In the real estate industry, and especially in the new home sales industry, it is often difficult to break through and blaze a trail to success, unless it depends solely on your sales success. Leadership opportunities, however, are not always attainable due to the isolation aspect sales can be and the nature of the industry overall. At New Home Star, things are much different in many different ways, but one unique characteristic that has always stood out to me is being able to have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience while navigating the company’s career path. That’s right — they have an actual Career Path for new home salespeople. Now, I love the real estate industry. It is a dream come true to be able to work in an industry where you can help a family achieve the American Dream of buying a new home while being able to grow as a leader through hard work and determination. But it’s even better knowing that I have a defined career path at the organization I work for, especially since I have such a strong interest in continually advancing my career.
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Yet, I have not always been in the sales seat. Throughout my professional career with New Home Star, I have been fortunate enough to assist with the recruitment of New Home Sales Trainees and have had the privilege to watch as they grow their career at an accelerated rate, becoming leaders within the company. This experience, paired with the recent opportunity to sell new homes, has shown me what it truly takes to grow into a successful leader. Each of the Sales Leaders at New Home Star has experienced the ups and downs of selling new homes, yet they’ve persevered to become a leader in a nationwide organization. From my experience, this type of “leveling up” requires certain personality traits:
Coachability
New Home Star hands you every tool that you will need to succeed, from a world-class training program to a network of mentors that assist you in learning the ins and outs of new home sales. At the end of the day, you are a counselor to buyers or even the one that manages this process, helping them to make the biggest purchase decision of their lifetime. It is your responsibility to guide them through the most favorable thought process and help them find their perfect home. Being coachable, no matter what your role is, is key.
Having a Solid Work Ethic
If you are looking for a job where you can come in at 9:00 am and leave at 5:00 pm, real estate is not the industry for you. While we do believe in work-life balance, the realm of new home sales can often be demanding. There will be days when you do not leave your model until 11:00 pm, and there will be days when you will need to come in on your off day to accommodate a buyer’s schedule and the same goes for management. That is simply how real estate works, and it is this that often separates our leaders from the rest of the pack. A solid work ethic displays to your teammates how invested you truly are.
Mentorship Practices
A leader is nothing without buy-in from other members of the team. A great way to begin your journey up the career path is to help others understand the things that you have had the opportunity to learn and experience. Our people become mentors to others because they have successfully taken the principles of New Home Star’s training and applied them in all aspects of their role with the firm. The next gradual step of becoming a leader is to be that mentor for those that are new to the team.
Being a Team Player
Everyone has heard the saying, “It takes a village…” Well, that is very true for our organization. We have an inclusive culture in which we can all contribute to the successes of other members of the team. This can often mean going out of your own way to contribute to someone else’s success. There is an endless amount of opportunities to do so, both at a local and national scope.
New Home Star poses a unique opportunity for professionals to achieve the lifestyle that they dream of while gaining valuable experience and evolving into a leader. The transition of becoming a sales leader is not a given, but it becomes much simpler when you experience results on the sales floor, share your knowledge with others, and apply these four principles outlined. With all of these combined, the road to success is much more clearly defined and attainable from every step on our career path.
