new agent

Brand New to Real Estate? Here’s How to Hit the Ground Running!

Nov 9, 2022

The one thing few new real estate agents are prepared for is to hit the ground running the minute they hand over their license to a broker.

Sure, you’ll find lots of information on how to get a license, but zilch about how to productively use that time when you aren’t taking classes or studying for the exam any longer.

That’s time wasted, and commission checks pushed further into the future.

Let’s take a look at some of the best ways to prepare yourself to enter the world of real estate, ready to take it on.

Research and shop for a CRM

Customer relation management (CRM) will be an ongoing and critical aspect of your business. To make it easier and more efficient, you’ll need CRM software.

Some of the larger brokerages offer in-house CRM software, but most don’t.

We offer a free Contact Manager on prospectsplus.com that helps turn your mailing lists into micro-targeted marketing machines. To learn more about how to use this relationship-building customer tool, Click Here.

Surfing the internet to find reviews of real estate CRMs, I found a couple of sites that might help you get a better picture of CRM options available (for a fee):

Once you have chosen your CRM and learned how to use it, start loading it with the names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and any other information you know about everyone you know.

Yup, everyone that is old enough to buy or sell a home.

Getting this task out of the way up front will streamline your entry into the real estate business, and you’ll be forever grateful that you did it.

The Photo Introduction Series is shown above. To learn more, Click Here.

Your first direct mail campaign

Take all those addresses in your CRM and send each one an announcement of your pending licensure.

A text-only, simple postcard isn’t going to cut it now that you’re on the threshold of owning your own business. Send out a Photo Introduction postcard and properly introduce yourself to these VIPs who are going to prove invaluable to the growth of your real estate business over the coming years.

Set up a Facebook business page

Yes, there are other social media platforms, and some that you may prefer over Facebook. But Facebook is hands down, the best of them for marketing your real estate business.

So, start with Facebook and work on the others later.

This is a task you can actually begin on your personal page. Post the image included in your direct mail campaign for starters. Then, when you get your Facebook business page set up, invite your personal page friends to join you there.

Start engaging with others by visiting their pages and responding to their posts.

Join Facebook groups. They don’t have to be real estate-related. As long as you’re active and engaging, the groups will help build your follower list.

You can do a lot to hit the ground running before your license arrives at your broker’s office. Get going. I wish you much success!

PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine with rich, full-color content and a sharp, professional aesthetic. It includes compelling, direct response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts combined with engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you.

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 12-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do and when. Four key market segments include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

The most effective thing you can do to build a real estate business is to become more visible, more likable, and remembered more often. The BusinessBASE™ not only checks all of these boxes but is also a business-building machine. In two easy steps, you can begin to build a robust sphere of influence that will provide you a lifetime of repeat business and referrals. – Click Here

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan allows you to enter your business goals for this year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closing, and so on are needed to reach your goals. – Click Here

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

Ready to take a vertical leap in your real estate career? If you’re looking for inspiration…and the tools and methods to dominate a market and go to the top in real estate…you’ll find them in this free book. – Click Here

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

Change is Coming in the Real Estate Market. Are You Ready to Shift Gears?

Aug 1, 2022

It’s been one heck of a ride, right? An amazing decade or so of a hot, hot, hot sellers’ market.

Imagine the relatively new real estate agent who joined the ranks during this period. The only market they know had homes selling within a week, bidding wars, multiple offers, and staggeringly high prices (and, thus, commission checks).

Buyers’ agents during this period were, to say the least, stressed out. Clients were repeatedly disappointed with refused offers, having to compete against other, often deep-pocketed, buyers and those whose housing budget was so stretched to the max that they dreaded the results of each Fed meeting.

How will those new agents, and listings agents in general, adapt to the “new normal” that’s about to smack us upside the head?

The First Time Buyer Series is shown above. Click Here to see more.

It’s survivable, and you can still thrive

Since back in the day, listing agents have known that any real estate market has two sides, and the sellers’ side of a switch to a buyers’ market is tough to navigate.

Being shoved out of the driver’s seat into riding shotgun is frustrating, so these sellers are hard to convert.

They’re not going to go easy into that goodnight of lower home prices when just a month or two ago, their neighbor’s home sold for $50,000 more than your CMA’s suggested list price.

Agents may find it challenging to deal with buyers who now have the luxury of being able to nit-pick over price and terms. They’ll relentlessly compare desirable homes to the 5 others nearby that are for sale, knowing that time, for once, is on their side.

