As a real estate agent, it is really easy to find yourself chasing after the almighty dollar. Typically, when sales are great, customer service may become less than stellar. Some agents find themselves paying more attention to commissions and bank account statements than the living, breathing people behind their deals.

This approach may work for you over the short haul, but if you intend to make the long trip, a shift in focus is in order. Be more than a link in the chain of commerce. What you do for a living provides people with a service of value. Your service changes lives every day and that is an important thing to remember when you wake up in the morning.

As Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." You must not only think of your own interests, but also how the services you provide and the interactions you engage in, are impacting the lives of others. That is exactly what happens when a real estate agent focuses thoughts and actions on service.

Realize as a real estate agent, you are helping people live comfortable and happy lives. You are instrumental to them as they attain their dreams and make a home for their families.

In today's market, your role is even more critical. Guiding people through the short sales process in a pre-foreclosure sale or finding the perfect first home for a young couple is an important service. Your input and work affects these people for the rest of their life. They have placed an awesome amount of trust in your knowledge and skill.

You are also called to serve as an adviser. Both buyers and sellers alike turn to you for advice during one of the most stressful times in their lives. Not only are they making one of the biggest monetary transactions of their lives, they are likewise in a period of intense personal change in their lives.

Whether it is negative changes like divorce, the death of a parent, loss of a job or positive changes like the birth of a child, a new promotion, buying or selling a home is a big transition. It is indicative of other big changes in a person's life. A real estate agent has been through numerous home sales. While they can't ease the loss of a loved one or help change late-night diapers, they certainly can make the home transition as painless and positive as possible as a part of their service.

Every interaction you have with the general public is an opportunity for exceptional service. Simply having a pleasant phone conversation with someone is enough to brighten their day. Make yourself exemplary, and you will be amazed by the rewards you reap. Not only will you have more referral business and happier clients, you will feel proud of yourself and value your work at the end of every day. As Ralph Waldo Emerson eloquently said, "It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself."