KGCI: Real Estate on Air - Balancing Act Mental Health, Image and Real Estate with Nadia Habib

Episode Date: September 16, 2025

SummaryThis episode provides a much-needed conversation about the often-overlooked emotional and mental toll of a career in real estate. Featured guest Nadia Habib, a top leader at eXp Realty, goes beyond the typical sales talk to share her perspective on the immense pressure to maintain a perfect image and what it truly takes to thrive. The discussion reveals that your most valuable asset is not a listing—it’s your mental health, and that a proactive approach to your well-being is the key to a sustainable and successful business.Key TakeawaysThe Pressure of the Perfect Image: Understand that the constant pressure to appear successful and "on" can lead to burnout. The episode addresses the unspoken struggle behind the filtered social media posts and teaches how to prioritize self-care and set boundaries to protect your energy.Authenticity as Your Superpower: Learn why being real is a game-changer. The discussion highlights that clients and colleagues are drawn to authenticity, and that being honest about your journey and your challenges can build a deeper level of trust and a more relatable brand than a curated, perfect image.Leadership in Emotional Intelligence: Discover that a great leader doesn't just manage a team—they lead with empathy. Nadia provides insights into building a team culture that prioritizes mental well-being, where agents feel safe to discuss their struggles and get the support they need.Building a Business for Freedom, Not Stress: The episode challenges the "hustle culture" mentality. You'll learn how to build a business with a clear vision and a foundation of systems that gives you the financial and time freedom to prevent burnout and truly enjoy the fruits of your labor.Topics:Mental health in real estateNadia HabibReal estate burnoutAuthentic leadershipBalancing work and lifeCall-to-ActionReady to take control of your well-being? Listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast platform and build a business that is both successful and sane!

Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of Behind Closed Deals. In today's episode, I wanted to cover with you a very interesting topic, very interesting to me. And this is for all of the individuals that are thinking about getting into a real estate career, getting into real estate, is real estate career versus entrepreneurship and navigating the path between the two. So how do you choose which path you want to take? Well, the only way to choose is to really know the difference between the two. The reason I find this topic very interesting is many individuals choose to take on a career in real estate. However, they're missing the knowledge of what they can really do by choosing that path. And many spend their entire life selling real estate

And don't get me wrong. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that. But to really give you the insight on the difference between the two is important. Because sometimes we may spend our entire life in a career in real estate and have missed out on so many opportunities. To me, I've always looked at real estate as a gateway to entrepreneurship. And what you can do with it is endless. So again, this is more to enlighten the audience. There's so much more than helping buyers and sellers in the real estate market.

When you choose a career in real estate, it can lead down various paths and each one has its own set of benefits and challenges. So what I'd like to do with you today is to go over the breakdown of the differences between working as a real estate agent and being an entrepreneur. in the real estate sector. We're going to go over five points that differentiates a real estate agent from an entrepreneur in real estate. We're also going to discuss the four key components of mindset required for a real estate agent versus an entrepreneur and how they are significantly different. And lastly, I want to cover with you five points of several psychological and economic

studies that dived into why some individuals prefer taking less risk compared to others who are more inclined towards higher risks, higher award opportunities, and being an entrepreneur. And again, there's absolutely nothing wrong with choosing one over the other. But it's important to know the differences so you are able to choose the path that you want to take. So let's start with going over the breakdown and the differences between working as a real estate agent and owning a business as an entrepreneur in the real estate sector. As a real estate agent, obviously you're required to be licensed. your employment structure typically is you're not directly responsible for overhead,

liability, employees that work for you. You're income based. So your earnings are generally commission based depending on the value of the properties that you successfully help buy and sell with clients. You have limited financial risk. The financial risks are generally lower because you don't need to invest in your own capital into property or business operations or owning a business. And your focus is really on sales. Primarily, you are helping clients, meeting with clients, showing properties, negotiating deals, handling paperwork, making sure the follow-through and the closing happens successfully.

However, as an entrepreneur, it's a little bit different. There is broader investment. So as an entrepreneur, this can involve purchasing properties to rent or sell, investing in real estate vent or selling, investing in real estate-related business. And this is really your gateway into thinking about longevity in the business and your retirement plan. You also have higher financial risks. So as an entrepreneur, typically it requires significant upfront capital investment and carries greater financial risk. There's potential for higher returns.

