Meet Josh Rawson

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Josh Rawson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Josh below.

Hi Josh, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

I was the shy, quiet, introverted child in a house where my parents and sister were ultra competitive type-A personalities. As I reflect on the latter parts of high school, throughout college, and in my early professional career, my confidence slowly grew. I couldn’t pinpoint it at the time, but I knew it was happening. Speaking up in class, asking girls on dates, or to dance while out with friends, and speaking up for friends and family are all things that would have been very tough in high school, but I eventually did more and more of in my late teens and early twenties. I landed a management position right out of college, which put me in a position to lead people from all kinds of backgrounds and ages – from people my age, to senior citizens. There were times that I felt like I had to be someone I wasn’t – an ultra confident jock type while in school, or the mean boss in order to get things done. What I found though was I received the most respect, and brought out the best in others, when I was just myself. Not necessarily shy or quiet as I was growing up, but quiet in the sense that I listened to others more, seeking to understand them, and where they’re coming from. Earning respect along the way, which is one of the greatest self-esteem boosters one can receive. From my mid-twenties through today, especially as I work in real estate, I’ve learned to embrace the true me – a quiet listener, who shows genuineness and kindness in all walks, doesn’t try to be the center of attention (because that’s not who I am), but also able to stand up to others when necessary, or deliver tough news, even when it’s the right thing to do.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Professionally, I’m a full time realtor. The most exciting thing about my job is that I get to meet so many great people, from new clients to other agent in my community that I can collaborate with. Getting to take these clients to view houses, from start homes to dream homes, is so much fun each week. Most clients treat me as a friend or family member as they ask my opinion on how they can best achieve their long term vision of how they want their new house to be, which is usually an entertaining process, as I’m more of a contracts guy than an interior designer. Working in real estate is special because until you buy or sell a house, most people know very little about what we do. We’re accused of being glorified “door openers” when in reality, it takes years of training and experience to be good at what you do. Because we are independent contractors, we work for free until the house is sold, whether we’re the listing agent or buyer’s agent. This can sometimes mean weeks or months. During these weeks and months, we’re spending our own money on gas and marketing, as well as our time filling out contracts, strategizing, negotiating with other parties. However, it’s all worth it once our clients home sells, or our buyer client finds their dream home – it’s such an awarding experience helping others achieve their goals.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Listening more than speaking, a positive mindset, and a go-giver attitude are probably the qualities that have propelled me to being a top producer for my brokerage in Louisiana. Bonus points to being a lifetime learner as well, due to the constant changes that happen in our industry – the more you can learn, the better off you’ll be.

I’d recommend to anyone looking to get into real estate that they:
– be patient: work hard and it will pay off. Most agents start seeing results 3-5 years in
– seek out 1 or more mentors. We all need someone to shadow and to model our business after, and also to encourage and guide us along the way
– seek out every training opportunity that you can. Knowledge is power in this business.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

I got into real estate for both long term financial freedom, and to be a good and present husband and father. The problem with real estate though, is that most clients need your time outside of normal business hours – usually after 5pm, and anytime throughout the weekend. I value my evening time with my wife and kids, so I do everything I can to meet with clients during normal business hours. It doesn’t always work out, but I promised my family I would never miss something important (vacations, birthdays, holidays, ball games, dance recitals). I’ve built relationships with a number of industry partners I can contact at the drop of a hat to step in and help my clients in lieu of me. Even then, sometimes the paperwork can be overwhelming. I’ve learned to make systemized to-do lists in my computer to help me max out my efficiency and prioritize each step of the process so that nothing important is missed.

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