How to be a Lab Coat Agents Leader

I have always found it interesting and wonderful that real estate is one of the only industries where competing companies come together for one common goal—to make the client happy while bringing the transaction of a home sale and purchase together.

You will never see Nike and Reebok help each other sell shoes, or Pepsi and Coke come together to sell their competitor’s beverages. Just like Toyota and Chevy will never be found complimenting one another on their vehicle innovations. It just doesn’t happen in other industries. But in real estate, agents from competing brokerages have to put brokerage differences aside and get the deal done for the common good of the consumer.

So then, why is it that we are so disrespectful to one another?

Why are we puffing out our chests online in Facebook groups and putting one another down? Why are we rude to other agents during negotiations and throughout transactions? Why do we think the worst when other agents have systems and strategies that we don’t agree with because we think “that will never work in our market?”

Why do we always have to know better? Why can’t we cheer for our peers and hope the best for all? We can’t because there is too much jealousy and ego in this world and in our industry as a whole. We have such a limited belief in ourselves that we can’t possibly imagine that someone might just be able to accomplish something that we never tried.

Over the past few years, this disrespect has become increasingly prevalent in the online community. Look at any social media platform and you’ll see hoards of keyboard warriors hiding behind a computer screen acting big and all-knowing.

Personally I see this daily, and when running a Facebook group of 145,000+ members, I have seen it all. I’ve seen name calling, accusations, threats, agents negatively reviewing other agents on their Facebook pages and so much more. It’s disgusting and not the culture that Lab Coat Agents set out to put forth (it can also be an ethics violation that many seem to forget, but that’s for an entirely different blog post).

In LCA, we are givers, sharers, teachers, and leaders who put others first and have no agenda.

If you consider yourself someone who falls under one of those categories, then you are a Lab Coat Agent. In an Inc.com article by Peter Economy called “The 9 Traits That Define Great Leadership,” he outlined the nine traits of leadership as follows:

• Decisiveness
• Awareness
• Focus
• Accountability
• Empathy
• Confidence
• Optimism
• Honesty
• Inspiration

None of those traits exhibit negativity because negativity consumes you more than positivity, and it eats away at your core and shuts you down and causes you to become paralyzed with jealousy and envy. You will never see a top-producing agent put another agent down. You won’t see it because they are givers.

Albert Einstein once said, “Weak people revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people ignore.” Intelligent people producing at a high-level don’t have the room in their brains to allow negativity inside. They don’t stop to argue. They stop to help, stop to learn, and stop to make themselves better.

So, let’s rally together to make this industry better.

If you read a post or an article you don’t like or you find silly, keep scrolling—there’s no need for a snarky comment. If you feel the need to comment on something that someone is doing that you don’t agree with, comment from a place of contribution. If you want to just be plain rude, don’t. Keep it to yourself. Because in the end, what does that get you? You don’t get gold stars for winning a Facebook battle.

Let’s also all remember to use our critical thinking when reading what’s posted on Facebook. Perhaps stop to remember that there are two sides to a story, and let’s all do our due diligence instead of just believing a headline we read.

The internet, Facebook and LCA especially, is not a small place. That agent you’re complaining about or spilling details about could very well be in the group. Screen shots can be taken and sent to your buyers, your broker, affecting your commission and livelihood. What you say and do online can very well affect your career and your appearance offline.

If you want to make a difference in this industry—like, a REAL difference—start acting like a leader. Scroll past the insignificant, help those who need it, learn to spot a teaching moment when you see it, stop focusing on others negatively and start learning from them, be open-minded, do things because you want to and not because you want something, and most importantly, STAY HUMBLE! It starts with us.