There’s an ancient saying: ‘may you live in interesting times.’ No two ways about it, so far, the 2020s have been very ‘interesting’!

We’ve experienced an extraordinary boom, the likes of which most have never experienced. And, thanks to the pandemic, some massive technology shifts have had a huge impact on how we do business. 

Now, as we settle back into doing business in an open society we are contending with the twin challenges of interest rate uncertainty and rising rates of inflation

Change may be inevitable. But it can also provoke anxiety – especially when a large amount happens in a short space of time. And while it’s easy to be a good leader when things are going smoothly, in challenging times a different approach is required.

So what can principals do to support their agents and other staff through uncertain times?

Be nurturing 

Everyone’s different. So while some people thrived in the Covid years with virtual tours, Zoom meetings, and the plethora of new technologies; others struggled. In my, post-covid conversations, with One Agency principals across Australia and New Zealand, I’ve heard there’s a fresh set of challenges. Staff are adjusting to their personal challenges of being back in an office environment, only to have to contend with a tightened market with rising inflation and interest rates, and these factors are having an impact on performance.

There’s an ancient saying: ‘may you live in interesting times.’ No two ways about it, the last two years have been very ‘interesting’ for the real estate industry. 

On the one hand, we’ve enjoyed an extraordinary boom, the likes of which most people have never experienced. On the other, the pandemic has had a massive impact on how we do business. Overnight, everything changed, as face-to-face was replaced with virtual and kitchen tables were converted into offices.

Change may be inevitable. But it can also provoke anxiety – especially when a large amount happens in a short space of time. And while it’s easy to be a good leader when things are going well, it’s been a different challenge during covid. 

So what can principals do to support their agents through both the changing market and the strange world in which we’re now living?

Be nurturing 

Everyone’s different. So while some agents have thrived in the new normal of virtual tours and Zoom meetings, others have struggled. In my conversations with One Agency principals around Australia, many have told me that covid has had a big impact on agents’ personal lives, which in turn has affected their job performance.

That’s probably not a surprise. For any agent used to working in a busy office, it may have felt isolating when they found themselves working alone for months on end. 

Then there are the additional personal challenges of dealing with vaccinations, home-schooling and, maybe, a diminishing income. 

My advice? Remember as a leader that your interpersonal skills are just as important as your sales skills. So nurture your agents by: 

• Spending more one-on-one time with your agents to keep up their morale and make them feel valued 

• Working hard to make all your agents feel like part of the team – not just the ones with the highest GCI