Have you just achieved your real estate license? Are you wondering what to do next?
First things first; congratulations on this big move. We understand that the first few months as a real estate agent can be overwhelming. Thankfully, things get easier with time. If you’ve come to a crossroads and you don’t know what direction to take, know that yours isn’t an isolated experience. Every real estate agent has gone through what you’re going through.
As a new realtor, know that clients will not work with you because you’re new. Many will decline working with you due to your lack of confidence. You need to look and act like you know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
There’s a lot of advice out there for new real estate agents. However, not all advice is given in a relatable way. This is why we’ll be looking at what you should focus on during your first 30 days as a new real estate agent. Some of these tips are insider secrets from seasoned realtors, so be sure to go through the whole article.
The first thing you need to do before anything else is work on your mindset. Understand that it all starts in your mind. If you think of success then you’ll achieve your goals and targets. If you think like a failure then you’ll be exactly that.
If you consider most real estate agents, you’ll realize that most of them share a few common personality traits and skills. Identify those traits and see how you can cultivate them for yourself. Your attitude and mindset will be the fuel for your career.
Also, ditch the employee mindset and start thinking like an independent contractor. Know that the trajectory your career takes is all on your shoulders. You’re responsible for your time management, financial monitoring, and goal setting.
No one will be there to track whether you made daily cold calls. No one will ask you how many appointments you’ve booked. No one will be there to check whether you get to the office and meetings on time. No one is there to hold you accountable.
You need to realize that you might fail if your mindset is wrong, even if we gave you some magic tips. If everyone only needed a few magic tips to succeed, no one would fail in a real estate career. Everyone would be a millionaire agent. But it all starts in the mind.
Your mindset starts with working on your attitude. It makes a difference in how you treat your business, carry yourself, treat your clients, and ultimately what direction your career takes.
2. Build Your Network
As we always say, relationships are a vital aspect of real estate. Did you know that 75% of a realtor’s business comes from word of mouth and referrals? It’s extremely important to build your network and keep expanding it. The more people you know, the greater your chances of getting business.
The first step should be to talk to your sphere of influence. Many new agents think that they don’t have a sphere of influence yet they don’t know how to identify it. Your sphere of influence includes your immediate family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. Start checking with them and reestablish any lost connections. These people are really important since they already know you.
You can now start building your networks in professional circles. Get to know people within your industry. Attend industry events, such as local workshops and seminars. Keep in mind that your first 30 days are for spreading the word. You don’t have to necessarily make a sale. Introduce yourself, offer value, and serve others.
3. Find a Mentor
When building a network, you ought to find a more successful and seasoned real estate agent who’s willing to give you advice. If you don’t know any top-producing agents, ask other real estate agents in your network for referrals.
Many agents get into the career thinking it’s as glamorous as real estate TV shows make it seem. The work of your mentor will be to debunk these common misconceptions. Your real estate mentor will teach you things you can never learn in any school. That’s why you must get as much information from them as possible.
What books/videos/TV shows should I consume to deepen my knowledge?
Some top-performing real estate agents will gladly let you drink from their fountain of wisdom. Some may look like they want to demonstrate how good they are, but you can take it as a motivation to become as good as them (Mindset, remember?).
Don’t be afraid to ask them for coffee or lunch. They’ll tell you that there are no secrets in real estate. Just like you can’t get a beach body in a week, you must work hard and stay resilient. Successful real estate agents achieve great heights because they work hard.
Take this as your first opportunity to start building important relationships. If you can’t convince a successful real estate agent to meet you over a cup of coffee, how are you going to convince a client to hire you?
Keep in mind that you must bring something to the table. Offer something to make your mentor more than happy to meet you. For example, you can send them a handwritten note to say thank you for meeting you or buy them a gift based on what they like.
4. Build an Online Presence
While you’ll be spending most of your time in your first 30 days building a network and learning the process, don’t forget to kick off your marketing strategy. One of the best ways to do this today is by building an online presence.
Google your name and see what comes up. You’re likely to see that you need to work on your professional online presence. You might have a few social media accounts but these aren’t associated with what you do.
The most popular way to have an online presence is to have a professional website. However, this option may not always favor new agents. You can start by having an online profile on real estate websites, such as Trulia and Zillow.
After that, you can now focus on social media platforms. Open accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Your goal should be to increase your online visibility. As such, just being present isn’t enough.
Post regularly and start thought-provoking conversations. Engage your audience in the comment section and ensure you offer value. Use relevant hashtags on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram to increase your posts’ reach.
Ultimately, you need to use the right tools online. Here at SoldOutHouses.com, we understand the importance of using the right marketing tools to build your career. That’s why our Pro Membership provides you with these tools to help you reach your career goals. Visit https://soldouthouses.com/pro and access a 14-day free trial.
5. Lead Generation
When it comes to lead generation for new real estate agents, you need to place yourself where your target clients are. Identify where clients who are ready to buy are and go to them.
Since you may not have a considerable budget yet, you need to choose lead-generation strategies that require sweat equity. Sweat equity strategies require more of your time and effort than money.
One strategy to get clients who are ready to buy is hosting an open house. An open house is a strategy where a property listed for sale is made available to interested buyers to view. This is a perfect strategy for new agents since people who attend are already interested and ready to buy.
So, how much lead generation is enough for a new agent?
The answer is a lot. You must spend a lot of your efforts trying various lead-generation strategies to fill your client pipeline. Remember, you’re trying to get clients and determine what works for you at the same time.
The reality is that many newbies underestimate the amount of work required to get their first client. You probably need to make more than 50 cold calls and host more than 20 open houses to get your first client.
This is a lot of effort. There are some agents who might get a client from one open house, but they mostly host a mega open house. The amount of effort that goes into hosting a mega open house is probably the same amount of effort you’ll need to host 20.
Keep in mind that you’ll have to sacrifice most of your time during your first 30 days as a real estate agent.
I became a realtor when I was 25, Right now I’m a digital marketing expert helping realtors, brokers and real estate agents generate more leads online.
