Homeowners have been hit hard by rising mortgage rates. (Richard Baker via Getty Images)
UK homeowners are renting out a room in their house as a way of making some extra money amid the cost of living crisis that has pushed mortgage rates to record highs.
Over one in every 10 (12%) London homeowners have started renting out a room in their house in the past year to generate additional income, according to Barclays Consumer Spend report.
The trend is not exclusive to the capital, as some 3% of homeowners across the UK have also rented out a room in their property to make a bit more money.
UK homeowners have been particularly hit by cost of living woes, with the average rate on a two-year fixed deal currently stands at 5.74%, while for a five-year deal, rates are around 5.24%, according to figures from Uswitch.
Borrowers would need to spread their home loans over more than 70 years to be able to afford the same mortgages on offer just two years ago, banks have said.
Mortgage rates have risen substantially as the Bank of England increased interest rates to a 16-year high in a bid to tackle inflation.
The data from the Barclays report showed that one in six (16%) aren’t confident about their ability to meet their mortgage or rental payments, and 18% of those with mortgage or rent payments are adjusting their spending habits to cope with rising housing costs.
Still, consumers’ confidence in their general household finances remained steady in March, at 67%.
Jack Meaning, chief UK economist at Barclays, said: “With an expectation that the Bank of England will cut interest rates from June, and banks responding by reducing mortgage rates, our research suggests that the housing costs that have been a drag on consumers for over a year are on the cusp of a turn, and will become a boost to spending from H2 and beyond. Today’s data shows this transition happening in real time.”
Higher mortgage rates have also hit the property market, as house prices fell for the first time in six months in March amid rising mortgage rates, according to Britain’s biggest mortgage lender.
A typical home now costs £288,430, around £2,900 less than last month, said Halifax.
Household spending such as DIY and electronics fell 5.2% in March, with one in six (16%) holding off home renovations due to current economic pressures.
Bad weather hits consumer spending
Consumer card spending growth flatlined in March as wet weather dampened both retail and restaurant sales.
Retail spending remained almost flat at 0.7%, brought down by falling in-store spending. Face-to-face retail (excluding groceries) was down 2.1% and clothing fell -1.8%, as spring showers deterred shoppers from visiting the high street. Meanwhile, restaurants had another challenging month, down 12.6%, consistent with the fall witnessed in February (13.4%), Barclays said.
This comes as 45% of consumers said they were continuing to rein in discretionary spending, with the majority (53%) of this group cutting back on clothing and accessory purchases, and nearly half (47%) spending less on dining out.
Britons are more concerned than ever about the cost of every day items, with concerns about general inflation shooting up to 87%.
Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Retailers were braced for a more subdued start to 2024, and recent figures are in line with expectations. The wet weather has been a key factor in the slowdown in discretionary spending, as it’s meant fewer visits to the high street and to hospitality venues.
“However, in spite of this initial lull, many retailers are confident that spending will rebound in the coming months, particularly in anticipation of better weather, the energy price cap drop, an uplift in the National Minimum Wage, and the buzz around major events such as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and the Paris 2024 Olympics.”
Easter helps retail sales after difficult start to year
A separate report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG Retail showed a more optimistic view on the UK retail sector in March.
Total UK retail sales were up by 3.5% on last March, above the three-month average of 2.1% and the 12-month average of 2.9%, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor.
Food sales increased by 6.8% year on year, driven by Easter falling unusually early and the subsequent uplift ahead of the long weekend.
Easter also boosted sales of products such as cookware and tableware, as people readied themselves to host family and friends. Home textiles such as throws and pillows were also popular as consumers sought to spruce up their homes ahead of spring.
Elsewhere, wet weather dampened sales of garden furniture, barbecues, DIY products, and clothing and footwear.
Online sales continued to slide, falling by 1.4% despite strong performances in home accessories, health, beauty, and homewares.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “After a difficult start to the year, retailers are hopeful that with warmer weather around the corner, consumer confidence will spring back up.
“A strong retail industry can boost investment across our towns and cities, and as we gear up for a general election, it is essential the next government recognises this and rethinks the burdensome costs imposed on retailers.”
Watch: London house prices pull ahead in reversal of ‘race for space’
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You’re probably seeing headlines almost daily screaming about layoffs, layoffs, layoffs. The ubiquity of those stories may make you worry about your own job stability.
There was a 10% increase in layoffs last year from the previous year — 19.8 million in 2023 compared with 17.6 million in 2022, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
But monthly layoffs throughout 2023 were actually slightly below pre-pandemic levels after a massive spike during the start of the pandemic, BLS data shows.
“I’m cautiously optimistic. I think there are some signs that we’ll still see robust demand for workers, be that through hiring or a relative absence of layoffs,” says Nick Bunker, economic research director for North America at the Indeed Hiring Lab, which tracks employment trends.
