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Real estate is an industry where success can be measured in terms of much more than just financial returns. It’s a career path that rewards dedication and hard work, but it also comes with risks associated with being away from home for long periods of time as well as the demands on your personal life.
Crushing it in real estate may pay out in terms of both professional and financial benefits, but getting there is frequently a mystery. We’ll teach you how to get there by joining the correct brokerage, selecting effective technology, developing a successful online brand, and other techniques.
As a new agent, going from zero to hero requires strategic marketing and brand awareness. Zillow may grant you exclusivity on your listings and display your contact information on non-Premier Agents’ listings in your region. Start earning money and building your business on the internet’s biggest real estate marketplace.
1. Research & Identify Quality Brokerages
The choice of which brokerage to join should be carefully considered. While commission splits are crucial, your first brokerage should be more than a fancy moniker on your résumé. Pay close attention to the training and mentoring opportunities it provides.
Franchise brokerages, boutique brokerages, and virtual brokerages are the three categories of brokerages or real estate organizations to pick from. They all have advantages and disadvantages, so figure out what they can give you as a new agent before deciding which firm is best for you. More information on how to pick a real estate business to work for may be found in our post.
Virtual brokerages are run entirely over the internet. You don’t have to pay desk fees to work in a physical office, but you still have a team and a managing broker.
2. Choose a Profitable Farm Area Strategically
A farm area is a geographic region where you want to work as a real estate agent, and picking the right one may make or break your early career. Some states have more opportunities than others, therefore a successful real estate agent makes it a point to investigate buyer and seller demographics and habits so that they can design a laser-focused and highly targeted marketing campaign.
Choosing an appropriate agricultural area to start your business is a crucial step in being a successful real estate agent.
3. Come up with a business plan
As you learn how to become a great real estate agent, one of your most valuable tools will be developing a sound business strategy. You’re establishing the framework for your future actions by writing out objectives, and budgets, and assessing your market with constant re-evaluation.
Pro tip: Be careful to account for extra costs like continuing education courses needed by your state’s license requirements when creating your budget. It’s also a good idea to put away a percentage of your monthly earnings to enhance your business’s equipment or to enable you to attend important conferences or conventions.
4. Make Use of Technology & Automation Tools
Websites, customer relationship management (CRM) tools, and marketing software are all examples of real estate technology. While the appropriate technology may pay for itself many times over, a blunder in judgment might land you in contracts that drain your resources for months at a time. A lead generating tool, real estate website, CRM, and accounting software are all necessary for brand and marketing efficiency.
To get you started, here are three of the most helpful options:
Zillow
Zillow Premier Agent is a marketing tool that enables you to purchase advertisements in your ZIP code that accomplish two goals:
- You are listed on the listings of rivals who are not Premier Agents as a Premier Agent.
- You’ll be listed as the exclusive agent on your own listings, which will enhance the number of buyers that contact you.
Expanding your brand awareness and acquiring leads as a new agent will be the bread and butter of your future business, with careers established on the backs of prior client recommendations. The cost of Zillow Premier Agent is determined by your farm’s ZIP code and market circumstances. Depending on your location, the cost per impression of your ad might vary from two cents to over thirty cents.
With over 160 million monthly views, boost your free agent profile, receive client ratings, and start advertising on the internet’s biggest real estate marketplace.
Placester
Members of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) may get a lead-generating real estate agent website for free with Placester. As a result, you can:
- Leads are generated via driving.
- Make a name for yourself.
- It’s simple to create a gorgeous, mobile-friendly website.
- CRM and lead creation elements should be included.
- You also get IDX integration, lead capturing, blogging capability, and more features for $99 per month.
Pro tip: Because the typical real estate agent will change brokerages at some point throughout their career, you’ll want to make sure that when you’re building your website, you choose a domain name and brand that doesn’t include any specific brokerage and instead focuses on you. If your name is Jonathan Peters, for example, make sure your domain name is “RealtorJon.com” or simply “JonathanPeters.com,” rather than “RE/MAXJon.com” or any other version.
You want to make sure that your real estate website establishes your own brand and reputation. Look at the models you see online or in real estate blogs if you want to learn how to become a successful real estate agent. People like Ryan Serhant, Josh Flagg, and others have their own brand reputations outside of their brokerage, and you should consider this while designing your website.
Freshsales
Freshsales is a CRM with a lot of capabilities, and you may utilize a free version to stay in touch with customers and nurture prospects. Freshsales’ free edition provides the following features:
- Keeping track of phone calls, texts, and emails
- Gmail and webforms lead capture
- Sync your tasks, appointments, and notes with your calendar.
It’s all about communication when it comes to becoming a great real estate salesperson. When it comes to developing your organization, having a trustworthy CRM that you can grow with is critical. Freshsales provides a variety of package upgrades that start at $15 a month and include additional features such as sales funnels, workflow automation, and more.
5. Develop a recognizable online brand
Having a consistent online identity makes it easier for clients to locate you and identifies you as a professional. Clients increasingly follow and engage with online realtors via different social media sources, looking at their listings and contacting them, so keep this in mind as you upload photographs, videos, and material.
The following are some of the top online real estate agent branding tips:
Use the same handle across all platforms, u
For consistency and to make it easier for others to locate and identify you, try to use the same username and headshot picture across platforms. If you’re known as “LancasterJon” on your website, for example, being “LancasterJon” on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and other social media platforms may help customers locate you.
Post Appropriate & Interesting Content
Funny memes or motivational real estate quotes are excellent strategies to boost your internet presence. When posting to any social networking page, however, demonstrate that you are both a professional and someone with whom people would like to collaborate. Because everything you do online reflects your brand, it’s advisable to avoid contentious issues like politics and instead concentrate on your interests or real estate information.
