Those first days, months, even years of running your own real estate business are often something you do on your own – waiting for that time when you’ve had enough success to build a team. There are some solo owners who experience financial success yet never pivot to creating a team, pushing themselves to do it all and just keep going until overwork and exhaustion take over.

That’s how it was for Patty Speakman, who after 13 years running her own business and growing it to an annual income of more than $200,000, knew she needed a change. “I wasn’t keeping up with my workload,” says Patty. “I was working nonstop and really didn’t have a life. I wasn’t able to do anything with my family, service my clients, or take on new clients the way I wanted to.”

Knowing you need to change your business, your workstyle, your balance, is the first step. But figuring out how to change, well, that can be a stumbling block. For Patty, attending a real estate conference helped her find her way forward.

Trust and Letting Go

As Patty pondered what she could do to bring both balance and continued success to her life, hearing Verl Workman speak was her aha moment. “I attended a conference where Verl was speaking,” Patty remembers. “And at the end of the conference, he talked about teams, and it just felt right to me. I thought, ‘Yes, I’m all in, that’s just what I need.’”

Patty knew that Workman’s Success System’s focus on developing teams to create leverage was what she needed, and she signed up immediately. While Patty was all in, by collaborating with her Workman Master Coach Terri Murphy, she learned that her mindset had to change if she was going to reach her business and work-life goals. As Terri helped develop her team, Patty had to give up some control and trust that the professionals she brought together could do the work. With trust established, the team model has truly benefited Patty and her business.

“In time, I started giving transactions to my buyers and working with my sellers more, and that was working out wonderfully,” says Patty. “Suddenly, I wasn’t just working nonstop — I actually started to get some sleep!”

When operating as a solo agent, Patty simply wasn’t able to keep up with her workload. But with support from her Workman coach and team, her business flourished, growing to an annual income of more than $1 million. She learned how to maintain a regular, balanced schedule, no longer working seven days a week. She also elevated her ability to serve her clients and her business flourished.

Better Work-Life Balance

With her new team in place, Patty’s stress level decreased which made an incredible difference for her family. “The biggest regret I have in my life is that when my kids were little, we went to Disneyland, and I was on my phone nonstop,” says Patty. “Once I got the team going, I don’t have to answer my phone during those times because I have my team taking care of that. I can enjoy time with my family and not always constantly deal with stress.”

For Patty, her outlook and her business have significantly improved since embracing the Workman Success System. “I love my job; I love the people I work with, and I love what I do. It all brings me great joy.”

Ready to build your real estate team? Workman Success Systems can help you, too!

Read the full case study.