Alex Charfen has a history in the Real Estate space, built a massive business in it, and he understands the psyche of a real estate agent, the industry, and how it works - and it's with great honor that I can introduce him as a guest on the Business Freedom Podcast!
Alex has committed his life to serving folks who are just a little 'off' in the head. Of course, I mean entrepreneurs - those of us who decided we are going to go out into the world and find our own way, make an impact, and earn money (kinda) out of thin air.
The Real Estate industry as a whole is set up to create a massive amount of pain for the individual real estate agent. When you look at most brokerages out there, they celebrate the single agent on their own making $100,000 a year. That's a celebrated position in real estate - you're a six figure agent, you're doing everything yourself, you have no help, but you're holding down the fort and making 6 figures. Most people, when they get into real estate, that's the goal.
By year 2 or 3, those same agents become miserable.
In real estate, the worst thing you can be is successful on your own - because the industry is set up to beat you to death! The culture in real estate is so dangerous to adopt in the long term. You're at client's houses in hours on weekends - there's very little structure, there's almost no process to how things are run. There are no boundaries.
When you're in the market, there's not a lot of examples of better ways to do it. Many agents come into the market for some type of freedom, but they end up marrying a job where (if not set up correctly) has absolutely NO freedom.
The busiest person is a real estate agent on vacation - because not only do they have to take care of what's still going on back at the office, but they also have to put on a show and pretend they went on vacation.
That's one of the saddest commentaries on how the industry is being set up, but it's the reality of the situation.
In recollection and retelling, we like to only remember the good things. In our businesses, when we look back and really remember, how much of our time working 10+ hour days do we remember as being good? How much of that can we look back on and be excited about or proud of?
There are a lot of coaches in this business that have never built more than a single agent real estate business. Even these people are fighting closings on the side of a stage before being recognized and awarded minutes later.
Momentum comes from a team. True success is built on teamwork - the kind of success where you can relax and actually take time off, with a business that will still be there when you get back. In order for things to not revolve around you, you have to be able to step away and let a team function in your place.
Systems, processes, tools, and strategies keep a team functioning reliably and predictably - and with more time to work on aspects of your business that are out of line, your momentum will build and build until you have a business that is growing and thriving thanks to your team and your systems.