Interact With Your Fans
Relationship formation requires interaction. Make use of the chance to react to comments, and keep your direct messages (DMs) accessible for private communication or queries. Indeed, one of our employees picked an out-of-state real estate agent through Instagram. Interaction on social media pays rewards.
6. Make Printed Materials Work for You
Printed materials allow you to reach out to every family in your agricultural area, increasing name awareness and generating leads. There are a plethora of printed materials available to get your name in front of some of your most valued prospective customers, ranging from door hangers and postcards to monthly newsletters.
The three most frequent print materials used now are as follows:
- Real estate postcards are normally 5.8 inches by 4.1 inches, glossy, and printed on both sides to provide information about your services as well as particular listings in the area.
- Door hangers are glossy leaflets that hang from a door handle and provide information about a real estate agent’s services in the region.
- Real estate flyers are normally 8.5 inches by 11 inches in size, and they may contain newsletters. Flyers may be issued to promote local properties or provide market information for your agricultural region.
Knowing how to create real estate-specific mailings that grab attention and inspire action is critical to maintaining your name in front of potential clients. ProspectsPLUS! provides agents with templates to utilize, as well as direct mailing services that may save time and even allow you to put part of your marketing on autopilot. For example, their “Done for You” email system creates material at your request and sends it out on a timetable that suits your requirements for around $2 each newsletter.
Mailing Suggestions
Despite the fact that they seem to be a little “old school,” real estate mailers have remained in business because they provide a good return on investment (ROI). Here are a few pointers to maintain your mailers in good operating order:
- Consistency is key: Maintain a consistent presence to ensure that people remember who you are. If not on a monthly basis, strive to be there at least once a year.
- Provide relevant information: Existing homeowners are interested in learning more about their market, while potential homeowners are looking for information. Make an effort to converse with both.
- Attract their attention: Homeowners receive a lot of mailing material, so you want to stick out. This might include eye-catching photos, colors, headlines, and other elements that set your mailer out from the others.
- Include a call to action in your message: Persuade those who receive your message to contact you. Give them a cause to contact you, whether it’s via a seminar or a free house appraisal. Provide several avenues for them to contact you.
7. Focus on your business rather than just working on it.
Successful real estate agents schedule lead generating time every day and set aside time at regular intervals to review their business strategy or learn about new best practices. Your coffers will be empty if you spend all of your time on active customers.
Here are some helpful hints for making the most of your calendar:
Set aside time to generate leads.
Set up one or two hours each day for things like cold contacting, blogging, nurturing current leads, and creating and managing advertisements. Although it may seem daunting at first, the most effective real estate brokers begin with their own sphere and work their way outward. Here are a few things to think about, and this is just the beginning:
- Inform your relatives about your new job by email.
- Write a blog about your neighborhood and the housing market in your area.
- Bring business cards to hand out at your favorite coffee shop.
- Speak with the parents of your child’s classmates.
- Post a card or flier to your religious institution.
- Nurture leads that are already in your CRM.
- On Zillow or other sites, use ad management.
- Bring your business cards to restaurant or gallery openings.
- Schedule meetings to exchange recommendations.
- Join referral programs.
- Sign up for FSBO, expired, and pre-foreclosure leads from REDX or other sources.
- Make cold calls to potential leads.
- Join your local home flipping and real estate investing communities.
Re-evaluate your business plan on a regular basis.
Regular review is necessary for maintaining and expanding your real estate firm. Your business plan should be a live document that evolves as you expand, with components changed as you learn what works and what doesn’t. When it comes to real estate success, preparation and adaptability are at the top of the list.
Regularly review and modify the following areas:
- Marketing costs vs. return on investment for certain marketing platforms
- Commissions vs. living costs and business expenditures
- Goals and status of lead generation
- Charges to the client
- Status of the Pipeline
- Expenses for technology subscriptions
Invest in Continuing Education Courses
Even though each state has its own criteria for continuing education, you may choose to pursue a higher degree of education. Professional development classes may provide you with useful information and skills regarding the real estate industry as well as how to locate and service customers.
What Does It Take to Be a Real Estate Success?
There is no magic amount of postings or sales that will determine your success right away. However, the results you achieve for your clients, the money you generate, the number of hours you work, and how long it takes you to hit sales and revenue milestones may all be used to measure your performance as a real estate agent. The amount of money you make as a real estate agent is determined by your location, strategy, and work ethic.
Regardless of where you are situated, you can become a great real estate agent by consistently developing your network, perfecting your lead generation methods, and assisting your customers in achieving their objectives. This will automatically result in a steady stream of leads, a solid reputation, and a sizable revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you get into the real estate business?
To enter the real estate industry, you must first complete prelicensing education and pass the real estate licensing test. Be aware that real estate license curriculum and criteria differ by state, so check with your state’s real estate licensing authority to find out what the rules are in your area.
What is the average time it takes to become a real estate agent?
To become a real estate agent, it takes an average of four to six months, including courses, the licensing test, and obtaining a broker sponsor to register for a license. It’s worth noting that many online real estate courses are self-paced, so you may be able to complete your prerequisites quicker than the standard schedule.
Is it possible to earn a decent living as a real estate agent?
Your market turnover, housing prices, and the number of transactions you engage in will all influence how much money you make. Real estate agents are compensated on a commission basis, which means you earn a portion of each transaction in which you participate.
Conclusion
You’ll need to prioritize your responsibilities and be willing to evaluate and modify your path as you learn how to be successful in real estate. Joining the correct brokerage and using beneficial technologies that simplify your process are just a few of the suggestions that might help you advance your profession.