The current job market is incredibly resilient, and labor market indicators show that workers who are laid off aren’t likely to stay unemployed for long. The unemployment rate has stayed steady between 3.4% and 3.9% since December 2021. Unemployment claims, meanwhile, are largely in line with pre-pandemic claims, Department of Labor data shows. That goes for initial claims — by those unemployed for the first time — and for continued unemployment claims — those who have remained unemployed beyond an initial claim.
“I’m not particularly concerned,” says Elise Gould, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank.
If economists aren’t panicked, it means you probably shouldn’t be either. Unless, of course, you’re in one of the sectors that’s seen an uptick.
Where are layoffs happening?
Gould and Bunker both say layoffs are largely siloed in the information sector, which includes both tech companies and media companies (hence all those layoff headlines). They say that shedding is likely to continue into 2024.
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In the scope of the entire labor market, tech and media remain the outliers when it comes to layoffs, Bunker says. “This time last year there were concerns about what’s happening to the tech or media industries or the broader information sector. And you could see from the data that layoffs did tick up, but that was not representative of what you saw in the rest of the market — it didn’t spread out.”
The transportation and warehousing industry has also seen a rise in layoffs since companies began downsizing after more rapid expansion during the pandemic. But employment in the sector is still well above pre-pandemic levels.
Among other sectors, a Feb. 1 report by Challenger, Gray and Christmas, an outplacement company, shows the financial industry has had the most job cuts so far in 2024 with a total of 23,238 in January. That’s the highest monthly layoffs among financial companies since September 2018.
Gould says layoffs like these aren’t necessarily signs of industrywide distress. Some reflect the churn that happens in the economy in any given month — jobs lost are offset by jobs added, she says. Throughout 2023, the amount of jobs added often exceeded expectations. That trend remained in January: The amount of jobs added was double what was projected.
“There’s a lot moving,” says Gould.
Some other areas with layoffs include the food industry, which announced 6,656 layoffs, the highest number since November 2012. The retail industry announced 5,364 cuts in January — a 4,776% increase from December. But take that big, scary percentage with a grain of salt: Layoffs happen every year in the retail industry after the holidays are over because companies hire a ton of temporary workers to meet demand.
Layoffs spiked among tech companies in 2023
Last year was not a good one for tech and neither was the one before that. Let’s face it — this year isn’t looking much better. In 2023, more than 1,190 tech companies laid off some 262,000 workers, according to layoffs.fyi, which tracks layoffs in the tech industry.
The biggest layoffs in 2023 were at big-name companies, including Amazon (27,410 workers) Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram (21,000), Google (12,115) and Microsoft (11,158).
But so far in 2024, over 34,000 employees have been laid off among more than 140 tech companies, according to layoffs.fyi. Some of the big names this year include Snap, which owns SnapChat, Zoom, PayPal, Salesforce, Microsoft, eBay, TikTok, Wayfair, Google, Discord, Audible and Rent the Runway.
Job availability may also be dwindling. “Employers are still looking to hire at fairly robust rates across a variety of sectors,” says Bunker. “And that’s not the case for job titles related to the tech sector; they’re still pretty depressed there.”
The downsizing is likely due to some pullback from the hiring spree in the tech industry during the start of the pandemic, experts say. And layoffs in this sector, particularly for highly skilled tech professionals, don’t mean workers stay unemployed for long. They’re likely being gobbled up by other companies pretty quickly, Bunker and Gould say.
“For workers that have higher levels of education, oftentimes their unemployment rates are much lower,” Gould says. “Oftentimes they are able to get back on their feet. Obviously, that average story does not tell everybody’s experience, and there are people that will be worse off.”
Randi Weitzman, executive director of technology talent solutions at Robert Half, an international human resource consulting firm, says workers in tech positions have an in-demand skill set that every company needs.
“It’s not so much we’re seeing the demand in high tech, but in industries like health care, manufacturing, government, retail, hospitality and leisure. We also saw an uptick in professional services. But all of those industries need IT professionals to help them drive their companies,” Weitzman says.
Media layoffs soared as companies struggle to profit
For the media, 2023 was a proverbial bloodbath. The industry, as a whole, announced 20,324 cuts last year — the highest since 2020, according to a report by Challenger, Gray and Christmas, Inc. As a subset of media, news announced 2,681 cuts, which was more than layoffs in 2021 and 2022 combined, according to the report. Bloomberg estimated news media losses even higher — about 3,000.
“I think that is very much a structural story that’s more about long-term trends,” says Bunker.
“The issue for the media is internet.”
Media was once mostly funded by advertising — “they were sort of a one-stop shop for lots of advertisers,” Bunker says. But the advent of the internet changed advertising, and media paid the price. The other issue, Bunker says, is consumer expectations of the price they pay for information, that is, most people don’t want to pay for articles.
