I knew very little about real estate when I became a licensed agent at age 26. When I told my father, a successful business owner, that I left my previous job and was going to sell houses, he said, maybe out of concern or maybe to backhandedly inspire me, “You know, you might not sell a house for six months. You might want to get another job.”

At the time, I had a car payment, a condo payment, and a really high shopping habit, so not selling a home for six months was not an option. Thankfully, I had also been taught that I could achieve anything I set my mind to, and that attitude, and my results, quickly dispelled any doubters. I sold five homes in my first full month, and $3.5 million in my first year.

I love that memory because it supports something that I believe to be fundamentally true—that every agent, whether brand new or with decades of experience, can determine their own success in real estate under any circumstances.

So despite any current challenges in our market, I ask agents everywhere this question: Are you going to make 2021 your best year in real estate ever?

As the saying goes — whether you believe you can or believe you can’t, you’re probably right.

You have to believe every day and every minute that, no matter what, you will get more listings, sell more homes, and achieve your goals. Yes, you will make them happen through action—executing a business plan with specific strategies, tasks, skills, etc. — but it all starts with your expectations. You can set winning expectations through these three exercises, and you will successfully reach your goals with a daily unstoppable mindset.

Set Multi-Tiered Goals
Write three income figures down when setting your goals—your Have, Like, and Dream figures. ‘Have’ is what you must make to stay in real estate and live your life. ‘Like’ is your growth number, but you think you can do it. The important one to grow your business, though, is your ‘Dream’ number. This is your break-the-glass, this-would-be-amazing figure. Take that number, break it down into what is needed on a weekly and monthly basis, then do whatever is necessary to achieve it. By focusing your mindset on that top tier, you will be far more likely to reach new levels of success in the coming year.

Embrace New Activity
A winning mindset requires that you embrace change in your business plan in order to improve and grow. Start by looking at your sales opportunities (past clients, potential clients, new prospecting activities) and your sales conversion (follow up, sales pitches, etc.), then add to or modify what you’ve done before to reach that ‘Dream’ number. Also work on your time management; spend your time on proactive sales activities versus reactive administrative issues, and use timeblocking to make sure that nothing comes between you and the “money hours” focused on generating new business.

Maintain Your Mindset Daily
I used to wake up every day and say to myself, “I am going to list or sell a house, I just don’t know the address!” This type of self-actualization works, and by seeing yourself achieving your goals, you will manifest them into reality. Remind yourself daily of your goals by putting them somewhere (or several places) where you will see them—for instance, on your refrigerator, on your desk, or on your phone’s screen saver. Also, it helps to start your day by putting yourself in a positive frame of mind, whether by walking, working out, reading, or meditation; whatever works for you to clear your mind, motivate yourself, and keep your daily drive toward your goals alive, do it and keep moving forward positively.

For greatest success, track your calls, appointments, listings, and sales on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, and share it with your manager, mentor, or real estate coach. I often cite Pearson’s Law, which states, “When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported back, the rate of improvement accelerates.” Since your ‘Dream’ goal requires acceleration of your business, finding or hiring someone to hold you accountable and give you guidance is a smart move that will pay huge dividends.

So set incredible goals for 2021, add new things intentionally and purposefully to your business plan, and, most importantly, maintain a positive and confident mindset to achieve everything that you dream of in real estate. If you dream it, and think on it and act on it every day. You can and will achieve it, and your best year in real estate will happen!

Sherri Johnson is CEO and founder of Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting. With 25 years of experience in real estate as an agent, manager, executive and coach, Johnson offers real estate agent coaching, broker and management consulting, and keynote speaking—all either live or virtual. She is a national speaker for the Homes.com Secrets of Top Selling Agents tour, the official Real Estate Coach for McKissock Learning and Real Estate Express, and a moderator and weekly contributor for RISMedia. In 2020, she was also named an RISMedia Real Estate Newsmaker as an Industry Influencer. To learn more about how Sherri Johnson Coaching can help your business, Sign up for a free 30-minute coaching strategy session or visit www.sherrijohnson.com for more information.