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When I first started in real estate, I spent a lot of time wondering if I was “doing it right.” If you’ve ever taken a professional leap – started a business, changed careers, launched something fresh – you know the feeling. That low-grade anxiety that creeps in after the initial adrenaline fades. You find yourself in uncharted territory, a solitary flickering light in the dark, questioning:

“Am I taking the right steps? Making the right connections? Saying the right things? Striking the right notes?”

Closing my first big deal in Carmel gave me the first hint that maybe my instincts weren’t wildly off. But it was another deal, a few years later, that confirmed something deeper.

After her offer was accepted, my client called and said, “You never once pressured us or made us feel like the deal was more important to you than we were.”

Those words hit me hard in the best way. They meant that my previous successes hadn’t just been a series of lucky flukes. My client, who had bought and sold many luxury homes with many agents, was telling me that this experience felt different. And the difference was in how I treated her. It was in the way I prioritized the human being over the product she was purchasing.

That moment validated what I had quietly intuited (and hoped was true) since the beginning of my career. And, looking back, it seems obvious. Of course, it’s never really about the house. Or the car. Or the pool. Or the tech. Or whatever you happen to be offering. It’s about how someone feels when they interact with your product — and, more importantly, with you.

That insight became a compass for me, and I don’t plan on letting it go.

No matter what industry you’re in, your success is directly tied to how people feel — and most of all, how they feel about you. Make sure you’re listening.

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HOMEWORK:​
How “in touch” are you (really) with the people who engage with your business each day? Most of us start out with a clear idea of who we want to serve. But as we grow, it’s easy to drift into a more product-centered mentality. We start relying on assumptions instead of tuning in to the actual experiences of our clients.

This month, find one creative, human way to connect with your customers. Maybe it’s handwritten notecards. Phone calls instead of texts. A spontaneous coffee with someone who has been with you from the beginning. Whatever you try, let us know how it went. We’d love to hear what you learned.

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Here's to your success,

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THE RUIZ GROUP
of Keller Williams Realty

Led by Pete Ruiz, REALTOR®​
DRE: 01974535