“It’s just more difficult for media to be profitable, and so you’ve had a pullback and a decline in employment in that sector of the economy,” Bunker says.
The past year saw cuts at Buzzfeed News (15%), Time Magazine (15%), NPR (10%), Business Insider (8%), Gannett (6%), Vox (11%), Conde Nast (5%), Vice Media (around 10%) and others. The Washington Post completed 240 buyouts last year to avoid laying off workers.
Since the start of 2024, even more news media organizations have announced staff reductions.
On Jan. 17, Conde Nast announced it was laying off staff and folding Pitchfork into the GQ umbrella. On Jan. 19, Sports Illustrated announced it would be giving its entire staff the boot within 90 days. On Jan. 23, the Los Angeles Times announced it was cutting 115 reporters — about 20% of its staff. Back in June, it slashed its workforce by 13%. The paper was reportedly losing somewhere between $30 million to $40 million a year.
Layoffs aren’t just hitting news outlets. Streaming services have disrupted traditional television. On Feb. 13, the TV network giant Paramount announced it was laying off 3% of its staff.
Mass layoffs across the labor market aren’t likely in 2024
Despite some worrisome trends in the information sector, widespread layoffs throughout the labor market still aren’t likely to happen anytime soon under current conditions, experts say.
“The outlook for layoffs is a function of what you think a broader economic outlook is, and we’ve gotten very strong economic growth data as of late,” says Bunker.
While the labor market is tight, and the industries with layoffs are generally contained, it doesn’t mean we won’t see more employment churn coming this year. CEOs aren’t feeling the need to hoard labor as much as they once did: A quarterly survey of CEO confidence released on Feb. 8 by The Conference Board, a think tank, shows 23% of CEOs expect to lay off workers in the next 12 months, up from 13% from the previous quarter.
Los Angeles Times: Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images News via Getty Images
Google: Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images News via Getty Images
Microsoft: Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images News for BIG3 via Getty Images
TikTok: Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images News via Getty Images
Paramount Studios: Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images News via Getty Images
Who is Bill Rhodes? Rhodes has extensive experience as a corporate executive as he previously served as the president and CEO of AutoZone for 18 years, contributing to the firm’s expansion of stores as well as increasing its revenue and enhancing its online presence and services. Prior to that role, Rhodes led store operations as … [Read more…]
The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice. See Lexington Law’s editorial disclosure for more information.
By 2028, women are projected to own 75 percent of discretionary spending in the United States. [Nielsen]
Considering women make up 51 percent of the U.S. population, female consumer trends have a strong influence on the economy. Collectively they make up a sizable growth market that can’t be ignored.
Women are increasingly invested in the quality of the items they buy and how well they fit their lifestyle. Since they’re more likely to shoulder the responsibility for things like household purchases, grocery shopping and meal preparation, convenience is a high priority in women’s spending habits and something they seek out in their everyday lives.
Businesses that fail to understand the unique characteristics of female consumers are ultimately losing out on a valuable market. Greater effort will be required to keep up with the evolving consumer landscape that is driven largely by women. By analyzing the statistics associated with women’s spending habits, we can gain insight into their preferences, values and thought processes when it comes to what and how they buy. Read on to learn more.
Note: We reference the most updated data available, but sometimes that information is from several years ago—check each individual source for specifics.
Table of contents:
An overview of female consumer trends
The impact of female consumerism in the U.S. is hard to understate, as they make the majority of all consumer purchases. This could be attributed to the fact that women often buy not only for themselves but also for their families and children.
With women leading the majority of household purchases, retailers could benefit from focusing on how they can best serve the vast number of female consumers who stimulate their sales year after year.
By 2028, women are projected to own 75 percent of discretionary spending in the United States. [Source: Nielsen]
Women make 91 percent of new home purchases. [Source: Girlpower Marketing]
An average of 89 percent of women across the world reported controlling or sharing daily shopping needs, household chores and food prep compared to an average of approximately 41 percent of men. [Source: Nielsen]
Women are the primary purchasers of everyday household items. [Source: Nielsen]
61 percent of women in the U.S. believe that they are worse off or about the same compared with five years ago when it comes to finances. [Source: Nielsen]
67 percent of women in 2019 were employed for pay. [Source: Civic Science]
Men’s vs. women’s spending habits
There are often notable differences between the minds of men and women, including what motivates them when it comes to their spending habits. While neither gender can be placed in a box and a broad range of characteristics exist for each, there are general patterns that can shed light on their financial lives and choices.
The answer to the question “Do women shop more than men?” is a bit complex. Women are often far more selective in their purchases than men and are willing to spend the time necessary to find products that fit their needs and requirements. While men are usually more straightforward and goal-oriented in their shopping, women are more detail-oriented, paying attention to the quality of an item before purchasing. The majority of men prefer to get in and get out of a store as quickly as possible, while women generally enjoy the shopping process as a whole.
