From the Field to the Sale: What Real Estate Agents Can Take Away from the Eagles’ Super Bowl Win | RE/MAX Ready | Sponsored Content

It’s not every day you get to see history in the making. But the city of Philadelphia enjoyed that rare privilege this year when, for the first time ever, the Eagles became Super Bowl champions.

You probably don’t need reminding. The Eagles’ win, and the pole-climbing antics of their fans, was national news for weeks. But however many recaps of the famous game you’ve already read, here’s one more perspective.

Based on the Eagles’ victory, here are three key takeaways for your own career, especially if you’re in real estate or sales. These strategies helped the Eagles rise above their competition—and they can help you clinch the win when it matters most, too.

Lesson #1: Encourage a Collaborative Team Culture

Let’s start with the NFC East Championship Game, when the Eagles conquered the Minnesota Vikings. Specifically, let’s zoom in on the sidelines.

If you were watching the game, you might recall that the cameras kept panning between the backup quarterbacks: the Vikings’ Sam Bradford and the Eagles’ Carson Wentz. Wentz was the guy who’d gotten the Eagles this far to begin with, but because of his injury, he was forced to sit on the sides.

The cameras flashed between the two quarterbacks often. While Bradford came across as stoic and disengaged, Wentz was the opposite. Most times, he was talking with Nick Foles, his replacement, going over plays and strategy.

Rather than viewing Foles as unwelcome competition, Wentz was looking to him as a fellow teammate who could benefit from mentorship. Wentz put the team ahead of his own individual success.

The lesson: In your office, encourage a culture of collaboration and shared success.  

So many company cultures are founded on fierce competitiveness and fear of falling behind. As a result, when agents experience slow times, they often disengage from the team and resent those enjoying more success.

But in a collaborative environment, everyone wins. The agent going through slow times isn’t afraid the office will phase him out. The newcomer benefits from the shared knowledge of the veteran.

And everyone gets a chance to shine.

Lesson #2: Practice High-Pressure Scenarios Often, So You Get It Right When It Really Counts 

Fast-forward to the Super Bowl when, at halftime, the Eagles had a fourth down with seconds left on the clock. This scenario is about as high pressure as it gets. With time ticking away, the Eagles had one last chance to put space between themselves and their competition.

Instead of playing it safe, they deployed the Philly Special and went for the conversion. To the uproarious applause of their fans, they were celebrating in the end zone as half time began.

Why were the Eagles successful here? I credit the fact they’d gone for the first down on a fourth down 26 times during the regular season. By practicing this scenario over and over, they were able to triumph when it was critical.

The lesson: During high-pressure scenarios, you’re going to fall back on your highest level of preparation.

Make sure you’ve rehearsed over and over, so that when the heat is on, you fall back on a high level of competence.

Lesson #3: It’s All a Game of Inches

Rewind to the first playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons. The Eagles’ Super Bowl journey could have ended here, with seconds left on the clock. The Falcons’ amazing wide receiver, Julio Jones, was leaping for a game-winning pass in the end zone.

He didn’t catch it, but he could have. Jones mistimed it and missed it by inches, and the game ended with an Eagles victory.

But if Jones had caught the pass, fans and commentators would have questioned everything about the Eagles. They would have called for Doug Pederson’s firing, and Howie Roseman’s. Basically, there would have been intense backlash against the team that went on to win the Super Bowl!

The lesson: Sometimes, things don’t go your way. That doesn’t mean you lacked what you needed to win.  

When you fail, it’s easy to question everything about your skills and abilities. But often times, it’s a game of inches, and things just didn’t go your way even though you had everything you needed to succeed.

Instead of beating yourself up, cut your losses and move on to the next challenge. As long as you have the core skills and ability you need, you’ll always have a strong shot at victory.

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Matt Mittman and Eric Rehling are the owners of RE/MAX Ready in Conshohocken, PA.