What type of agent are you?

Running a commercial real estate brokerage, I've had dozens of agents come and go over the years, each one different from the next, with their own strengths and weaknesses. My challenge as their broker was to pick up on these differences and tailor my approach to make sure I got the most out of every agent, and do everything I could to help them become successful. Part of my approach was helping agents focus on their daily process, consistent improvement, and dealing with the obstacles inherent to the profession. Through this process strengths are discovered and agents can uncover their true nature. My main objective was to help my agents realize their true nature so they could play to their strengths and leverage their personality type, not fight it. In my opinion too many agents fight against their nature which can lead to frustration and time lost. Extrovert vs. Introvert Being a real estate professional is based on building relationships, working with other professionals, and actively seeking out new business. It's a contact-heavy profession and the logical line of thinking is that people who tend to be more extroverted would have a natural leg up on introverts. However in my experience both extroverts and introverts can find success as long as they learn to utilize what comes naturally to them. Extroverts tend to be very passionate, proactive and relish on meeting new people. They never hesitate to pick up the phone and make that next cold call, firm up that next meeting or take an opportunity to sell themselves and the services they offer. They have a propensity to stay positive, they don't fear taking risks, and let the ups and downs of the business just roll off them on the way to their next deal. Introverts sometimes may have to work a little harder on stepping out of their comfort zone, but when they do they are usually well prepared to deliver exceptional service. Their natural mode of operation being introspective allows them to focus on self-improvement. Spending a lot of time focused on their area of specialization and researching the market, they don't shy away from hard work. They tend to be more detailed oriented, many times armed with the knowledge that may make a deal and is necessary to create value for their clients. Three Types of Agents Whether outgoing or inward looking I have picked up on three kinds of agents in my time; those that sit back and watch things happen, those that don't know what's happening, and those that go out and make things happen. As a manager there is only so much I can do with the first two, typically they won't have what it takes or be open to doing what's necessary to find success. For those that are willing to put in the work, focus on self-improvement and take some risks I can help them make good things happen. The whole process starts with the agents taking a look at themselves and deciding to leverage their strengths. Richard Du is the founder and CEO of Agorafy, New York, N.Y.