Female buying behaviors indicate that they want a risk-free and convenient shopping experience, which goes hand in hand with their desire for their purchases to enhance their lifestyles. They frequently prioritize ensuring that their purchases check every box and fulfill their needs, and usually spend more time than men making sure of this before spending any money.
43 percent of women and 52 percent of men prefer making technology purchases online. [Source: First Insight]
74 percent of women report finding items on sale matters to them in their purchasing habits, compared to just 57 percent of men. [Source: Belvg]
34 percent of women report caring about applying coupons and promotions to their purchases, compared to 26 percent of men. [Source: Belvg]
14 percent of women are inclined to study promotional emails, compared to only 8 percent of men. [Source: Belvg]
58 percent of women report checking products and prices on Amazon.com before looking elsewhere, compared to 64 percent of men. [Source: First Insight]
42 percent of women are encouraged to buy online if free delivery is included, as opposed to 35 percent of men. [Source: Nielsen]
91 percent of women buy food and groceries in-store, compared to 86 percent of men who do the same. [Source: First Insight]
Women are 48 percent more likely to use reusable shopping bags than men. [Source: Civic Science]
30 percent of women are encouraged to shop online if they receive text or email updates on product availability, as opposed to 27 percent of men. [Source: Nielsen]
42 percent of women are encouraged to buy online when the purchase includes a money-back guarantee, as opposed to 31 percent of men. [Source: Nielsen]
67 percent of women examine food labels to determine if a product is healthy, while only 48 percent of men do the same. [Source: Nielsen]
Women are 13 percent more likely than men to deem a product premium based on whether it contains high-quality ingredients. [Source: Nielsen]
Slightly more women than men prefer to shop online at 72 percent, compared to 68 percent of men. [Source: Belvg]
Online vs. in-store shopping habits
While the digital shopping landscape continues to grow more robust and popular with each passing year, women are still making more in-store purchases than they are online. However, even though women consumers are more inclined to spend more in-store, they aren’t as inclined to visit a store in person unless they have a specific purchase in mind. Retailers can capture this opportunity by making sure they’re offering the exact products women are specifically searching for when they visit a store.
72 percent of women shop online. [Source: OptinMonster]
When shopping online, 77 percent of women say they add extra items to their carts that they didn’t originally intend to purchase. [Source: First Insight]
Adding extra unplanned items to their cart is more common among in-store shoppers, with 89 percent of women saying they sometimes or always do so when shopping in person. [Source: First Insight]
69 percent of women choose in-store shopping when they need something specific. [Source: First Insight]
56 percent of women choose online shopping when they have a specific need for something. [Source: First Insight]
70 percent of women usually spend $50 or more when shopping in-store, compared to only 49 percent who spend more than $50 when shopping online. [Source: First Insight]
33 percent of women spend over $100 during an average in-store shopping trip, while only 17 percent say they spend over $100 when shopping online. [Source: First Insight]
91 percent of women buy food and groceries in-store. [Source: First Insight]
47 percent of women shop on eBay, and 80 percent of women use Etsy. [Source: RepricerExpress]
46 percent of women shop for clothing and sporting goods online. [Source: Belvg]
25 percent of women purchase books, magazines and learning materials online. [Source: Belvg]
10 percent of women buy medicine online. [Source: Belvg]
35 percent of women spend on travel and holiday accommodations online. [Source: Belvg]
30 percent of women purchase household items online. [Source: Belvg]
26 percent of women purchase event tickets online. [Source: Belvg]
16 percent of women buy music or movies online. [Source: Belvg]
What consumer goods are women buying?
With data pointing to women as most often responsible for the majority of grocery shopping and meal preparation, the food industry represents a significant opportunity for companies to find ways to connect with their female consumers.
Women also spend significant amounts on beauty products, clothes and travel. With clothing ranking as a top spending category among women, the continued evolution of the retail world represents a chance to lean further into the habits of women consumers.
Beauty and skin care spending
Women have historically spent a considerable amount on personal care, cosmetics and skin care, and it’s no different today. While makeup and beauty products aren’t a part of every woman’s routine, almost everyone uses some type of skin care product—even if it’s just sunscreen or hand lotion. This sheds some light on the astonishing size and increasing growth of the skin care market, particularly among women.
While older consumers used to lead the demand for products in these industries, an increasing number of younger women now play a significant part. This could explain the shift in the market, indicating women’s increasing desire for more natural and organic products, which continues to go up as consumers become more knowledgeable about toxic ingredients in their products and factors like sun damage. Cosmetics and skin care brands that recognize these emerging values among their consumers will outgrow those that don’t.
