Nine traits of successful investors

Successful people generally do things differently than the rest of the population.

This is also true of successful real estate investors.

So, what are the common traits of successful investors and how can you learn from them?

1. They aim for the top

There is a great quote from Swami Vivekananda, which is an example of a positive life tip that successful investors use often.

It goes like this, “Take up one idea and make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea.

“Let the brain, muscles, nerves and every part of your body be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone.

“This is the way to success.”

So, along with passion, hard work and self-discipline, successful investors love to dream big and aim for the top, and they’re willing to share their dreams with others.

Also, they don’t let the naysayers and dream-killers drag them down – they actually care little or not at all of what others think about their dreams.

2. They’re obsessive in a good way

They focus on spending their time and energy on the things that expand their lives and support their property investing vision and goals.

They are clear and make mindful choices and avoid being or doing “busy things” that don’t support their goals.

3. They concentrate on their vision

Importantly they set goals on how to get there, such as 30-, 60- or 90-day goals or even one-, three- or five-year goals (and beyond).

They break their big dreams down into smaller steps and by doing so prevent feeling overwhelmed.

The lesson to remember here is when it comes to big dreams, by all means, dream big but you also need to start small.

4. They celebrate success

Successful investors are generally not so focused on the end game that they don’t celebrate the small wins along the way.

They know it's about regular rewards and celebrating the little victories.

What the most successful have realised is, that in order to create momentum and to really build self-confidence and stay energised, it's really important to reward yourself for even the smallest of wins.

Successful investors have fun along the way, even if the work they are doing is not fun all of the time.

5. Constant improvement

Those on the path to success also have a strong desire to always improve and make things better by tweaking and fine-tuning their systems and processes.

From building relationships to sourcing properties, to writing offers or placing tenants, everything is scrutinised and ways to improve are constantly considered.

6.  Failure isn’t a scary word

Failure is painful, right?

And I’m not just talking about property investment.

The most successful people in every field (including real estate investing) don’t consider failure to be a particularly painful experience because they think about it differently.

Successful people transcend failure because their self-esteem, rather than depending on whether they win or lose, is based upon their own sense of value.

Consider these ideas: If the more I fail, the more I succeed, then failure is a part of the process of achieving my objectives; failure is temporary when I use it as an opportunity to try new ideas; and I learn more from failure than success.

Successful investors don’t get hung up or dwell very long on failure

They realise that failure is the highway to success and it’s simply part of the process.

7. A learned life

Whether it’s economic updates, property market trends or tax laws, successful investors never stop stretching and learning.

The most successful investors study other successful entrepreneurs, business people and investors – they model their success.

Remember we build our future by what we learn and do today.

8. They don’t blame others

One of the key traits of successful people is that they take full responsibility for the results in all areas of their business and life because they know that ultimately they are based on the decisions and choices they made, including the ones they chose not to make.

If they don’t get the results they expected, they search for a different or even better opportunity in the adversity.

They ask themselves important questions such as what details did I miss?

What questions didn’t I ask about this deal?

What expectation did I have that I did not state?

What assumptions did I make?

9.  They keep their word

With success comes responsibility and trust.

Successful investors keep their promises to themselves and to others because their word is their badge for excellence, trust and who they really are as human beings.

From always being on time for their appointments, to being counted on for the tasks they commit to completing, their word is consistent in all areas of their life.

Reliability, dependability, and integrity are synonymous with their reputation and are traits that are vital keys to their success.

There you have it – 9 traits of successful investors.

Are there any others you can think of?

Leave your comments below.

About Michael Yardney Michael is a director of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He's once again been voted Australia's leading property investment adviser and one of Australia's 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.