There's a possibility of substantial profits through property appreciation, rental income, or business operations. But you also have more flexibility and control. Entrepreneurs have complete control over their business model. operations and decision-making processes right or wrong. And we'll dive into that a little bit later. There's also diverse responsibilities. It involves a range of activities beyond buying and selling, such as managing properties, overseeing renovations, and navigating legal and financial aspects of business ownership. So choosing between being a real estate agent and an entrepreneur in real estate

largely depends on one's appetite to taste risks, desire income stability, and career goals. Both paths offer opportunities for growth and success in different ways. And there are successful real estate agents and there are successful entrepreneurs. It really comes down to the mindset that one has and where they would like to take their career. So the mindset required for a real estate agent versus an entrepreneur in real estate differ significantly in several key aspects. So we're going to go over the key, the four key components and the main differences. Number one is risk tolerance. A real estate agent, typically agents have a lower risk tolerance because their income, though variable, is tied

into their performance in sales without the need to invest in personal capital. So basically, it's the time that they're putting in every single day to gain clientele, work with those clients, help them buy and sell real estate. However, as an entrepreneur in real estate, you must have a high risk tolerance, as they often invest in substantial amount of money into property. and business ventures with the understanding that there is potential for high returns, but also substantial losses. These are the risk takers in real estate.

They understand that there could be significant profit, but they also understand that there could be substantial losses. And they're okay with that. They still have to show up every single day like a real estate agent does. They still have to put in the time. Number two is financial focus. Real estate agents financial focus is more on earning commission through every single transaction that they do.

Agents strive to maximize their earnings through volume and value of sales. So every amount of money that they make is tied into a transaction. That is your sole source of income. As an entrepreneur, however, they, focus on long-term wealth creation and capital appreciation. So they look at the broader financial picture, including investment growth, revenue streams from rental properties and business capability. They may not just be in the real estate business. They may venture and acquire other businesses may be related to real estate and maybe not. But the wealth that they are building gives them that

capability to be able to go and venture outside of real estate. And that is really what real estate wealth is all about is diving into the different businesses that can all tie in together and make your real estate portfolio that much stronger. The third point is the approach to work. And this one I find probably one of the most relevant points. is as an agent, they often work with structured environments by what the brokerage provides, and they focus on client services, networking, and closing transactions every single day. However, real estate entrepreneurs are self-starters who create and manage their business structures. They're proactive in seeking out opportunities, innovating and adapting to market needs.

They have to be on their game every single day because guess what? They are not the only people that rely on them. They have others that rely on them. They are responsible for so many lives that they employ and their families. So the responsibility is significantly higher than just being a real estate agent where you are responsible for yourself and yourself only. And the fourth point that I'm going to touch on is goal orientation. For a real estate agent, the primary goal is typically to facilitate property transactions

to earn through the commission. Success is measured by your sales performance and the client satisfaction. So that is your goal. However, entrepreneurs are goal oriented towards building a sustainable business that can operate independently of their direct efforts. So they aim to establish systems, develop assets, and to achieve financial independence. I'm going to go over one point in what I just said. Entrepreneurs who are goal oriented, their focus and what they want is to establish a business that they can create systems for to allow that business to function independently.

And as an entrepreneur, when I know my business can function without me, that's when I know that I have created a successful business. Your hands cannot be on everything all at once. And entrepreneurs have a mindset of leading leaders, they look at their organization and they lift up. You take individuals in your organization and you teach them and help them grow for them to be able to lead that business so that your focus can shift on something else on another asset or another venture that you want to pursue.

These differences in mindset between a real estate agent and an entrepreneur fundamentally shape how individuals approach the rules in the real estate industry, influencing their strategies, their daily activities, and their long-term objectives. So it's really mindset what it comes down to. Hey, there are some agents out there that are happy selling and buying real estate and helping their clients every single day and constantly prospecting. But then there is the hunger of the entrepreneur that wants more and they want to take their business to that next level and they love waking up to the challenge every single day and guess what we look at the smile on their face every single day or what we perceive as you are so successful so lucky it might come easy to you but there

are so many days us as entrepreneurs want to throw in the towel and just say enough is enough I can't take it anymore I don't need to do this but as an entrepreneur you have that mindset to never give up and in later episodes we will dive into the entrepreneur mindset and how to be able to achieve the goals that you put into place so the five differences that are between individuals who avoid taking risk and entrepreneurs who embrace them based on multiple studies that have been done. We're going to go over these five points. The first one is risk tolerance.