The global skin care industry is estimated to reach $189.3 billion in the U.S. by 2025. [Source: Statista]
Natural cosmetics had a global market value of $34.5 billion in 2018, and are expected to increase in value to $54.5 billion by 2027. [Source: Statista]
Women who spend money on their appearance will spend roughly $225,360 in a lifetime. [Source: OnePoll]
When it comes to beauty-based purchases, women spend the most on facials, haircuts, makeup, manicures and pedicures. [Source: OnePoll]
Women spend $91 a month on facial products. [Source: OnePoll]
The fragrance industry will reach an estimated $91.17 billion globally by 2025. [Source: Health Careers]
Women in their 30s buy more anti-aging products than women between the ages of 40 and 60. [Source: OnePoll]
Women in their 20s make more makeup purchases than any other age group. [Source: OnePoll]
Household and grocery spending
Data shows that women do the majority of household spending, grocery shopping and meal preparation. With women generally spending more time on household duties than men, it’s no surprise that much of their spending is allocated to these categories.
Women are twice as likely to take charge of household grocery shopping than men. [Source: Civic Science]
80 percent of women who have children and live with a spouse or partner say they are typically in charge of meal prep. [Source: Pew Research]
75 percent of women without children who live with a spouse or partner say they are typically in charge of meal prep. [Source: Pew Research]
80 percent of women who have children and live with a spouse or partner say they are typically the grocery shopper. [Source: Pew Research]
68 percent of women without children who live with a spouse or partner say they are typically the grocery shopper. [Source: Pew Research]
Women spend more money per grocery shopping trip than men, averaging $44.43 per trip. [Source: Nielsen]
Clothing spending
Clothes have always been a large category of spend among women. The market value for women’s retail is expected to rise to around $394 billion by 2025, and retailers are becoming more aware of what women want in their clothing. They value versatility and functionality without sacrificing function and utilize their fashion choices as a source of empowerment and confidence.
Growth in the retail industry among women could be due to the fact that economically empowered female consumers who maintain the majority of control of spending in American homes have more purchasing power, much of which continues to be allocated toward clothes.
Digital trends are also impacting women’s shopping habits, and almost three-quarters of women now shop online. Women are increasingly utilizing social media platforms for fashion discovery, product inspiration and finding authentic reviews from their peers online.
On average, the clothes in a woman’s wardrobe equal between $1,000 and $2,500. [Source: CreditDonkey]
9 percent of women have over $10,000 worth of clothing in their closet. [Source: CreditDonkey]
32 percent of women in the U.S. own over 25 pairs of shoes. [Source: CreditDonkey]
Over half of women estimate that 25 percent of their wardrobe goes unworn. [Source: CreditDonkey]
Every three months, 73 percent of women refresh one quarter of their closet. [Source: CreditDonkey]
Around 15 percent of women don’t have clothes older than five years old in their closet. [Source: CreditDonkey]
Women who are 16 and older spend an average of 76 percent more on clothing than men every year. [Source: CreditDonkey]
Women between the ages of 45 and 54 spend $793 per year on clothing, the highest spent of any age group. [Source: CreditDonkey]
75 percent of women over 18 would choose Target for undergarments over Victoria’s Secret. [Source: Civic Science]
Women’s purchasing values
Diversity and inclusion factors have a larger impact than ever on women’s shopping decisions and expectations. With diversity and inclusivity growing increasingly important in the world of retail and beyond, women consumers expect brands to evolve with the cultures they serve. Among women today there is more scrutiny of brands’ and retailers’ values, hiring practices, product-to-market placements and ability to truly listen to their customers.
Women, like all people, are driven by their values and habits, so understanding what’s important to them, what their day-to-day lives look like and what makes them unique is crucial in fostering a true connection that might influence purchasing behavior.
About half of women in the U.S. believe that having minority-held leadership positions is important and believe that retailers would benefit from hiring Chief Diversity Officer positions. [Source: First Insight]
45 percent of women say cultural inclusivity in brands is important. [Source: First Insight]
44 percent of women believe it’s important for influencers to represent diverse points of view. [Source: First Insight]
67 percent of women say that inclusivity in extended sizing is the top diversity factor to consider. [Source: First Insight]
55 percent of women in the U.S. say they would temporarily stop shopping at a brand or retailer who released an offensive product. [Source: First Insight]
71 percent of women believe brands and retailers should make it at least six months without any offensive items released before they would feel comfortable purchasing from them again. [Source: First Insight]
Opportunities for financial success
Women who are active in their own financial planning are less stressed on average than those who avoid it. There are many ways to prioritize financial success such as committing to your retirement savings, learning investment strategies and managing your personal credit and debt.
Managing credit card debt or poor credit is an important starting point on the road to financial success. Taking responsibility for debt or bad credit will help you secure a more prosperous financial future, and utilizing the help of a credit repair team could help you manage the process. If you are a woman moving toward financial independence, know that it’s never too late to take steps toward a brighter financial future.
Note: Articles have only been reviewed by the indicated attorney, not written by them. The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, reviewers, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective agents or employers.
