A successful career as a real estate agent can be lucrative and rewarding but it takes a lot of preparation to get there. Finishing the licensing course is one aspect of becoming an agent but you still have to learn how to actually make money in this business. You may be asking yourself questions like, how do I find my first client, where should I market myself, or what technologies will help me be successful? These questions can seem intimidating but there are effective strategies to solve them and we’ve mapped out a few here. These tips will help new agents find success in this business but they’re also a great refresher for veterans.
- Use a CRM to organize your sphere of influence: A client
relationship manager (CRM) will be a
focal point for your business from
day one. These software systems
allow you to track how your
customers are interacting with your
business and create campaigns to
stay in contact with them.
Eventually this will become your
living, breathing real estate
business. CRMs should be used
religiously from the outset of your
business. Your first step is to
place everyone you know in your CRM.
All of your contacts should be
entered with names, physical
addresses, emails, and phone
numbers. If any of this information
is missing for a contact, use it as
an opportunity to reach out and send
a simple message like, “Hi Steve, I
started a new real estate business
and I am working on my contact
database. It seems that I don’t have
your current address and would love
to add it as I may send out helpful
real estate information from time to
time.” There are many CRMs out there
with a wide range of prices, so it
will be easy to find one that fits
your needs. But remember, the best
CRM for your business is the one you
use daily!
- Send this letter to your sphere of influence: It’s important to
give a shout out to the world that
you are now a real estate agent. If
you don’t tell them, how will they
know? This carefully worded letter will notify your sphere
of influence (the people you know)
that you are now starting your own
real estate business. You can
customize this letter with your
company logo, headshot, and contact
information.
- Start a strong social media strategy: After you send your New Agent Letter to your sphere of
influence, a strong social media
presence is a great follow up to
stay top of mind. Social media
offers opportunities to promote your
expertise and skills with a
Self Promo Letter or attract new
leads with a Looking to Relocate. It’s also important to
include some personal posts of your
hobbies, pets, or family (if you’re
comfortable) to establish your
brand, show your clients that
winning personality, and demonstrate
additional reasons why your clients
love to work with you! If you need
more social media posts and ideas,
click here.
Join Facebook groups: Lab Coat Agents and Next Level
Agents are two of the best real
estate Facebook groups for real
estate agents. Agents will gather on
these groups to talk about the good
and bad experiences they’ve had on
the job, which can be very helpful
to someone just starting out.
Spending some time on these groups
can teach you what works for some
agents and what doesn’t and overall
help you grow as a new agent.
Find a mentor: Find a fellow
agent within your
brokerage who has a track record of
success. Look to them as inspiration
and ask them to guide you through
your first 60 days if possible. Even
the most successful real estate
agents started exactly where you are
now, so use what they have learned
to get ahead in your career.
Set Measurable Goals: It can be overwhelming to start a new
career because there's a lot of
pressure to do well. Setting goals
for yourself is a great way to ease
the stress of the unknown. Set short and long
term goals, and
celebrate your progress along the
way. Rewarding yourself is a great
way to stay motivated and feel a
sense of accomplishment on a regular
basis. In order to establish your goals, develop your first real estate business plan and be sure to ask a mentor to help make some educated guesses for the numbers. If you are feeling especially industrious, work on your marketing action plan as well.
Watch online webinars: There are hundreds of webinars available
online that will be incredibly
beneficial to your growth as a new
agent. On any given day, you can
find webinars covering a wide
range of topics, from market
trends, lead generation,
agent safety, and everything
in between. The best part about
webinars is you can watch them from
the comfort of your home and most
are relatively short, yet packed
with helpful information.
Hold an open house for another agent: You've probably heard the
saying, “Practice makes perfect."
and there’s so much truth behind
this. Hosting an open house on
behalf of another agent is a great
way to get comfortable conducting
home tours and speaking with
potential buyers face to face. By
doing this, you will be able to host
a successful open house for
your own clients. This is also a great way to find your first client.
In many cases, buyers will attend open houses in search of their dream homes without securing a buyer’s agent. This is the perfect opportunity to start a conversation and win clients. Make sure to follow up with your open house leads because they may be your first opportunities to create closings.
A new venture can be tough and real estate is no exception. For additional support launching a successful real estate career, consult your brokerage, continue your education, and look out for our updated New Agent Guidebook! Good luck out there and here's to your success.