat and referral clients. “My clients appreciate my positive energy and confidence in getting things done. Some have confided in me their horror stories of working with prior agents who would let a listing just sit there for a year, hoping it would sell. That’s not how I operate. A lot of times my listings are under contract before I even put them on MLS. When clients start working with me, things start moving,” he says.

With his outgoing personality and love of working with people, it’s not difficult for Dustin to turn clients into friends. “I’m a huge people person and a relationship builder. I’ve never met a stranger in my life. It’s that personal relationship you build with a client that makes them comfortable and lets them know they’re dealing with a true professional. My clients develop a high level of trust in me and often turn into my family,” he says.

Because of his family’s business, Dustin is naturally deeply involved with his community. His family is one of the largest Chattanooga Football club sponsors. He is also a huge advocate for the LGBT community, and very active at his local church. Outside of work and community involvement, he loves to spend time with his family, travel, see the world, and absorb new cultures.

Dustin is excited about the future of his business and envisions a lot of growth within his team and the firm. He wants to continue growing as a leader and guide his team into delivering the ultimate client service. One day he would like to become the #1 REALTOR® in Chattanooga and provide young agents with work opportunities. “I want to help people who are hungry, humbled, and focused.”

To learn more about Dustin Mullins email Dmullins@prestigebrokers.net, or call (423) 991–4806

DIANA NELSON- PETERSON

For thirty years, Diana Nelson-Peterson owned Kazoo & Company Toys, one of the largest children’s toy stores in the nation. Having built an accomplished career navigating contracts with major corporations like AAFES and Amazon, she set her eyes on the housing market. Inspired, Diana sold Kazoo and Company Toys and went into real estate, where she could apply her negotiation skills and entrepreneurial spirit to serve those in her community. “I haven’t looked back,” Diana says. “Real estate has proven to be a perfect compliment to my skill set.”

Today, Diana is a Lead at Keller Williams, where she services clients throughout Denver and the surrounding areas. There, she has been rapidly growing as both an agent and an investor by centering her work around customer service.

As a former business owner, Diana offers her clients an efficient approach to listing their homes. After preparing them with professional staging, photography and videography, she supplies them with targeted listings over digital and social media platforms. Leaving no stone unturned, she also provides flyers and postcards to generate additional buzz around a home. Elsewhere, Diana’s open houses are known to be the talk of the neighborhood. “I’m not a Realtor; I’m a businesswoman who happens to do real estate,” she says. “I can bring my clients the comprehensive vision and organization needed to maximize the value of their property.”

When assisting buyers, Diana is equally detailed, guiding them through the ins-and-outs of their transaction. Most importantly, she puts their interests at the forefront of the deal to ensure that they arrive at intelligent investments. “Here’s my rule: If I wouldn’t buy a home myself, then why would I sell it to you?” she says. “I’m more than happy to tell my people to walk away from a transaction if it doesn’t fit them.”

Because of her client-first ethos, Diana has earned a fantastic reputation around Denver as an honest and hardworking agent, as evidenced by her outstanding rate of repeat clients and referrals. The key to her success? “Trust. My clients know that I want what’s best for them. Over the course of the transaction, we even become close friends!”

Outside of her career, Diana is devoted to her community. On top of having served on the board of directors for the Limb Preservation Foundation, she is an ongoing sponsor of the Juvenile Diabetes Association. When she’s not assisting clients or giving back, Diana, an avid golfer, can be found enjoying time on the green or relaxing with her husband.

Diana has strong ambitions for the future as her son, a recent graduate of Baylor University, has recently joined her team. In the months ahead, she will also be building two beautiful townhomes in Platt Park and expanding her work with investment properties. Through it all, though, Diana will be serving clients with the same tenacity and warmth that has anchored all her work around Denver. “My career is living proof that you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to,” she says. “When someone tells me that I can’t do something, that’s the moment when I commit to it, and I will always lend that confidence and strength to my buyers and sellers.”

To learn more about Diana Nelson-Peterson, email dianalynn@kw.com, visit www.dianalynn.kwrealty.com or call (303) 887-7491