It’s all in how you manage expectations

Flex your relationship-building muscles because instilling trust with clients and potential clients is critical in the early stages of a market shift.

Earning their trust through being candid, honest, and up-front can help you manage their expectations and lead them to make better decisions.

You can do this.

PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 12-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

New to Real Estate? Let’s Bust Two Myths About Building Your Business

May 23, 2022

Welcome to the real estate business. You’re joining more than 1.3 million other professionals, at varying stages of their careers.

In fact, nearly 30 percent of agents in the U.S. have less than two years of experience (and the largest share of that group is aged 45 to 54), according to the NAR, so you are in good company.

Your first few years in your new broker’s office will be an eye-opener. Some of your misconceptions about being a real estate agent will be corrected and you’ll hear conflicting advice on everything from how to generate leads to how best to construct your new website.

We’ve gathered some of the most common misconceptions new agents harbor and dragged them into the glaring light of reality.

By the way, since the majority of real estate agents are female, we’ll be using the feminine pronoun throughout. (Sorry guys).

SOI scheduled campaigns shown above are on sale 10% off the first month. Use promo code: SPHERESALE (offer expires 5.28.22). Campaigns shown from left to right are Recipe I, Get More Listings, Quotes, and Inspiration Series, To see more campaigns, Click Here.

Myth #1: Your broker is your boss

Reality: One of the hardest habits that new agents find hard to break free of is the “employee mentality.”

Sure, a handful of brokerages across the country hire agents as employees, but the vast majority of agents are independent contractors. They are, in reality, small business owners.

As an independent contractor, working under a broker’s license, your broker is not your boss. She cannot (according to the IRS):

Direct and control your work
Tell you where and when to work
Dictate which tools you use or where to purchase supplies and services
Limit your ability to seek out business opportunities
Guarantee a regular wage amount
Provide employee-type benefits, such as health insurance, vacation or sick pay, or a pension plan.

As a small-business owner, you create your schedule, budget, marketing plan, health insurance, and anything else required of the typical small business owner.

In other words, you are your own boss. The growth and success of your business are completely up to you.

Build a robust SOI with the Free BusinessBase Tool, **Here**

Myth #2: Your broker will provide you with leads

Reality: This one goes hand-in-hand with Myth #1. Unless your broker is your employer, you can typically count out getting leads handed to you.

As a self-employed agent, you’ll need to drum up your own business and fill your own pipeline.

How to start?

Get your real estate website up and running and fill it with hyper-local information
Offer to hold open houses for other agents’ listings
Fill your CRM with your sphere’s contact information and start calling them. Download the FREE Businessbase, HERE, for help building a robust SOI list. Then launch an SOI scheduled campaign, HERE.
Determine an area to start farming near where you live or in your own neighborhood. Launch a Farm scheduled campaign, HERE, to start branding yourself in the neighborhood.

One of the biggest myths that the public holds about real estate agents is that anyone can do your job.

Succeeding as an agent, however, requires far more than just getting your license. That being said, we know you can achieve success with the right tools and attitude.

PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine, with rich, full-color content, and a sharp, professional esthetic. It includes compelling, direct response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts, combined with engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you.

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and, it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

The most effective thing you can do to build a real estate business is to become more visible, more likable, and remembered more often. The BusinessBASE™ not only checks all of these boxes, but it is a business building machine. In two easy steps, you can begin to build a robust sphere of influence that will provide you a lifetime of repeat business and referrals. – Click Here

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

What a New Agent Can Do to WOW Potential Clients & Generate Listings

Mar 1, 2022

The old saying about how people do business with people they know, like, and trust gets thrown around a lot in the real estate industry. What you don’t hear very often is how to get total strangers to know, like, and trust you; especially enough to become your client.

There are many ways to do that, of course. But of the three, I think it’s safe to say that the trust issue is not only the most important to real estate consumers but more challenging for agents to build.

Being new to the real estate business doesn’t help. Not when your competition is boasting 30 years in the business and endless successful sales.

Photo Introduction postcards are shown above. See more, click HERE

Building trust isn’t easy, but it is doable. Let’s take a look at what a new agent can do to wow potential clients.

**You do have your own real estate website?**

Your own business website provides a place for consumers to get to know you and your business. Not taking the free ride on your broker’s website, also lends an air of professionalism.

Did you know, 56% of consumers surveyed by weebly.com stated that they lack trust in businesses that don’t have websites.

