Boris Cherniak directly addresses camera: The real estate industry was thrust into chaos amid the pandemic and ultimate crazy market. Getting through required resilience. How do you adapt to any market and thrive?

I'm Boris Cherniak, an author, speaker and motivator. Let's take five minutes to talk about how to adapt through mindset. 

I'm going to tell you about my experience and the lessons learned overcoming obstacles. These lessons tell an important story for anyone struggling with hardships, exhaustion or troubles in their real estate career and personal life.

COVID lockdowns meant reinvention for everyone, me included. I was used to traveling the globe presenting to live audiences and, in the blink of an eye, I had to re-invent the services that I offered. I had to shift focus by presenting virtually to an audience in need of resilience and positivity. Real estate professionals had to do the same, and not just because of the pandemic. Real estate agents deal with rejection on a weekly basis. Hot markets mean multiple offers and frustrated buyers, while slow markets mean stress. Through it all, you must remember that you are not asking for work. You are providing a service. 

Change the way you think. For real estate professionals, it may mean rethinking the way you engage with potential buyers and sellers. It may mean getting back to building the relationships that sustain you through any market.

At the beginning of my career, I was struggling to pay my mortgage and bills. Juggling my bills was more than I could handle at the time. A friend talked to me about mindset and problem solving. Rather than stay in a constant cycle of stress and helplessness, my friend suggested I TAKE ACTION and shift the way I thought about the problem. I took that advice to heart, arranged with a bank to get a credit line that was secured through equity in real estate I owned. That gave me breathing room. 

The bills didn't diminish, what changed was the way I approached the problem. My mindset was holding me back and providing stress. This same approach can be made if you are working with buyers who are frustrated with the market. The market isn't changing, but the way buyers think about the market can. Work with them to develop other options. Let's consider the buyer who misses out on purchasing a home because they must sell one in order to buy one. There are products out there such as bridge loans. iBuyers can be used to alleviate the stress of a contract contingency.

Next, find your superpower. This is the one thing that you do better than anyone and it is the one thing that can sustain you through all markets. Use this to brand yourself. I am known as the Incredible Boris Cherniak because I combine comedy with hypnotism. That makes me stand out. In my neighborhood, there is a real estate agent who advertises his picture with a large, plastic ear and a quote that says, “I am the agent who listens.” Find your superpower and use it to your advantage so that people think of you first.

Finally, invest in yourself. When I was younger, I got into a car wreck and received a large insurance settlement. This was at the beginning of my career. I used a portion of it to buy a used car and the rest on promotional materials. It jump started my career. I learned that investing in myself is important and THE way to get ahead. 

Mindset is an extremely important part of your journey that dictates attitude and an approach to dealing with problems. You deal with rejection and negativity all the time, so rather than dwell on that, change your mindset. Every rejection gets you closer to a yes and a positive outcome.