Tips for Real Estate Newbies

Tips for Real Estate Newbies New to Real Estate? Tips for the Newbie! All you need to do to get a real estate license is take a pre-license course, submit an application, and pass a test. Getting started and achieving success requires more time, effort, and commitment. Being a successful agent is not as easy as it looks. It takes a lot of work, preparation, and hustling. You’re constantly providing excellent service to current clients, turning consumers into future clients, and generating new leads. Research and planning are essential to get your real estate business up and operating smoothly. Prepare early so you can hit the ground running after you earn your license. Save Money You’re essentially starting a small business, so you’ll need some start-up money to get going and weather a few months with little income. You’ll usually get commissions after your sales close, which could take months and it may take several months to see your first check. So, you need to save enough money to cover that, not only for living expenses but your business expenses as well. Prepare for the irregular income of a real estate agent. Learn about Budgeting and Business Planning Most real estate agents are independent contractors running their own small business. They handle much of the accounting and business planning. If you don’t have an accounting background, you’ll need to get up to speed on bookkeeping basics. Brush up on budgeting and learn how to create a feasible business plan, which should include things like: Goals Services Target market Budget Funding Marketing plan Learn About Your New Career Read everything you can about the real estate industry and being an agent. Read books, blogs, and articles about practices, the sales transaction process, trends, and laws. Plus, it’ll help you prepare for the pre-license course and licensing exam. REALTOR.com is a great resource with many helpful articles about succeeding in real estate. Learn About Marketing While your brokerage firm will do a lot of marketing, you’ll likely have to handle some of your own marketing too. You’ll need to prospect for leads and promote yourself in the local community. Marketing may or may not be covered in your pre-license course and sponsoring brokers provide different amounts of training for new agents. Expand Your Tech Skills A lot of real estate practice happens online now with MLS listing databases, social media marketing, email, virtual tours, and online document handling and signing. Learn more about software, internet tools, and online and social media marketing. Master Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter and get more active. Think about how to develop your brand story one social post at a time. Keep it fun and engaging and express your personality as you start conversations and build communities around common interests. Explore the Area Explore the region where you’ll practice. The real estate market is influenced by local factors such as demographics, employers, and politics. When you’re selling houses, you’re selling the neighborhood too. Research successful agents and the local real estate market. Drive around and get to know each neighborhood. Think about which specialty would interest you: buyers, sellers, first-time buyers, luxury, certain neighborhoods. Research Brokers Most states require salespeople to be sponsored by established brokers. The culture and reputation of the firm you join can have a big effect on your success. To choose the right real estate broker to work for: Calculate your expenses and income needs. Determine your training needs. Identify where you want to work and your specialty. Research several brokers, sales numbers, reviews, and marketing. Ask other agents about their principal brokers and firms. Narrow your choice to a few well-established brokers and ask if they’re interviewing new agents. After interviews, consider which broker and firm is the right fit for you and what you want to do. Start Prospecting Prospecting is how agents create a flow of contacts and leads, some of which lead to new clients and customers. It involves meeting lots of people, tracking contacts, and developing leads. Set goals for the number of contacts and leads you need and then draft a prospecting plan and schedule. Narrow your target to a specific market, client, price range, and property. Select the best approach for your specific audience and market. Try to spend two hours a day prospecting; you may need 25 contacts to generate 1 lead. Enroll in the Right Pre-License Program Online courses are the best way for professionals to fit required training into their busy schedules. But not all providers are created equal. When you’re shopping around, remember to look for a trusted provider with approved courses on a self-paced, interactive platform. You’ll also need exceptional customer service. 360training.com has everything you need and more: convenient online real estate courses approved by state agencies. Enroll today!