Reviewed By
Sarah Raja
Associate Attorney
Sarah Raja was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona.
In 2010 she earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Arizona State University. Sarah then clerked at personal injury firm while she studied for the Law School Admissions Test. In 2016, Sarah graduated from Arizona Summit Law School with a Juris Doctor degree. While in law school Sarah had a passion for mediation and participated in the school’s mediation clinic and mediated cases for the Phoenix Justice Courts. Prior to joining Lexington Law Firm, Sarah practiced in the areas of real property law, HOA law, family law, and disability law in the State of Arizona. In 2020, Sarah opened her own mediation firm with her business partner, where they specialize in assisting couples through divorce in a communicative and civilized manner. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys spending time with family and friends, practicing yoga, and traveling.
In an effort to get a pulse on the industry and learn more about the tools available to help real estate agents grow their businesses, I sat down with Robert (Bob) Burns, Real Estate Coach, Trainer and Consultant with Leader’s Edge Training, to discuss the resources they offer for real estate professionals.
While there’s no shortage of training available in the marketplace for agents, I quickly learned that for those real estate agents who want to take their career to the next level there is a vacuum in the real estate training space that few – besides Leader’s Edge – are addressing.
In our discussion, Bob shared the fact that “there’s a whole other side of this conversation [i.e. agent training] that’s not talked about nearly enough, and that’s management…the management side of the real estate business. There’s little to no training available.”
Why is this important?
As an agent, maybe you’re thinking that’s no big deal…I’m great at selling, how hard can it be to manage a brokerage?
Ask anyone who’s done it though, and you’ll quickly realize that it’s a lot tougher. For example, how do you know if your commission plan is truly competitive in the marketplace?
Or if you have the right financial reports with the key information you need to manage the brokerage well? Are things slipping through the cracks, or are you on top of every little thing that needs done?
Maybe you were in management before you got into real estate. That’s great, but were you managing employees or independent contractors?
It’s different, you know…the dynamics are definitely not the same.
For example, if you were a sales manager in the retail industry the methods and processes you used to manage employees will not be the same as the ones you need as the manager of a brokerage firm.
“It becomes not about telling people what to do and having, you know, all of that discipline and structure,” said Bob, “it really is an exercise in leadership in generating followership, and building relationships and trust so that these independent contractors that are like, herding cats, will actually follow you to where you want to bring your organization. And that’s a whole other skillset for most people to develop.
“So I love working with managers to help them with their leadership skills, to build followership and also with the nuts and bolts of actually managing their service delivery, their financials, their process…all the stuff that’s required as kind of foundational to their business so they can do the fun leadership stuff and getting people to follow them and recruit agents to their firm and retain them so they stay and help their agents build their business.”
Interested in learning what makes him tick, I asked Bob about how he got into the business.
“I have basically only ever worked in the real estate business. I came out of college with an education background that I didn’t want to use. I found out that education wasn’t for me and I went in an interview with a local real estate company in South Minneapolis – Coldwell Banker Burnett.
“They walked me through the process to get licensed. I became licensed and started my career as a 20 year old kid trying to live in an apartment, trying to help people with their most valuable asset – their home – so I had to learn fast.
“What I love the most about it [real estate] is that your output is pretty much in proportion to the input. In other words, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. The harder you work, the more you earn and the better you do.”
[PULL QUOTE HERE] “It’s really a meritocracy, and I love that about real estate.”
“Anyone with the right drive, and the right work ethic can come into real estate and make a respectable living for themselves and their family.”
But what should real estate agents expect from the training offered by Leader’s Edge Training?
There are four components to the training; learning, practice, implementation and accountability.
“With adult learners,” said Bob, “especially in a professional environment, we’ll tend not to just learn something for the sake of learning…it needs to be applicable.”
Agents who enroll in the training offered by Leader’s Edge will not only learn something new, they’ll have the opportunity to learn in a very specific way that will help them really retain what they learn.
They’ll learn through implementation and practice, in an environment where it’s safe to practice the skill before the stakes get high.
Also, agents will experience accountability.
Unlike other training programs there’s no “here’s what you need to know, go do it and have a nice day,” agents receive true accountability that will help them implement what they’ve learned in a practical way.
Their coach will question them…“did you do what you said you would? How did it go? What worked? What didn’t work?”, etc.
Bob noted that continuing education for most agents is thought of as “more of a passive, ‘getting my hours in’ type of learning.” Highlighting what makes him different, he notes that, “The training that I provide is more about making a behavioral change in your business, so you can run a more successful practice.”
If you’re an agent who wants to “create change and growth in your business, that leads to making more money and helping more people,” you’re just the kind of agent who would benefit from Leader’s Edge Training.
