Need proof? Here\u2019s a look inside the minds of two introverted real estate agents who use variations of technology to flourish in their careers — even in an industry that\u2019s all about relationships.<\/p>\n Trisha Vinz is part of the successful Hupke Team in Milwaukee<\/a>, which just earned a 2019 HomeLight Achievement \u201cTop Producer\u201d award. Even though Vinz identifies as an introvert, she\u2019s found numerous workarounds to activities that drain her energy and leave her feeling less than inspired.<\/p>\n For Vinz, being an introverted real estate agent has its share of obstacles. She says buyer consultations are one of several situations that make her feel uncomfortable on the job.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m good one-on-one. I don\u2019t have any issues,\u201d says Vinz. \u201cBut [buyer consultations] are just super uncomfortable to me. When it\u2019s just you and me [at the office] and no distractions going on, I don\u2019t prefer to do it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, Vinz likes to do buyer consultations while she\u2019s looking at homes with a client. \u201cI am more than happy to walk through the house and explain the whole process of buying a house,\u201d says Vinz.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s just kind of something to distract, so not 100% of the attention is focused on me.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It turns out that avoiding being the center of attention<\/a> is a typical introvert trait. Some reasons behind this might include<\/a> fear of others\u2019 reactions, the feeling of being self-conscious, and being under too much pressure.<\/p>\n Being under a lot of pressure and constantly on alert can zap the energy of any introverted real estate agent. Vinz recalls how round-the-clock phone notifications made her feel at the end of the day. \u201cI used to have the volume on 24\/7. It would wake me up at night, I would respond, and it just burned me out,\u201d says Vinz.<\/p>\n This comes as no surprise since introvert burnout<\/a> can be triggered by social exhaustion and a constant connection to technology — and burnout is serious enough that it\u2019s now diagnosable as a medical condition<\/a>.<\/p>\n Brian Hurry<\/a> is now a top agent in Spartanburg, South Carolina, but before getting into real estate five years ago, Hurry served as a worship leader at a local church. He sang songs on stage and sometimes would speak in front of a couple of thousand people.<\/p>\n Today, Hurry sings praises about how his real estate career plays on his strengths — even as an introvert. \u201cI feel like [being an introvert] can be a really good strength. An introvert is going to naturally be a better listener,\u201d says Hurry. \u201cBeing an introvert in some ways is actually more helpful — at least helpful for me in the way I do business.\u201d<\/p>\n Some prominent strengths<\/a> of introverted real estate agents include:<\/p>\n As introverted real estate agents, both Hurry and Vinz have their own approaches that allow them to maintain their energy, recharge as necessary, and communicate effectively with customers.<\/p>\n When it comes to communication with clients and fellow agents, Vinz and Hurry rely on technology to keep in touch with clients and make uncomfortable situations a little easier — even if it means driving an extrovert \u201cbonkers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrish first started working for me and she was texting everybody, and it just drove me bonkers,\u201d says Jennifer Hupke, Vinz\u2019s team leader and a self-described extrovert. \u201cBut it worked. That’s what works for her.\u201d<\/p>\n Hupke says 3 out of 4 agents on her team are introverts, and she\u2019s accepted that they have a different communication style.<\/p>\n \u201cI just had to adjust, but it’s a huge benefit to me as well because I don’t like doing the paperwork and following up with lists and things like that — where [introverts] are great at that,\u201d says Hupke. \u201cI don’t want to have to do any of that stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n Vinz is also clear about phone calls: She doesn\u2019t like them. Nor do her introverted teammates.<\/p>\n \u201cThe three of us are not huge fans of long phone calls,\u201d says Vinz. \u201cWe would rather have a conversation face-to-face, or use text or email for simple communication. We also ask the customer how they prefer to be followed up with — calls, texts or emails. The customer may be an introvert, too!\u201d<\/p>\n Interestingly, Hurry prefers to handle communication via video when he can.<\/p>\n \u201cI really, really like doing video for lots and lots of reasons,\u201d he says. \u201cI love the fact that I can kind of get to talk once to people and they can read me. Today, a brand new person came in that wanted to see a house. So I used BombBomb<\/a> [a popular email video platform] to make a video to that one person and say, \u2018I’m so glad you’re interested in this house and the appointment is confirmed for Saturday at 1 p.m. I can’t wait to meet you and your family out there.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Hurry has a unique workaround for handling open houses in the form of a VR (virtual reality) party. \u201cEvery listing I take goes into virtual reality. And so if I’ve got 20 listings on the market, I’ve got 20 homes in virtual reality, and we’ll bring everybody to our office and show them how to use that technology,\u201d says Hurry. \u201cBut it’s more one-on-one and there’s four or five of our team members there to interact and show you how to do it. So that feels more like our team is doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n Another advantage of a virtual reality party is that they can simultaneously build emotional connections<\/a>, which is necessary for gaining trust with the customer.<\/p>\n In terms of the traditional open house, Vinz also endorses the team method when it comes to open houses, especially when they are large.<\/p>\n \u201cI have done [open houses] when I have to. It’s only an hour-and-a-half to two hours of my time. So I know that there’s an end in sight. If I have to do it alone, it’s not a big deal. I guess most of the events where we’re out networking or in large groups, there’s always someone with me. So that’s kind of what I lean on.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether Vinz or Hurry do an open house on their own or in a group, both might need some downtime to recharge their batteries — which is common with many introverted real estate agents.<\/p>\n It can be mentally and physically taxing to socialize in large groups, which may lead to rock-bottom energy levels. There are several ways to keep those energy levels in check and recharge.<\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing to stop an introvert from being a super-successful real estate agent. As we showed earlier, studies tell us that there\u2019s no correlation between being extroverted and succeeding in a sales career. You can learn from Trisha Vinz and Brian Hurry — two agents who have adapted their daily routines and use introverted personalities to their advantage.<\/p>\n Header Image Source: (Alexandru Zdrob\u0103u \/ Unsplash)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How can an introvert succeed as a real estate agent, especially in a career that demands non-stop communication? Two introverted agents tell us their secrets for success in an industry filled with extroverts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":170,"featured_media":15783,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[193,686,671],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-agents","category-career-development","category-work-life"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Consider](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/introvert-real-estate-agent-one-on-one-666x381.png\")
<\/a>What it\u2019s like to be an introverted real estate agent<\/h2>\n
From singing worship songs on stage to team leader role<\/h2>\n
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![\"Meet](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/introvert-real-estate-agent-communicate-666x381.png\")
<\/a>Effective communication for introverts<\/h2>\n
Handling open houses alone and in a group<\/h2>\n
![\"Take](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/introvert-real-estate-agent-relax-666x381.png\")
<\/a>7 ways to manage your energy as an introverted agent<\/h2>\n
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