Entrepreneurs typically have a higher tolerance for risks compared to those who avoid it. They're more comfortable with uncertainty and are willing to take calculated risks to achieve their goals. mind you, they know that it may come with failure, that these risks may come with substantial losses, but they're also willing to take on those risks because they know that there could be great success as well. The second one is decision making. Entrepreneurs often make decisions quickly and decisively. even in the face of uncertainty, whereas risk adverse individuals may deliberate longer and may be more hesitant to make big decisions.

When you're an entrepreneur, you don't have the pleasure of time. Sometimes you have to make that decision on the spot right or wrong. You will learn from that mistake if it was wrong and you will learn if it was a success. but sometimes they're not afforded the time that an independent person would be afforded to take their time to think about an idea before they have to make a decision. They have so many people that depend on them that they cannot afford to wait a week to make that decision. The third point is creativity and innovation. Entrepreneurs are more likely to be creative and innovative. constantly seeking new opportunities and solutions,

while risk-averse individuals may prefer to stick to established methods and avoid change. What I find with entrepreneurs is you will always see them in rooms with people that are more successful than they are. They have that hunger to learn from others, and they are so open-minded. What makes a successful entrepreneur is they never say that I know everything that I need to know in order to make it in my business. They are always open to learning from others and welcoming new ideas. And this is why they work so hard on developing their own people into leaders and shaping them into the leaders that they want them to be. They want to teach, but they also have a hunger to learn.

The fourth point is resilience. Entrepreneurs tend to be more resilient in the face of failure or setbacks. They view challenges as learning experiences and opportunities for growth, whereas risk-averse individuals may be more discouraged by failure and may avoid situations where failure is possible. You know, as an entrepreneur, you're going to have to take risks, and I can attest for myself, the risks that I have taken in my past may not. not have been the wisest risks that I've taken. I should have taken out their avenues. But again, I go back to we are not afforded the time. You only have a limited amount of time to make that decision, but you still take on that risk. And yes, there are failures, but there is also significant

success because remember, you're not doing this alone. You are shaping your employees and your organization to be your leaders as well. So there is risk, but there is also significant, significant and substantial awards that come with you being an entrepreneur. And lastly, it's goal orientation. Entrepreneurs often have ambitious goals and are willing to take on risks to achieve them. They're driven by a desire for success and are willing to push beyond their comfort zones while risk-averse individuals may prioritize safety and security over achieving big goals. And that could, I mean, when you are worried about your day-to-day and you're worried about your paycheck to paycheck, you are not in a position to take on any risk.

However, if you are afforded the entrepreneur lifestyle and path, you can take the risks knowing that there may be failures that come out of them but then there's also substantial success that may come out you are your mindset is more prone to take risks because you know that if there is a failure you're going to learn from it and it's not going to happen again not saying that it won't it may but you are going to learn from it listen when we're successful we are learning as entrepreneurs and when we fail, we are learning as entrepreneurs. Success is recognized in the moment. Failure carries through with you because it also comes with you fearing that it may happen again.

So it makes you more conscious of the decision that you're going to have to make the next time. So my friend, thank you for tuning in to today's episode. To me, it does not matter what path you take. Like I said, you can be a successful real estate agent in the real estate sector, and you can be a successful entrepreneur in the real estate sector. Both are great. It depends on the mindset that you have and the drive that you have, and what your intent is long-term.

in the real estate sector. Knowing the difference allows you to make this decision earlier on in your career so that you're not in real estate for 10, 15, 20 years saying to yourself, I wish I had done this before or I wish I had known before. And no matter the path that you take at the end of the day, it is your mindset and it is your drive and your hunger for success because you can make equally as much money no matter what path you take it's really putting in the time and the effort business is never going to come to you you are always going to have to chase it your drive has to be at 100% if not a thousand percent every single day and you are your biggest motivator you don't have a boss in real estate that is going to

call you and tell you you didn't show up for work today. No one cares. It is you that drives you every single day. And we all learn it the hard way. Never came into real estate knowing that I had to be my own boss. I had to show up every single day. But when you learn it and you see the rewards and the successes that are coming to you from showing up and showing your leadership skills and knowing where you can take your real estate career and how you can take it to that next level will alleviate a lot from your stresses. You know, when you are successful and you have the money, it takes off a lot of pressure. It doesn't bring you happiness, but it takes off a lot of pressure.

in order for you to shift your focus elsewhere. So my friends, thank you so much for being with me today. Please stay tuned. We are going to be bringing many more episodes to you on mindset. And we are going to be talking about the drive, figuring out your why, and where you would like to see your career down the road and the steps that you need to take in order to achieve that. Have a great day, everyone, and I will see you on the next episode.