“The core program that I deliver with Leader’s Edge Training is a “six week, one day a week in-person course,” said Bob. “It’s an advanced course in real estate; everything you need to know and then some to run a successful business. We do before and after measurements; we’re very big on measurement.
“The average participant increases their business 217% versus what they were doing before they took the class,” continued Bob.
“The other component to it, is that while they’re with me during that six week period of high accountability, high motivation – and this really positive environment – the average participant in the class that I deliver will close six transactions that can be traced back to the activities they did with me in the course. It’s very, very measurable.”
In addition to the training, Leader’s Edge offers agents two other resources that can help them grow their business; an app and a podcast.
“The ‘Agent Success’ app that we developed allows you to put in your business goals as a real estate agent,” said Bob. “And it breaks those goals down into quarterly, monthly and weekly activities that you need to complete on a regular basis to reach those goals.
“So if you want to make a certain amount of money in real estate, you put in those goals; you put in how many weeks a year you want to work, and then every day when you wake up the app tells you exactly what to do, how many calls you need to make, how many mailers you need to do, how many doors you need to knock on, how many social media posts you need to make…it spells it all out for you.
“And you can keep track of your activities as you do them, much like a fitness app such as My Fitness Pal or Fitbit or whatever…you can track your activities. And it will kind of assign you points based on the activities that you’ve done. And if you do those activities, you’ll reach your goals and the app help you get to where you want to go.
“It’s available in the iTunes Store and in the Android Google Play Store. We’ve opened it up to everybody; it’s not just Leader’s Edge clients…we want to contribute to the growth of the real estate industry as a whole.
“We’ve made it available for free to all real estate professionals… they can go out and download it and start using it today.”
Without question, in my experience most real estate professionals love to help others achieve success. One such way they can do that is by sharing their knowledge through podcasts.
Bob’s podcast is called “How They Won” and is available on a number of platforms.
“Every week I interview top real estate professionals, mostly real estate agents,” said Bob, “but also people connected to the real estate industry…and they share the secrets of their success.
“The interviews are typically around 30 minutes, and while some episodes have gone as long as 60 minutes I try to keep it 30 to 40 minutes so you can listen as you walk around your commute or on the treadmill or the elliptical at the gym.
“There’s been a tremendous response…real estate agents like to learn from each other.
“And the other thing about about “How They Won”… as I was doing my market research, I noted that there are a handful of real estate podcasts that are out there.
“I’m a big podcast fan…I love podcasts…but the real estate podcasts that are out there, in general, with the exception of a very, very small few, from a quality and organization standpoint, I just find very difficult to listen to.
“So my goal with “How They Won” was to launch something that was of a very high, professional, listenable quality,” continued Bob, “and that was organized and succinct in a way that listeners could actually implement in a short period of time.
“For their time investment, I wanted them to be able to actually implement some of the things that they learned in the podcast.”
At the time of this writing we’re facing a moratorium on physical gatherings, so I asked Bob how he was adapting to the changes brought by the Coronavirus epidemic.
“What I’m doing right now, is a lot of what’s called mindset and motivational work. It’s very hard in this environment for people to do the right things; to hold themselves to a certain standard. They lose track of the discipline of running their business. You’re not going to close as many real estate transactions in this kind of environment.
“So the focus has shifted from a lot of action-based tasks (e.g. make these contacts, knock on these doors, or send out this mailer,) to more of a ‘where are you’, ‘where’s your head at today’. As a real estate agent what are you thinking about? How can we implement some structure in your day so that when we do wake up to a sunrise in the first day of a post COVID-19 real estate market you’re ready…you won’t miss a beat when the light turns green again.”
Taking the cue, I asked a question that I’m sure is on a lot of peoples’ minds; especially those of us in the real estate industry.
“What do you think the real estate industry as a whole is going to look like…at least for the United States after we get the ‘all clear’ so to speak?”
“It’s really hard to say,” said Bob. “I think it comes down to some basic economic factors. The biggest driver historically of real estate, contrary to what almost every written article wants you to believe, is not interest rates.
“Interest rates are not the biggest driver of the real estate market…it’s employment.
“Just like, you know, the old adage in real estate is ‘location, location, location’… the economics of this industry is ‘employment, employment employment’.
“So depending on how quickly we can get home buyers and home sellers back to work is going to shape whether this is a V shaped recovery or a U shaped recovery.
“For example, if you want to buy a house, typically you’re going to need a mortgage to buy it. Mortgage Lenders aren’t going to lend you money if you don’t have a job.
“So these four levels that we’re seeing in these layoffs; if we’re able to kind of sustain those small, medium and large businesses through however long this is, whether it’s weeks or months, if we’re able to keep those businesses open and they’re able to bring their workforce back to work, then I think this whole thing will have a very little impact on the real estate business as a whole.
“It’ll be a setback, but we have a whole bunch of built-up demand happening behind this dam. And when we’re back open for business, all of that pent-up demand is going to be satisfied. And we’re going to see a fast and full recovery.
