Overcoming Fears In Real Estate

Success in real estate forces you to consistently tackle your fears.

There are so many types of fear that can cripple your career or even prevent it from getting started. Fear of rejection, fear of economic downturn, fear of embarrassment, fear of loss, fear of going broke. I’m struck with all of these at different times. I think most people are.

What’s important is how you deal with it. Do you let it stop you from achieving your goals? Or do you find ways to overcome these fears, press forward, and succeed?

I’ve done both. Fear has absolutely prevented me from doing things I wanted to do. Recently, I’ve started identifying my fear’s as opportunities. Whenever I feel fear about something, I know I have to do it. I force myself to get comfortable where I was previously uncomfortable. This rule of thumb has been invaluable for me.

This is how you succeed in real estate. I have no idea if it’s a good strategy for other careers. But I can tell you, attacking every fear you have, is a recipe for success in this business.

Here are some things that will happen when you tackle your fears.
  1. You’ll grow personally – Tackling fears is one of the best ways to force personal growth. You’ll gain confidence, social skills and many more benefits.
  2. Gain a feeling of freedom – Fears can entrap you. Fears can build walls around you that stop you from experiencing life. Kick through those walls by doing things you fear. Take back your freedom! Tell your fears they aren’t in charge.
  3. Huge rewards  – People who can consistently tackle their fears reap incredible financial rewards. I see it in real estate investing everyday. I saw it in trading for 6 years. to have any success, requires a strategy for minimizing fear. There’s no learning like a fear induced cramming session. The condos I bought last week were very scary at first. I took a crash course in tax deeds for two weeks and am now pretty comfortable with them. Those condo’s will return about 30% annually over the next 3 years! Plus, I gained new skills that will be very profitable for years to come.
  4. You’ll always have great stories – The experiences you have from tackling fears makes you more interesting. Doing things that most people are scared of is captivating. Who wouldn’t want to have a conversation with Evel Knievel or David Blaine?
  5. Grow your relationships – Tackling fears together can really strengthen a relationship. Either with a spouse or a business partner. Over the last year my wife and I have really bonded over the fears and struggles we’ve fought through. It builds a ton of trust.
  6. You can help other people tackle theirs – Once certain things aren’t so scary for you, you can help other people accomplish them. Show them how to get over their worries and expand their comfort level. I love seeing people accomplish things they didn’t think they could. Or overcome fears they’ve had for years. I believe this is a huge reason to network with other investors.
  7. No regrets – Picture the end of your life. On your death bed will you be sad you didn’t take more chances? You didn’t tackle more fears? You didn’t expand your comfort zone? I’m about to turn 30. Maybe I’m weird, but I’ve found myself taking more risks as I’ve gotten older. I’ve found it easier to push the boundaries of my comfort zone, as I consistently do it.

Currently, my fear is having too many renovations going at once. I’ve got my eye on another package deal, but each house will require more rehab than usual. It will stretch my comfort zone for sure. What fears are holding you back? How can you overcome them?