100 Years Of Disney & Real Estate

What does 100 years of Disney and Real Estate have in common?

I came across an article about the upcoming 100 Anniversary next year for Disney and I thought to myself what could we do in real estate to be more like Disney? How many of us still remember the first time they visited a Disney theme park? They proudly proclaim it is the “happiest place on earth.” You enter the magical kingdom, and the show runs all day and night like clockwork.

I will never forget the time I stayed on a Disney property in Florida and asked for a wakeup call. This was like no other wake up call. I answer the phone out of a dead sleep and on the other end I hear. .. “Good morning Mr. Webb this is your 6 am wake up call. Today’s date is ……… and the forecast for today in Florida is partly cloudy and 76F and we hope you have a magical day!”… I kind of chuckle, smile and reply… “you have a magical day too, thank you.” Disney’s success comes from so many different angles but 2 things that really resonate with me are…

They are so good at what they do and they clearly know, what it is they do. Disney is in the “show business”. Their staff are not employees they are “Cast members” of the show and we are not customers but “guests” in their show and more importantly they still remember to treat it all as a business.

Like Disney are you a real estate agent that is good at what you do and are you clear about what it is you do? We are in the “service business” and serve people with their single largest asset in life, buying and selling a home. How many of us treat what we do like a business? A multi-million-dollar service business? I love some of the philosophies Disney has like “the guest is not always right but we allow them to be wrong with respect.”

Are we allowing our real estate clients to be wrong with respect? They believe the greatest gift any of their guests can give the organization is “Feedback.” They know sometimes things can’t always go magically. I find it amazing how little feedback their is in real estate. How do you grow, get better and improve? How do you take a negative experience and turn it into a positive one? Disney, if you notice, always places their feedback customer service offices at the front of every one of their parks to encourage the guests to share with them.

My question for real estate agents is… “where’s is yours”? Do you take the time to ask for that important feedback? Disney shares that all their success begins with creativity. They have a belief in their organization that everyone in the company is creative. They know everyone’s ideas are what separate our identity. Walt said “you just never know where our best idea will come from next.”

Disney believes that creativity is all about risks. Innovative risks…Are you taking innovative risks in your real estate business or just playing it safe? Are you looking for people to share new ideas for you and your business? Disney’s creativity comes from what they call the “Imagineering process”.

They have 1,000 imagineers working for them in 140 different disciplines all producing new and innovative ideas. One of the simple exercises you can do in your real estate business (like Disney) is a blue sky brainstorm exercise they call “yes, and…. game.” Prior to any meeting in their company for the first 10 minutes the word “NO” cannot be said. Anything goes. Share any ideas of what they can do better to WOW and AWE their guests. That could doing this exercise once in a while do for you and your real estate business this year? I know myself, how difficult it is to take the time in my business to just sit and be creative. To take the time to collect ideas of making my business and the real estate service experience better. Disney believes this comes from 5 things in their business.

5 Disney Fundamentals to Increase Creativity in Your Real Estate Business.

1.) Passion for their Purpose. They love to make magical memories for others. Do you?

2.) Core values and sharing their values with their guests. What are your core values? Do your clients know them?

3.) Communication flows freely. There can never be enough communication. When things are slow are you still communicating to your real estate clients?

4.) Trust. The #1 reason they leave is they can’t trust you. Are you actively building trust with your clients?

5.) Variety of perspectives. Consider and welcome all ideas, don’t shut them down.

The key to Disney success is the continuous improvement in the small little things, constant small tweaks of making what they do already, just a little better. All it is for them is just filling in the gaps. Their mantra is “if it’s not broke then just make it better.” I encourage you to take the time to work on the small things and create an even more magical real estate experience than you already do. If it can work for Disney, then it can work for you.

Strength and courage,
Wade