What it takes and how to use it to improve your business

To be successful in the real estate finance industry, it is no longer enough to just be good at what you do. You need to be the pacesetter in every possible way to truly differentiate yourself from all the others. This means you need to do things like:

• Have original research at your disposal to explain from your unique point of view

• Keep your people up-to-date on the latest industry developments

• Use multiple channels to get the word out

Thought Leaders are highly respected professionals who can influence others with their ideas and opinions. They are experts in their field, and their opinions carry a lot of weight. In this article, we will discuss what it takes to become a thought leader and how you can use it to improve your business. If you want to succeed in today's competitive market, you need to do this!

What is a Thought Leader and why should you become one

In the business world, these industry gurus are respected professionals who have the ability to influence others by sharing their ideas and opinions. Thought Leaders are often sought out for their advice, and they can use their influence to help others achieve success.

Choosing to be a Thought Leader can help your business in many ways, including:

1. Help you stand out from the competition with more visibility

2. Gain respect, credibility and ultimately trust

3. Drive your lead generation efforts

4. Allow you to charge premium prices for your products or services

The importance of professional development in the real estate industry

Thought Leaders are constantly learning and growing, which allows them to stay ahead of the curve. If you want to be one, you need to commit to lifelong learning. There are many ways to do this, including taking courses, attending conferences, and reading books. All real estate finance experts need to maintain their professional development, but for Thought Leaders, it is especially important. NAMMBA provides several opportunities to do so, including webinars, courses, conferences, and more. To be one, you will need to be at the forefront of the latest trends and developments, and you’ll need to be able to provide your clients with the best possible advice. So make sure to invest in your professional development.

How to become a Thought Leader

Here are a few tips:

• Be an expert in your field

This is more than being a Subject Matter Expert (SME) that knows their stuff about what is going on today. The real question is whether you also have the ability and insight to forecast where the industry is going or needs to go. If this describes you then you have the opportunity to become well respected for both your expertise and insight into these trends and people will want to hear from you.

• Be active in your industry.

Use multiple platforms to share your ideas and opinions with the world. Whether it’s a blog/guest blog, webinars, or speaking engagements - to be a Thought Leader, you need to be active in your industry and be seen.

• Be passionate about what you do. 

Being zealous about your work and using that passion to inspire others is critical. If you want to be seen as a Thought Leader, you need to excite others about what you do and how they can gain from your knowledge. So share your knowledge with others with gusto!

• Get on a path to stardom

Be involved with other industry leaders, nonprofit or trade organizations that can expand your audience to those that follow you and those that need to be introduced to you. There are many options out there and NAMMBA is definitely one of them.

Final thoughts

If you want to be successful in the real estate finance industry, it’s not enough anymore to just be “good at what you do”. While networking helps, it’s still only going to get you so far. You need to be able to get in front of hundreds or thousands of people to really help you take off as a Thought Leader and create a large following. A following that grows over time and builds your credibility and word-of-mouth for years to come.

For more on partnership opportunities that help you unlock your Thought Leadership potential through NAMMBA, click here. Or reach out to Jade Winfrey, Corporate Solutions Director, at corporatesolutions@nammba.org.