Yes, and: Brokers turn to improv to help them succeed in real estate

The real estate industry is trying to locate its funny bone in the name of cold hard cash.

Agents looking for a boost are taking improv classes to help them hone skills like thinking quickly, dealing with objections and managing unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations, according to Inman. The technique comes highly recommended from celebrity broker Ryan Serhant, who writes about its importance at length in his book “Sell it like Serhant.”

“When you practice improv, your brain is always firing ‘yes,’” Serhant wrote. “Not making a deal — not getting to a place of ‘yes’ — is no longer an option.”

Keller Williams New York agent Aaron Wittenstein also supports doing improv as a way to get better at real estate. He took a course at the famed Second City theater in Chicago a few years after starting his real estate career and told Inman it is a great way to improve self-esteem and get better at selling.

“I think in general if you want to become more comfortable with yourself, there is no better way in doing that than making an ass out of yourself,” he said. [Inman] – Eddie Small