It's hard to believe that it's been almost eight years since I founded iSucceed.com with a small group of the industry's top producing agents and industry experts."? Since that time iSucceed has grown to include over 200 top agents in our Mentor Faculty, and through the years I've racked up thousands of hours in interviews."? Whether it's moderating a panel of top producers at live seminars, or hosting tele-conferences and online classes; I've always been fascinated by how these ordinary people managed to reach elite status and become extraordinary agents."? As I began to reflect on this, it became very apparent to me that there were some common traits and habits that they all had in common."? Similar to another set of well-known habits, I believe these traits and habits are the basis for phenomenal success in any real estate professional:

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1. Clear Understanding of Their Business Model ' Top agents have a tremendous understanding of what makes their business tick, and how to generate bottom-line profit."?
2. Solution Oriented ' The glass is always "half-full", and there is no obstacle they believe that they cannot overcome with perseverance.
3. Know their Limitations ' No one person can be an expert at every task."? Top producers recognize their limitations, and are able to surround themselves with people who complement their talents and round out their skill set.
4. Thirst for Knowledge ' There isn't a day that goes by that a top producer doesn't progress in their learning and search for knowledge to make informed decisions
5. Systems, Systems, Systems ' Everything a top producer does is organized and systematized.
6. Listen & Adapt ' If you're doing all the talking then you're not listening to the need of your clients."? Listening, then adapting is what brings in the business.
7. Customer-Service Minded ' Top agents excel at making their customers feel appreciated and valued.

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On the whole this list may seem like common-sense traits we all possess, but it's become clear to me that while many agents have a few of these qualities, it's only the top producers who consistently demonstrate mastery of each of these traits.

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Take #1 for instance ' the value of treating your practice like a business has received much attention in the past couple of years. True career-minded agents realize that like any other business, it's essential to have a plan in place to aid in your productivity and enable you to reach your goals."? Plans should be flexible enough to be adjusted as the year goes on, and ideally automated to the extent that you receive reminders on tasks and benchmarks you are trying to reach. Every aspect of your business should be tracked, from marketing expenses to mailing campaigns to customer appreciation events and contests."? Since each task has a specific as well as broad function (ultimately to find and keep more clients), it's essential that you track your results so you can decide intelligently where to invest your money for the best return."? One such automated business plan available to agents is called CreateAPlan, available at www.createaplan.com."? It's been proven by all the top professionals in the industry that "you can't get to where you want if you don't know where you're going". A business plan provides you with a roadmap with which to reach your financial, professional, and even spiritual goals."?