Mental health in real estate
NICK LYUS , DIRECTOR OF RAY WHITE EPSOM , NZ
“ How are you feeling ?” It ’ s the simplest question , but one that often gets answered incorrectly . Us Aussies and Kiwis are terrible at sharing how we are honestly coping with life . The statistics are frightening :
OVER 1 IN 5 OVER 1 IN 4
( 21 %, or 4.2 million ) Australians are estimated to have experienced a mental disorder .
( 28 %, or 1.4 million ) New Zealanders are said to have suffered from periods of poor mental wellbeing .
In real estate we always talk about a positive mindset and how you must love the grind ! But you can still be outwardly successful but internally feeling terrible . We also judge based on sales / GCI .
I know from my personal struggles that my best sales year was also my worst year mentally . I finally hit Chairman ’ s Elite status , normally a massive cause for celebration . But I remember looking at the award thinking that the trade had been not worth it . I missed out on too many moments with my young family and my health had gone to the dogs . I thought if I don ’ t make a positive change in my approach and attitude to life , I will just end up a sad and lonely old man .
So I made the call to be true to myself and to trust my gut . Since that moment I have been able to grow , take on new challenges and subsequently create a far happier and profitable life .
How to win the mental war ?
The first step is to talk about how you ' re feeling . This externalises the problem and will allow you have some perspective . You will be surprised that once you start talking about stress , depression and anxiety , how common these emotions are . This willingness to share how I was honestly feeling was a key step in my journey . I also highly recommend Rob Dial ’ s Mindset Mentor podcast https :// robdial . com / podcast /.
Leading by example
Now I am a selling principal , I have fostered an office culture which is open and engaging . I want every team member to be brave and authentic . Celebrating the individuals has resulted in not only a thriving business but significantly happier staff . Happy agents provide better service and are more profitable . But because it is hard to quantify , too many leaders just look at the calls and deals . By not seeing the human they are missing the opportunity and the real gift .
How to play your part
So next time you see a colleague and they seem a bit off , take them for a coffee and ask them how it ' s going ? It ' s that simple . I would love to expand the mental health conversation for all Ray White members , so if anybody has any ideas or questions , I would love to hear from you .
You can contact Nick at nick . lyus @ raywhite . com
or via + 64 21 998 004
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