In commercial real estate you are on the stage when it comes to selling and leasing property. You as the salesperson are the performer and the property market is your stage. Every day is a performance. The better you are at the process the more business you will attract.

This means that every part of your job in real estate has to be a personal performance and practice is the key to self-improvement. These are the stages on which to practice and refine:

1. Taking a telephone enquiry regards a property for sale or for lease
2. Prospecting for listings by the telephone
3. Prospecting for listings personally in the streets and local area
4. Inspecting property with sellers, landlords, buyers and tenants
5. Presenting your property proposal to landlords and property owners
6. Talking to a group of people on any public occasion
7. Following up after a meeting or discussion
8. Meeting with business leaders of the local community
9. When conducting a negotiation or closing a deal
10. When documenting an agreement, a contract or lease

You may be able to think of some more situations here, and that is fine. Importantly your skill in connecting and communicating in these situations has to be the finest of performances.

Take for example the item 4 above where you have to inspect a property. It pays to have a process or checklist that keeps you at the highest professional levels as you show or move through the property. It can be done in a simple way. Try this checklist:

• Take the people to the property the best way that shows the area in the best way.
• Have the entrance to the property ready with lights and air conditioning on, keys organised and ready, and easy access provided through the front door.
• Know what’s in the property before you get there and have a preferred path of inspection within the property.
• Rubbish and clutter must be removed.
• Improvements within the property should be clean and functional
• Services and amenities that are in the property should be clean and operational
• Presentation from the front door to the back door should be great
• Signage on the property should be clearly defined and any lighting therein operational
• An information memorandum or brochure for the property should be available at hand to give to the inspecting party
• Know everything you can about the neighbouring properties, the local area, the transport, and the local roads.
• Have details of the history of the property so that any questions can be clearly addressed in the inspection.
• Have your sign and name on the property (nothing is worse than taking a prospect to a property that has 5 other agents boards at the front gate)

Remember that you are the performer when it comes to the real estate market and that you are on stage every day. Practice your performance and make it the best. Stand out head and shoulders above the performance of your real estate competitors.