Everyone has a few bad habits in their daily routines, but you’ll want to avoid these ones in your real estate business.

Real estate agents have to juggle a few dozen things at any given moment while conducting their business affairs, and that doesn’t even count the various unicycles, skateboards, and scooters that they often have to ride at the same time.

Given such scenarios, it’s understandable that bad habits can develop, but some can have detrimental effects on your business. So with that in mind, here are five bad habits you should take pains to avoid:

1. Not Following Through – Your clients depend on you for many things, yet that does not mean that they’ll be forgiving when you don’t follow through on what you say you’re going to do. We know – it’s easy, while in a rush, to quickly say you’ll do something to ease a client’s spirits, but it’s important to stop, take a step back, and think about what you’re actually promising (and whether it’s feasible).

2. Avoiding Accountability – Even the most talented real estate agents make mistakes, and how they handle those mistakes will determine what direction their business takes. Owning up to any mishaps will earn you credibility, and may even help you level better with your clients.

3. Being Inconsistent – It’s difficult to exaggerate this point, because consistency, in today’s day of constant communication and constant grids, is more important than ever. Of course, we do not mean that you should run your business and communicate with clients at a speed consistent with iPhones and 4G Internet; rather, set a speed for your business that you can actually maintain, and set your client’s expectations along those parameters.

4. Not Listening – This one is pretty self-explanatory, yet worth repeating, given that we still hear from clients and fellow agents (and on a consistent basis) how difficult it can be connecting with some real estate professionals. You may be super confident in what your client needs, but if your recommendations do not gel with what they actually, you know, told you in the first place, then you’re setting yourself up for failure.