TOP TIPS FOR BEGINNER REAL ESTATE AGENTS

What is the best way to start as a real estate agent? Becoming a certified real estate agent is a relatively easy process but there is also a fine art to becoming a successful property professional. There are plenty of perks to being an estate agent. You can be your own boss, meet new people, and help families through one of life's biggest milestones. For those who have recently joined the profession, we hope this guide will help you navigate the property market as a beginner and become one of the top agents in no time!

1. Relationships are gold

When it comes to real estate, relationships are going to be your bread and butter. As a beginner real estate agent, you need to learn how to maximise your relationships with a wide range of people in order to grow your future client network. After all, without buyers and sellers, there would be no transactions and, therefore, no commissions.

A common way to build contacts and generate leads is through people you already know, including your family, friends, neighbours, classmates and business associates. Spend your days regularly meeting and speaking with many people, handing out business cards, sharing contact details, and filing away contact information to build out your network. Most people buy, sell, or rent property at some point in their lives, so everyone you meet may be a client someday. If you are part of the RE/MAX network, take advantage of the fact that we are the largest real estate brand in the world with the broadest possible network to tap into. Be sure to plug into all RE/MAX social media pages, groups, and chats and attend all RE/MAX Events, both locally as well as internationally.

2. Find an established mentor

One of your greatest assets as a real estate agent is self-governance and self-reliance. But, you should still look to your network for guidance and support, especially if you’re new to the game. Start by building and maintaining your relationships with other top agents and brokers who can give you advice. You’ll not only strengthen the network of contacts you need to be an effective salesperson, but you’ll also have access to their hard-earned wisdom. Listen to their tales of horror as well as their success stories and remember to find time to ask questions too. If an experienced agent doesn’t have time to help you during work hours, offer to take them for a meal or drink after hours.

3. Market yourself as a personal brand

As a real estate agent, it’s important to develop a personality that will then become your personal brand in the market. Most important to remember is that you’re in real estate—so be real. It’s important that your involvement be consistent with who you are as a person. After all, enthusiasm is difficult to fake, so if something you say or do doesn’t ring true to you, people will definitely pick up on it. At the end of the day, your personality fosters relationships which builds your reputation and generates leads.

As a golden rule, moderation and a sense of boundaries are keys to your success. Come on too strong or get too personal in your dealings with clients and you may end up alienating more people than you connect with. It’s important that this momentum be gained in an authentic and consistent manner.

4. Technology is your friend

An effective real estate agent stays current and will continue to educate themselves on technology and how it is being adopted and adapted to the property industry. That means humbling yourself and asking people in the know. There are also more formal ways to educate yourself on how to market your properties with technology and how to best advise your clients regarding real estate technologies such as security systems and smart homes. Read books. Take classes. Go to conferences. Put in the time! In fact, at RE/MAX, you’re even able to join our tech webinars and watch our training videos.

5. Know your market

Generally speaking, real estate agents and property professionals who stick to a relatively small geographical area and know their neighbourhoods in and out are the ones who tend to make more sales. It is a common misconception that if you spread your portfolio over a large area you will boost your chances of more sales. However, sales seem to actually be contingent on an in-depth knowledge of small niche areas. The combination of knowing your sellers, landlords, buyers, and tenants will put you in the position of being an area expert and prospective clients will seek out the expert every single time.

6. Measure, analyse & adjust

It’s important not to get caught up in the mindless hustle and throw all your energy into real estate without any yardstick of how you’re performing. At the end of the day, no matter how hard you work, if you don’t measure your performance, you won’t know whether all that work is yielding the correct results. This is not just a fact of real estate: but also a fact of life. Make no mistake, self-evaluation is usually not fun, and it can add a lot of work to an already busy task list. However, if you’re committed to being a successful real estate agent, you’ll find the time—and pretty soon, you’ll see the results!

How to know if you will be a good real estate agent?

The truth is that it's hard to determine if real estate is truly the right fit for you until you have given it your best attempt. There is no exact magic formula to success, but what we can tell you is that real estate is right for people who have strong self-motivation and great people skills. At the end of the day, if you have a good work ethic and innate confidence, chances are you’re going to be a wonderful real estate agent! And, if you’re backed by a Global Leader in real estate like RE/MAX, then your chances of success become that much greater. If you have not already joined RE/MAX, contact one of our offices to find out how they can help you advance your real estate career.