Did you know that there are over two million real estate agents across the country? If you are one of them, you know how important it is to separate yourself from the crowd in order to beat out the competition and find new clients.
There are many tips for new real estate agents to help you jumpstart your new career. From marketing and networking to set up systems in your business, you have to be intentional every step of the way. The good thing is, that when you do, you’ll be far ahead of most realtors who just sit back and wait for new clients to give them a call.
So what are the tips for realtors that you need to know? What are the ways that make becoming a real estate agent worth it? Keep reading to discover how you can fin real estate success sooner than most.
1. Define Your Goals
Your first step in becoming a realtor and finding success is by clearly defining your goals. After all, if you don’t know what your goals are, how will you ever know if you’ve reached them?
Take some time to sit down with some paper and a pen. Write down where you’d like to buy in one year, in five years, and in 10 years. Include how much money you plan to make each year, where you plan to live and work, what type of home you live in, how much you work per week, and so forth.
Then comes the most important bit of your plan; why. Write down why all of this is important to you.
Is it because you want to earn enough money to send your kids to the best college possible, to ensure they have the brightest opportunities in life? Is it so you have enough time and money to travel the world in the future?
Whatever it is, knowing your why will give you motivation day in and day out. Once you have your plan, you can work backward to set annual, monthly, and weekly goals, giving you direction each step of the way.
2. Take On Additional Work
One of the new real estate agent tips that are often overlooked is taking on another job in the real estate industry. Since you are a new agent, you likely won’t have clients banging down your door.
That means you have more time than you know what to do with. Invest in your education by working another job in the industry, such as a receptionist at a brokerage or mortgage lender.
Doing so will not only pay your bills in the meantime, but it can provide you with free education and potentially help you build new connections to use in your realtor career.
3. Business Cards and Branding
Sure, your business is just you. But you need to develop a brand and position yourself in the market.
This means having professional business cards, a professional headshot that is used across all your platforms, and consistent branding. Build out social media profiles using the same copy and images.
Make sure to articulate who it is that you serve. If you focus on first-time home buyers, or young couples seeking to buy their budget-friendly dream home, let people know.
4. Have a Website
Sure, your brokerage might provide you with a page on their website. But it’s still important to have a website of your own. Try getting your full name as the domain name. If that’s taken, try adding phrases like realtor at the end.
On the website, you can include information about who you are, who you serve, and the types of homes you specialize in buying and selling. Having a blog can help show your expertise in the industry as well as capitalize on local SEO, which can help you find new clients.
Once you have your website up and running, you can add properties from the MLS to your site to attract website visitors and encourage them to give you a call. It can also help boost your SEO efforts, attracting new leads all the time. Click here to learn how to join the MLS in your state.
5. Network Network Network
Success as a realtor is always dependent on how many people you know. It’s important that you always prioritize time to get out and about, making new connections.
This could include formal networking events in your city where you meet other professionals and potentially established a referral-based relationship. Or it could mean attending parties, conferences, and other non-networking events in your area and simply being a presence in your community.
The more people you meet, the more opportunities you have to leave a lasting first impression. They won’t remember much about you other than the fact that you are an agent, which may eventually lead to new clients in the future.
6. Encourage Referrals
Once you have officially served multiple clients, you can start asking for referrals. While you might not be able to financially incentivize previous clients, you can ask for referrals.
By sending a thank you letter, you can include a line about keeping you in mind next time a friend or family member says they want to buy or sell a house.
7. Stay On Top of Client’s Mind
Keep in mind that people move all the time. Just because you helped a client buy a house this year doesn’t mean they won’t move next year, or the year after that.
Repeat business is some of the easiest businesses to earn. The most important thing is to stay on top of your client’s minds. This means sending a holiday card each year. You can include a magnet so that your name and face are always in their kitchen.
The Best Tips for New Real Estate Agents
Ultimately the best tips for new real estate agents is to always be learning and to be really good with people. If you have an open mind and a compassionate personality, you are going to go far in the real estate industry, so long as you never giver up.
Also, don’t forget that you need to have a valid license for the state in which you work.
If you are working for example in Missouri you need to have a real estate license for Missouri
Looking for more tips like this? Be sure to visit our blog to check out other helpful articles.
