unCoaching: Knowing When to Say When

by guest blogger Chris Morrison

In my opinion, coaching can be one of the most important steps for a real estate agent who wants to succeed in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing digital climate. However, not getting coaching the right way can actually stymie growth and make you a less-effective agent.

I advocate a type of coaching called unCoaching. In unCoaching, coaches and agents find each other online on an ad hoc basis. Why does unCoaching work? It gives agents access to the knowledge they need when they need it. The coaching relationship isn’t stale, and agents aren’t wedded to a coach who doesn’t have the right knowledge for them — or who they’ve already outgrown or maxed out.

One of the biggest ways a mentor-mentee relationship can fail in real estate is when an agent stays with a coach for too long. In my opinion, one of the most important pieces of knowledge for a real estate agent to gain is that it’s okay to leave your real estate coach, and it’s okay to bring up the conversation of finding a new coach with your current coach. A coach who understands today’s climate and environment will understand that that’s perfectly normal — or maybe even encourage a client to leave before they bring up the idea themselves. Here are some ways you know it might be time to say “when” to your coach:

1. You’ve been with him or her for a while. I encourage all my clients to leave after a year and a half. At some point, a client just reaches the limit of a coach’s knowledge.
2. You need specialized knowledge. Do you have a specific skill or segment of the industry that you need to learn about? If so, it might be time find a coach who specializes in that specific thing. For example, you may need social media help, so you should find a coach who specializes in social platforms.
3. You’re not hearing anything new. As I mentioned above, there comes a time when you simply know what your coach is going to say before they say it. If you’re not hearing any new tips, seek out someone else.
4. They feel like your buddy. It’s great to be friends with your coach, but when he or she just feels like a buddy — and not like he’s holding you accountable anymore — then it’s time to find someone else to be your teacher. You can always reach back out to an old coach who’s also a friend.

If you’re looking to become a better real estate agent, consider taking advantage of unCoaching. That way, you can take advantage of multiple coaches for as long as you need — and the technology you’re using to connect will make it easy for you or your coach to say “when.”

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Learn more about unCoaching with Chime’s latest FREE eBook, unCoaching: Shifting the Thought Leadership Paradigm.