Your website, if done right, is full of ways to help people get to know you. The content, also if done right, can help them to like you and trust you.

Keep away from sales spiels with your blog content and do vary between real estate, homeowner, and hyper-local topics.

Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through and show the human side of what can be fairly complex subjects.

The About Me page is the place to laser focus on helping visitors get to know you and your business philosophy.

Have you any positions in your background that transfer well to the real estate industry? Any from the following is worth a mention:

Marketing
Advertising
Negotiating
Teaching
Videography/photography

Get to work on social media

Your time is valuable, especially now at the beginning of your real estate business. It’s time to whittle down the social media choices to one.

The Real Estate Times Series is shown above. See more, click HERE

Facebook is a good place to start. Get your business page set up and start cross-posting your blog posts and other pertinent and interesting information to Facebook.

Whatever you do, don’t fill your feed with marketing and salesy stuff. Here are some ideas about what to post:

Local housing market statisics & news
Restaurant reviews
Best places in [your town] to buy [whatever]
Interesting real estate poll or survey results
Local news
Funny memes
Contests

This is just a handful of topic ideas.

The key to gaining engagement with your followers, at least in the beginning, is hyper-local content. Avoid political or religious topics. And don’t forget to engage with others on your feed, and theirs.

Overall, just be your super-stunning, personable self.

PLUS: When you have time…below are some free tools to help support your success.

1. The Free 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

2. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

The most effective thing you can do to build a real estate business is to become more visible, more likable, and remembered more often. The BusinessBASE™ not only checks all of these boxes, but it is a business building machine. In two easy steps, you can begin to build a robust sphere of influence that will provide you a lifetime of repeat business and referrals. – Click Here

3. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

5. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

Please reach out to our support team at 866.405.3638 with questions or if there is anything we can do to help you in your success.

We’re here to support you.

Your ProspectsPLUS! Team

New Agents: How to Get That First Client

Sep 7, 2020

Congrats on passing your exam and finding a broker to hang that license with.

We know what you’re thinking: “Now what?”

We’re willing to wager that the first day in your new office you sat around and stared at a blank computer screen while listening to the conversations around you about client deals and commission checks.

Made you feel like a fish out of water, didn’t it?

The good news is that, like any new thing, you’ll get used to it, learn and hopefully become more successful than you’d ever imagined.

But, it starts with a deal. Just one deal.

And, for that, you’ll need a client. It’s a good thing you’re visiting ProspectsPLUS! because we’re about to walk you through some brilliant ways to connect with that one person who will get you started down what we hope is a long and prosperous career.

A business card is just the beginning

Carry as many business cards as you can and hand them out to everyone. The guy who makes your coffee in the morning, the dry cleaner, your kids’ teachers, and everyone you interact with at the gym.

But handing out business cards is just a baby step. You need to get found and one of the best ways to do that is with a website.

NAR tells us that 51 percent of their 1,334,668 members have had a website for at least five years. It’s a surprisingly low number when you consider how much business you can get from your site.

Even more surprising is that only 9 percent of agents have a blog – one of the best traffic generators if done right.

The typical home buyer searches for homes online before doing anything else, including seeing if they can even qualify for a mortgage.

If you don’t have a website, there is no way you’ll be found. So, while you’re sitting in your cubby at your broker’s office, work on getting a website (with IDX, a blog and a system to capture leads) up and running.

Who do you know?

It’s time to fill up that CRM and announce yourself to the world with a card from our Photo Introduction Series. Any veteran agent worth his or her salt will counsel you to rely on your Sphere of Influence for that first transaction. To determine who is in your sphere of influence, make a list of the following:

The family who live in the area you want to serve
Friends
Neighbors (an especially good source of leads)
Former colleagues
Connections on social media
Casual acquaintances, such as your hairstylist, dentist, doctor and even your pet’s veterinarian (check out the awesome doctor loan products for medical professionals)

This list comprises your network so you’ll need to further refine it to narrow it down to only those people over whom you have some influence. This is your sphere of influence.

“Think about it as the people who would see a movie, read a book, or try a new restaurant because you recommended it,” suggests the pros at Contactually, a CRM provider.

Don’t toss the original list because many in your network will eventually be added to your sphere. Right now, you just want to reach out to people you have been in contact with over the past year.

What to mail, or email

As stated above, introducing yourself with a postcard is a great way to announce your status as a real estate agent.

Later in your career, you’ll want to avoid overt, heavy-handed, and frequent self-promotion, right now, it’s a must.

