The best books for real estate agents cover a variety of topics. But each one is written to help business professionals do their work well. There are thousands of books out there, some written for agents and some not, but not all books are created equal.
After lots of reading, I’ve picked the seven best books for real estate agents. I believe every real estate agent should read these books for important lessons on how to live life well and succeed in the real estate profession.
1. How To Win Friends And Influence People
It’s an oldie but a goodie. Business professionals have been reading and recommending this book by Dale Carnegie for over 20 years. Not only does this book contain tried and true ways for getting people to like you, it also includes great ways to win people to your way of thinking and help them change without arousing resentment.
Carnegie writes in an engaging fashion, with plenty of stories to prove his points. You’ll learn how to be a good leader and a good person who can engage with others in meaningful relationships. No matter what you do for your job, you’ll want to take a look at this book. It will help you create strong relationships with all your real estate contacts.
2. The Millionaire Real Estate Agent
Becoming a millionaire is a common dream, especially among real estate agents. However, it’s pretty rare in real life. That’s what this book by Gary Keller is all about. You’ll learn all about the concepts that drive production and how to design your business on a solid model. In fact, you’ll find detailed organizational, lead generation, and economic strategies that have worked for real estate agents many times over.
This book is one of the best books for real estate agents because it will teach you not only how to earn a million, but how to net a million and receive a million in annual income. You’ll learn how to become a genuine entrepreneur, not an overworked employee. Real estate agents can use this book to build a business model that will help them reach above and beyond their peers.
3. Ninja Selling
Do you ever feel like all you do is chase after clients, trying to find someone who needs you to save them? If you do, you’re not alone. But you are probably doing something wrong. Ninja Selling is all about selling the right way: by solving your customers’ problems.
Frankly, most people don’t want to be sold to. But if you can build strong relationships and provide the value that people need (in buying, selling, or simply looking for answers), you’ll get sales without even trying. This book is chock full of advice for how to succeed at selling without focusing on the bottom line and chasing after people who don’t want your help. After reading this book, you’ll know exactly how to reach the people who truly need you.
4. Never Split The Difference
As a real estate agent, your life is full of negotiations. You may find that it’s difficult to win negotiations without giving up more than you should have. Or you may find that you just don’t know what you’re doing when you start negotiations. Thankfully, this book by Chris Voss will give you everything you need to negotiate well.
Voss is a former FBI agent who used to spend his time in kidnapping negotiations for the government. Along his journey, he picked up nine basic principles for doing negotiations right. He saved lives through his negotiations, and while yours might not be so high-stakes, you’re sure to find valuable tactics to take into your job.
5. The Miracle Morning
Hal Elrod makes the case in this book that you can change your life with one simple step: waking up earlier in the morning. We all have personal goals that can easily get pushed aside by our professional responsibilities. That’s why we need to set aside specific time just to develop ourselves personally–ideally in the morning.
In this book, you’ll read inspiring stories and find practical inspiration for waking up early to focus on getting more done–reading, exercising, meditating, praying, etc. Whatever it is you don’t have time for, you can fit into the morning. You’ll find that with this simple step your life will be transformed and you will finally meet some of those goals you’ve been putting off.
6. The Emyth Revisited
Do you ever feel like your great ideas for your business are slipping away while you work insane hours to keep it going? Many entrepreneurs struggle to build their businesses into the model they dream about simply because they’re too busy working. In this book, Michael E. Gerber provides practical advice for how to work ON your business, not just IN your business.
Sometimes, you need to be willing to hire some additional help and take some time to step back and evaluate your business and its future. If all you do is work, your business will never grow to where you want it to be. With a little help from the practices in this book, you can design a business model that creates the business you dream of without you having to work overtime to make it happen.
7. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Robert Cialdini has spent years studying the science behind why people say yes. With 30+ years of research, he has created some tried and true principles for how people are persuaded:
- Reciprocation
- Commitment and Consistency
- Social Proof
- Liking
- Authority
- Scarcity
- Unity
With these principles in mind, you can create meaningful connections that will help people change their minds and accept your help. When you’re selling homes, these principles will show you just how to target the people who truly need your help and can be persuaded to agree to what you have to say. This book will help you create meaningful relationships that see real results in no time.
All The Best Books
There are tons of challenges for real estate agents, from the beginning to the end. These seven books will help you overcome those challenges. You’ll learn how to persuade, how to sell correctly, how to build relationships, how to manage your time and money, and how to create a successful business that grows constantly.
If you’re looking for important insight into running a great real estate career, pick up these seven books for real estate agents today.