“If on the other hand, we’re not able to keep these small, medium, large businesses to the point where they’re able to bring their workforce back in, and these unemployment claims that we’re seeing are permanent rather than temporary, I think it’s going to be a much slower recovery as new businesses have to become established to take the place of businesses that didn’t survive.
“And those business have to grow organically, and eventually get back to the point where they can have a payroll where we did pre COVID-19, then I think you’re looking at a much more protracted recovery or a much, much longer recovery if that happens.”
So what should agents be doing now, as we’re in a state of flux?
Unfortunately, we’re in uncharted territory right now, but one things that is vital for every agent to consider is to take the time to work on their mindset.
Social distancing, and in some cases, stay-at-home orders can wreak havoc on your mindset if you let it.
Pay attention to what you read, and what you listen to. Take care of yourself, your family, and your business and when possible, take advantage of this time to expand your knowledge so that you can hit the ground running when the time is right.
Anita Clark is a Warner Robins Real Estate Agent helping buyers and sellers in middle Georgia with all of their home buying or selling needs.Whether she is selling new construction homes, assisting first-time buyers, or helping military relocating to Houston County, she always puts her customers needs first.
Leasing momentum continues Across the portfolio, leasing momentum continued: “We signed more than 1,200 leases for more than 5.9 million square feet in the quarter,” Simon said. “We have an additional 1,500 deals in our pipeline, including renewals for approximately $570 million in gross occupancy cost. More than 25% of our leasing activity in the … [Read more…]
Right around now, most consumers are laying plans to intensify their spending frenzy for the final month of the year. After all, what better way to celebrate the holidays and the accompanying temporary freedom from work, with additional financial bondage to that very job?
Since you and I generally don’t participate in the games of the retail industry, I thought we could celebrate US Thanksgiving and its spendy neighbor Black Friday in a different way: by renewing our vows to lead a more meaningful, vigorous, innovative, and generally awesome life. Badass Friday is what we could call it, and it should be an annual tradition.
Gifts and Traditions
Around this time of year, I start getting emails from thoughtful readers with questions about the holidays: “What does the MMM family do about the Christmas gift exchange tradition? What about birthdays and other holidays?”
The answer to this one is just what you’d expect from Mr. Money Mustache: We skip the whole retail aspect of it entirely. In the wise words of Grandpa Money Mustache: “A Simpler Christmas is a Grander Christmas“, and you can read more about it in the holiday MMM Classic entitled Happy Buy Nothing Day.
Little MM tends to make his own gifts for giving: these handy notebooks for his parents were big hits.
In our old age, we’ve become much more interested in using surplus cash to help others. We have committed not to inflate our own lifestyle beyond its already-cozy level, and also believe in letting our son earn his own way to financial independence when he grows up, rather than leaving a large estate. This should leave several million dollars free throughout our lifetimes to do other things, and I basically follow the ideals of the Gates Foundation* when it comes to efficient charity. Other favorites include Charity Navigator, DonorsChoose.org, and GiveWell.org.
But we’re still big on tradition in our family. Not the traditions prescribed in ancient texts and scrolls, but generally sillier ones we invent ourselves and carry on just because they are fun.
Every Friday, the arrival of the weekend is celebrated with Family Movie Night. Every meal, even breakfast, is served by candlelight. And self-imposed blackouts are frequent: besides our our ongoing freedom from TV (a tradition which started in 1999), we also have a weekly No Computer Day, and even occasional No Electricity Nights. That last one came about two years ago, when I received a power failure for my birthday and we all enjoyed it:
Mr. Money Mustache Receives the Gift of Hardship for his Birthday
Preparation for a New Season
For the roughly 60% of MMM readers who live in Northern climates, winter means cooler weather and a time when those of weak constitution turn to automobile travel and indoor recreation. Not the Mustachians: we simply brush up on our winter survival skills and apply them with renewed gusto:
How to Ride your Bike All Winter – and Love it
MMM Challenge: Try Getting your Groceries with a Bike Trailer
First Understand, Then Destroy, Your Home Heating Bill
The Oil Well You Can Keep in Your Pants
So Happy Thanksgiving to all, when we will give thanks for all the good things that we have, and equal thanks to all the unnecessary ones we don’t crave.
*The Gates Foundation: The ruthlessly efficient businessman applies infinite wealth and intellect towards the problem of saving the world. In a nutshell: our biggest problem is too many humans, because of the famines, wars, and environmental problems that happen when you greatly exceed the productive capacity of the planet. Solve this, and all the other problems start to solve themselves. The solution is to give us the strength to reproduce less. Most of the population growth currently comes from the poorest countries. But quite counter-intuitively, the way to reduce the birth rate in these countries is to improve health, prosperity, and education. See the amazing (and short) video called “The River of Myths” for why this works.