In fact, you may need to beat people over the head (metaphorically, please) with the fact that you now help people buy and sell homes.

A Free Offer postcard is an ideal medium to use to create interest as the second mailing after your introduction. Send one to each person in your sphere. Then, never mention again that you are a new agent. All future contact with them should offer something of value, with no reminders that you’re fresh out of real estate school.

What would be considered valuable? A Direct Response Report like, “How to Chop 4 Years and $24,000 Off Your Mortgage“, the offer of a Free List of Home Resources, a Comfort Food Recipe, or the Content Series Card, “Cleaning Green” are some ideas.

With a monthly Community Newsletter, you can work in all of these topics and more.

We understand that, right now, it seems as if finding that first client may be an elusive dream. But, take the steps to market yourself effectively and that client will appear.

Send out The Mac and Cheese postcard from the Comfort Food Series to your Sphere of Influence.

Need help targeting a specific niche of buyers or sellers? Use our Demographic Search Tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy). Or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

1. Become a Neighborhood Brand

Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically each month to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

2. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

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The Real Estate Mailing List Guide outlines the top tools for generating targeted prospecting lists including Baby Boomers, Empty Nesters, Investors, Lifestyle Interests, High-Income Renters, Move-Up Markets, and more. The Guide also defines done-for-you marketing campaigns to match these markets. –Click Here

3. The Free 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

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The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, Niche Marketing, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

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Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan. – Click Here

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

Consistency and automation are the keys to success. Discover how effective direct mail marketing can dramatically increase your bottom line. Enter your statistics in our Free online ROI Calculator and click the ‘CALCULATE MY ROI’ button to see your results instantly! –Click Here

7. The Free Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT”

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The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted prospect list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

4 Book Suggestions for the Hunkered-Down Real Estate Agent

Apr 29, 2020

While there are agents who are still managing to carry on business as usual during the pandemic, many are hunkered down at home, trying desperately to figure out what to do next.

You could bust your boredom like Katherine Hahn, but it won’t do much to fan the flames of your real estate brand or make you more productive when we come out of the other end of this thing.

The At-Home postcards are from the COVID-19 Series in the postcard section.

We’ve come up with several ideas to help you out and we start with hunkering-down reading material. Some of our suggestions are older books, but the information within them is still brilliant. Others are newer offerings with tips on digital marketing especially. And, a few are pure escapism.

Follow the link in the title of each book to learn more about it.

1. The Social Agent’ 2.0 Update: The Evolution of Digital Marketing, Tony Giordano

Considered a “celebrity real estate agent,” Giordano is also a national speaker and author who prefers to show, not tell, how to do social media right as a real estate agent.

The book’s reviews on Amazon can attest to his success with that, with one reviewer claiming that “Tony goes into some detail on what to actually do, instead of just ideas, which I appreciate.”

Giordano talks about “Online Presence vs. Present Online,” and explains how “Everyone is present yet few have presence.”

‘the social agent’ is also available at Barnes&Noble, which is currently offering free curbside pickup for online orders.

2. What to Post: How to Create Engaging Social Media Content that Builds Your Brand and Gets Results (for Real Estate), by Chelsea Peitz

Like “the social agent 2.0,” this book dives deep into various social media strategies. Peitz, however, promises that What to Post is “… a step-by-step guide that will help you create a fail-proof social media content strategy that will give you an unfair advantage on platforms like Facebook and Instagram and generate FREE real estate leads.”

Unlike a lot of real estate-specific books on the market, What to Post was published in February 2020, so you won’t find a section about what to post on MySpace and other outdated, non-existent platforms.

Peitz, by the way, is the national director of social sales for Fidelity National Financial, as well as a social media coach and brand developer.

Since social media marketing should be among your go-to methods right now–while most people are hunkered down and spending lots of time online–this may just be the ideal book to read.

Go take a peek inside the book at Amazon.com.

3. Lead with Heart: Transform Your Business Through Personal Connection, by Tom Gartland

First, let’s address the Amazon ratings. There are only three and one of them is from what sounds like a disgruntled former employer. He or she really doesn’t review the book, so we’re disregarding it and hope that you will too.

Why?

Since its publication in 2018, many agents have suggested this book to others. For instance, Minnesota broker and mega-agent Kris Lindahl raves about Gartland’s leadership principles.

Especially if you are leading a team of agents, give this book a read.

4. Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business, by Ann Handley

We love that Handly devotes an entire chapter to creating case studies. Too few agents use them in their marketing and, if done right, they are so powerful.

