The pandemic taught us all something about resilience. One day we were operating in a predictable world, the next we were navigating lockdowns, economic uncertainty, and a complete reshaping of how we do business. For buyers’ agents, this period was a masterclass in why resilience isn’t just helpful in our profession—it’s absolutely essential.
But here’s the question Dr. Jana Pittman will challenge us with at the REBAA National Conference in August: Is resilience overrated? Or more importantly, what does true resilience actually mean in the context of running a buyers’ agency?
True resilience is far more nuanced than blindly continuing when things get tough. As Jana knows from her extraordinary journey as both a World Champion athlete and accomplished medical professional, it’s about resilience with purpose.
In the buyers’ agent world, we face rejection daily—sellers who won’t negotiate, properties that slip through our fingers, clients who question our value, and shifting markets. The temptation is to simply push harder, make more calls, submit more offers. But resilient professionals know the difference between persistence and purpose.
Building a client base requires a particular type of resilience. You’re asking people to trust you with their largest financial decision. The resilient buyers’ agent understands that building trust takes time and resists the urge to discount fees or compromise processes just to secure a client. They know when to push back and when to walk away.
Perhaps nowhere is resilience more tested than in negotiations. When you’re representing a client’s interests against a selling agent who’s fighting for every dollar, the pressure is immense. The resilient buyers’ agent doesn’t cave at the first sign of resistance or accept the seller’s initial position as final.
But here’s where purpose comes in: resilience isn’t about winning every battle. It’s about knowing which battles to fight and having the emotional fortitude to pursue the best outcome for your client, even when it means walking away from a deal that doesn’t serve their interests.
Jana’s experience in high-stakes environments—from Olympic competition to emergency medicine—offers unique insights into maintaining focus and making clear decisions under pressure. These aren’t theoretical concepts for her; they’re skills she’s honed through years of real-world application.
So how do you identify your own resilience? Jana’s approach focuses on actionable techniques: goal-setting that goes beyond wishful thinking, building systems that support you when motivation wanes, and developing mental frameworks that reframe setbacks as stepping stones.
For buyers’ agents, this might mean creating processes that help you bounce back quickly from lost deals, developing communication strategies that maintain client confidence during lengthy searches, and learning to separate professional setbacks from personal worth.
What makes Jana’s perspective particularly relevant for our industry is her understanding of performance under pressure. Whether she was competing for Olympic medals or making critical medical decisions, she’s learned to thrive in environments where the stakes are high and the margin for error is small.
Sound familiar? That’s exactly the environment buyers’ agents operate in every day.
At the REBAA National Conference, Jana won’t just share inspiring stories – though her journey from elite athletics to medicine while navigating motherhood certainly provides plenty of those. She’ll provide practical tools that you can implement immediately in your business and client relationships.
This is about more than motivation; it’s about equipping yourself with a resilient mindset that helps you see opportunities where others see obstacles. It’s about developing the confidence to navigate the inevitable setbacks that come with running a small business in a competitive industry.
Because in a profession where your success depends on your ability to persist through challenges, adapt to changing markets, and maintain client confidence even when things don’t go according to plan, resilience isn’t just a nice-to-have quality – it’s your competitive advantage.
Dr. Jana Pittman will be sharing her insights on resilience and peak performance at the REBAA National Conference, 5-6 August at Crowne Plaza, Melbourne. This is one session you won’t want to miss.
