I’ve Joined A New Team!
After spending my entire life in basketball, both as a player and coach, I’ve seen what it takes to build great teams, and also bad ones.
My final year playing in Europe was in Tallinn, Estonia. Our team was far from great. We didn’t fully commit to playing for one another; instead, everyone was more focused on individual play and stats, hoping to land the next job. The result: a lot of losing. We finished second-to-last in the Estonian league and last in our Baltic League group; it was embarrassing.
However, during my four years at North Carolina, I played alongside 13 McDonald’s High School All-Americans, nine NBA draft picks, three AP All-Americans, and one National Player of the Year. Each teammate focused on playing for something bigger than themselves—the team. The result: winning, so much winning! We won five ACC championships, made two Final Fours, and won the 2009 National Championship.
So, as I turned the page to my new challenge outside of basketball, I made sure to keep every lesson learned from my time in it at the forefront of my mind.
Over the past year, I went through the process of obtaining my real estate broker’s license and joined Eddie Cash and Associates at Howard Hanna Allen Tate. Howard Hanna Allen Tate is the leading independently owned real estate firm in the country, with $7.24 billion in closed sales and a strong presence in North Carolina. Eddie leads a team that shares my values of hard work, integrity, and a “we before me” mindset.
This year, my focus has been entirely on learning the fundamentals of this business from the ground up. I’ve immersed myself in the process, and Eddie has been an exceptional mentor. During this time, three pillars from my basketball career have emerged as the foundation on which I’ve already started to build my real estate career.
Teamwork
Communication
Preparation
Before every practice at North Carolina, we gathered in a circle to review the day's practice plan. This huddle always concluded with the “Thought of the Day.” Coach Williams would call on different players to recite the thought and give an example of how it related to basketball, and, most importantly, to life outside of basketball.
Years ago, I sent Coach Williams a thank-you note about the “Thoughts of the Day” and how impactful they still are in my daily life. I often referenced these “Thoughts” during my coaching years, and now they serve as a guiding light and the foundation of my real estate business.
Each pillar mentioned earlier centers on a specific “Thought” that shapes how I work with my new teammates: buyer and seller clients.
Teamwork:
Thought Of The Day:
“It’s amazing what can happen when no one cares who gets the credit.”
This was the “Thought of the Day” before the first practice of each season. It’s a concept that every member of our 2009 National Championship team embraced, and it has come to define what I believe is at the core of every successful team, whether in sports, business, or life.
My 2009 National Championship team included eight McDonald’s All-Americans, five first-round draft picks, the National Player of the Year, and a future three-time NBA Champion.
Up to that point in their lives, each guy had been the best player on every team they played on, and they had always won by playing their way. However, as you progress to higher levels, winning requires sacrifice from each individual to lean into the team’s bigger picture.
This idea of “we before me” wasn’t new for a Coach Williams team. He used the story of the 2005 National Championship and Marvin Williams as a roadmap for how team success is the rising tide that lifts all ships.
After Marvin Williams won the 2005 National Championship as a freshman, he was selected second overall in the following NBA draft. That moment that locked in generational wealth and secured his family's future, and he did it without ever starting a game at North Carolina.
Marvin Williams, the second overall pick in the NBA draft, was willing to sacrifice starting to make the team stronger. Was he a better player than the one who started over him? Maybe. But was the team better with him coming off the bench? Absolutely. The lineups and rotations fit together more smoothly, touches were distributed more evenly, and the chemistry was through the roof. Marvin’s sacrifice set the tone for what everyone on the roster would prioritize: the team.
“It’s amazing what can happen when no one cares who gets the credit.”
For success in a team setting, everyone must be on the same page, perform their job to the best of their ability, support their teammates, and genuinely prioritize the team's well-being over their own.
In real estate transactions, numerous moving parts must come together, including mortgages, inspections, appraisals, repairs, insurance, title, and more.
Each part of the transaction presents an opportunity for potential teammates, and, as I know from my basketball career, not all teammates are created equal. After 22 years in the business, Eddie has developed a network of top professionals in every area of a transaction, providing my clients access to the best teammates in the region — essentially, a team full of Marvin Williams!
My role is to quarterback the real estate transaction for my clients by making sure that each of our teammates represents their best interests in the deal.
As a former point guard and coach, I’ve played this role my whole life on the court! Switching the discipline from basketball to buying and selling homes has been an energizing change.
Communication:
Thought Of The Day:
“Talk, Talk, Talk… EARLY!!”
There isn’t much subtlety within this one…
Okay, truth be told, this line wasn’t just a “Thought of the Day” at North Carolina; it was used by Coach Williams strategically after poor defensive performances, as a triple whammy on the practice plan. This line would represent the practice’s defense and offensive emphasis, as well as a Thought of the Day.
In any team environment, nothing is more effective than early and clear communication.
Communication is essential on both sides of the court, but especially on defense. Unlike on offense, there are times on defense when teammates are playing blind; if you’re guarding the ball, you can’t see what’s happening behind you. Without early and clear communication from every teammate, the picture becomes incomplete, leading to opportunities for mistakes.
Remember all those real estate teammates I mentioned earlier? The only way to keep everyone aligned with so many moving parts is through effective communication.
Will there be times when less-than-ideal issues occur in some transactions? Of course!
However, being a great teammate means being able to deliver less-than-ideal news just as quickly and clearly as good news.
Maintaining open and transparent communication with all parties is essential for guiding a deal from start to finish. After all, buying or selling a home can be one of the most stressful times in a person’s life, regardless of outside factors. But clear communication can help ease stress by keeping everyone informed and aligned.
Preparation:
Thought Of The Day:
“If you fail to prepare, then you prepare to fail.”
The lessons of preparation I learned from Coach Williams have stayed with me throughout my career, both as a player and a coach, and now in real estate.
Preparation in basketball isn’t just about game day; if you’re only preparing hard for the game, it’s a recipe for failure.
Every meeting, practice, film session, or individual workout is an opportunity for high-level, consistent preparation. I always told my NBA clients to keep stacking days. If they could do that, it would create a compounding effect that would power them ahead of their competition.
This concept isn’t unique to basketball; it relates to nearly every part of your life and acts as a separator for those who see the importance of preparation.
My mentor, Eddie, stresses that 95% of the work is done before the house hits the market. If we don’t knock our preparation out of the park, we’ll end up chasing feedback, which can be a recipe for failure for the client.
During my time working with NBA clients, I believed 90% of my job was done before we even stepped on the court; it was all about being prepared. That preparation is what built trust on the court, making everything run more smoothly and efficiently.
Now, when working with Buyers and Sellers, it’s the same thing. They need to have all the ducks in a row before making the first move, whether that’s listing a house or looking for one to purchase.
My role now is to apply the same level of preparation I’ve used throughout my basketball career to support my new teammates during one of life's biggest transitions: buying and selling a house.
Same preparation processes, only different disciplines.
Carol and I think you’ll be a huge success in real estate. Best of luck in this new chapter Marc. Keep us posted!