In my years in the DJ business which crossed over with my early real estate career, I learned many things about business that I still apply today.
One of the people I looked up to is a guy named Rick Rubin.
If you are music fan, you will recognize his name from being a co-owner of Def Jam Records with Russell Simmons as well as being the former Co-President of Columbia Records.
He is also known for working with artists including Jay-Z, Kanye West, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash, Adele and many others.
He was a hit making machine as a producer starting in the 1980s and he is still producing music today.
In his words, he doesn’t know anything about music, yet he has made over $300 million. His badass philosophy for creativity is why artists come to him.
Let’s look at the philosophy.
- I have no technical ability, and I know nothing about music. Being an expert is overrated. Creative people are the intangible, while theory and education often drown out the art. Being creative doesn’t mean being productive or talented.
- The best art divides the audience. Take off your safety pants and let people disagree with you. Haters will help your work go viral. Remember that if everyone agrees with you, you’ve created sh*t.
- Everything we do is art. From picking out our clothes we wear today to making dinner, it’s all about how it feels and how it resonates. We are all creative even if we don’t think we are.
- Get the full idea down as quickly as possible. When you see the whole thing, you see the opportunities for connections. The first draft needs to happen so move your ego out of the way and let if flow out of you. Finished work beats a folder full of drafts that make you an amateur.
- Go on with a blind belief that something good will happen until proven impossible. Much of creativity is just confidence. If you believe your work is good, others will too, but you have to convince yourself first. Remember that creativity is subjective, so just hit publish and let the world decide.
- Perfection is achieved not when there’s nothing more to add but when there is nothing left to take away. For true creativity to exist, you must remove all the filler no killer stuff in the way. Rarely is there not enough. Most often there is too much. Masterpieces are simple and have fewer layers (his way of saying “20% of the work yields 80% of the results).
- Creativity is not a rare ability. It is not difficult to access. Creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human and is our birthright for all of us. Everyone is born creative, but corporations and society beat the creativity out of us. Therefore, we must make creativity a habit in order to get it back.
- Impatience is an argument with reality. The creative journey leads nowhere if you are looking for overnight success. Slow down, put in the work and chase your obsession.
- There is a tremendous power in using the least amount of information to get a point across. Morons make things complicated. Creative people talk simple because that it how movements are built. If it sounds smart, it’s bullsh*t or comes from a consultant.
- Creativity comes from looking for the unexpected and stepping outside of your own experience. What you think you know is a distraction. True creativity is humility and admitting you know nothing. Creativity doesn’t follow a strategic plan; it’s chaos, madness and insanity all in one.
- You can’t control people’s interpretation; and why would you want to? The best reactions to your work are unexpected.
- Some mistakes are actually subconscious problem solving. Creativity is full of mistakes and that is why perfect people are uncreative. True art is full of flaws and the flaws make the art better, not worse.
- Sometimes the mistakes are what makes something great. Humanity breathes in the mistakes. We as humans are imperfect, so imperfect art feels more human and therefore resonates more. Don’t be afraid to write something full of typos.
- Do not think about what you want to be remembered for. Instead, focus on what you want to create. Trying to create a legacy is stupid. Why focus on what your life will be like when you are dead? What is fulfilling is creative work done today. What happens to your work after you are dead is none of your business.
If you are still reading, something above has resonated with you. That is exactly the point of this article.
Real estate agents think they have no creativity; however, it is necessary in our business, and anyone can do it.
If you are a listing agent, you have written a property description or an ad for your listing. You have taken photos or done video for your advertisements. Those are examples of creativity.
The current trend in real estate is to have these great videos that are fully produced with closed captioning done by AI and many different shots.
However, more people watch Facebook Live, YouTube Live, or Instagram Live than watch the pre-produced videos. Why? Because they are not perfect.
That is exactly what Rubin is pointing out in number 13 above. We all make mistakes. If you are an agent that has never done video before, try it. You will be shocked at the reaction you will get. All of your friends will be interacting with the post on social media, and you will feel encouraged to do it again.
My first Facebook Live was a travesty. It was TERRIBLE. I had been a professional DJ and speaker for over 20 years when I did my first one and I stuttered, coughed, and was shaking the first time I did it. The good news is the next one had to be better!
One of his other comments I love is, “Being an expert is overrated.” Anyone who tells you they are an expert, is lying. Other people give you the title of expert because you earn it, not because you choose to call yourself one.
In the real estate business, nobody is an expert at everything.
It is impossible for one person to be an expert at commercial, residential and property management. Those disciplines are so unique, they require thousands of hours each to become an expert.
If that is the case, why try to be an expert?
I know this is counter to what you have likely been taught. You don’t have to be an expert to be a successful agent.
There are unknowledgeable agents that are making a living all around us. You are probably thinking of one right now.
Be good at the tasks that your clients need in a transaction. Take care of them at a high level. That takes creativity sometimes. Talking someone out of terminating the contract when they are emotionally over the edge is creative.
Make sure you are easy to work with too. If you are difficult, that reputation will hurt you. Be creative to simplify your processes. Make it easier to show and sell your listings if you are a listing agent. If you are a buyer agent, be better prepared for the first conversation with the listing agent. Read the MLS sheet and all of the documents associated with it before you start asking questions.
Along with that, remember that when you are successful, other agents will talk about you behind your back. It is the real estate business so eventually it will get back to you.
I made a statement many years ago in a classroom in Raleig. I said, “I have never been talked about behind my back by an agent that was better than me, only those below my production level.”
That statement still holds true. The opinion other people have of you is none of your concern. If you have haters, it just means you are doing something right. If everyone agreed with you, you are not pushing the envelope.
Finally, “Slow down, put in the work and chase your obsession.” This statement is EVERYTHING when it comes to real estate
The highly successful agents have mastered doing the menial daily tasks that return the most value to their business. They do the things others don’t like to do.
They make the phone calls every day. They hit the hot sheet every day and contact expired listings, cancelled listings and for sale by owners. They work ON their business in addition to working IN their business. They tour at least a couple of homes multiple times per week even if they are not showing to a buyer. They journal to write down what they learned each day. They write thank you notes as soon as possible to recognize someone helping them grow their business.
All these things are the simple things the top agents do to cultivate their database and ask them for referrals.
Put in the work and chase your obsession. If you are not obsessed with the real estate business, you are going to be competing with other agents who are, and you are going to lose.
Now, go be creative today.