But you’ll also learn the art of blogging, how to put together a killer ebook, podcast or video.

Content Rules is also available at Barnes&Noble.

Escapism

After an evening spent watching the news or hanging out on social media, do you ever find yourself in “the panic that comes with knowing too much and being able to do so little?”

Elena Nicolaou, culture editor at OprahMag.com, calls this “coronanxiety.” Her secret for fighting it?

“Feel-Good Books.” Although many might consider this escapism, Nicolaou cites the many psychologists who “… recommend reading as a coping mechanism during high stress moments.”

Fiction is ideal right now, the perfect vehicle for “… the off-ramp of reality,” as Nicolaou calls it.

So, what’s the recommendation? There are far too many to single out one. In fact, here’s a link to the Modern Library’s list of the “100 Best Novels” so you can choose.

We’ve chosen a few of our favorite “couldn’t-put-them-down” books:

11/22/63, by Stephen King

Appaloosa, by Robert B. Parker

The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein

The Kin of Ata are Waiting for You, by Dorothy Bryant

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett

Happy reading and stay healthy!

Send a postcard from the COVID-19 Series to your Sphere or Farm. Let them know you’re thinking about them by offering DIY projects and family fun to keep busy during the stay-at-home orders.

Need help targeting a specific niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are some Free resources we’ve made available to support your success.

1. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

The Real Estate Mailing List Guide outlines the top tools for generating targeted mailing lists including Baby Boomers, Empty Nesters, Investors, Lifestyle Interests, High-Income Renters, Move-Up Markets, and more. The Guide also defines done-for-you marketing campaigns to match these markets. –Click Here

2. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

3. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

4. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

6. The Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT”

The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted mailing list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

New Agent? Here’s how to spend your first 30 days (Part 1)

Jun 24, 2019

Welcome to real estate, rookie! Those world’s-most-boring-classes and the licensing exam were the prelude to what may just turn out to be a very lucrative and fulfilling business.

But only if you get off to a good start and that’s just what we hope to help you with today. So, forget about sitting in a cubby, staring at a blank wall or a quiet phone and the background conversations that sound like a foreign language.

You’ve got work to do!

Choose your broker carefully

You’ll need to “hang” your license with a real estate broker and, depending on the size of your town you may have slim pickin’s or so many you have no idea where to start.

First, decide if you want to work for one of the big national companies, such as RE/MAX or Keller Williams, or if you prefer the small, boutique-style local brokerages. They both have their pluses and minuses.

Since we advocate that you interview more than one broker, why not interview a couple of each of the above?

Here are some questions you’ll want answers to:

What split are you offering?

This refers to your commission split. For each transaction (unless the broker represents both the buyer and the seller), the commission paid by the seller is split two ways. This means that the listing broker and the selling broker each get half the commission.

Then, each broker pays their listing/buyer agent their agreed-upon share. Splits vary, but the typical rookie agent is offered around 50 percent.

Is there a desk fee?

This is basically rent for the space you use at the office. Not all brokers charge this fee.

Do you offer floor time to agents?

Floor time is a predetermined amount of time that you agree to be in the office to field calls (some questions can’t be legally answered by the receptionist, unless he or she is licensed) and to speak with walk-ins.

Yes, it’s a hassle. But it may result in generating a lead or two and maybe even a buying client. It’s worth it if for no other reason that you’ll become accustomed to speaking with real estate consumers.

Related: 5 Ways Agents Sabotage Their Careers

What type of marketing are you doing?

While you will definitely want to come up with a plan to market your business, marketing the company is the broker’s job. The more exposure the company gets, the better for each agent.

Finally, ask about the broker’s training program for new agents. My first broker didn’t have a program but he spent lots of time with new agents weekly, teaching us everything from how to read the contract upside down and compiling fake CMAs to some scripts and dialogs he felt were effective.

Once you’re with a broker you can join the NAR and the local association, so be prepared to shell out some significant bucks.

Get business cards

Many new agents order business cards through their broker, which is fine in the beginning. You will soon grow out of those, however, so don’t order too many.

Get the word out and stay connected with a personalized business card (available under the Business Card tab)

Once you’ve settled into the daily real estate business routine you’ll want to work on your branding and, most important, get your own website set up. Once this is finished, order new, Business Cards, complete with your website’s URL.

Purchase CRM software

Customer relation management will be one of the more critical tasks in your real estate business and, thankfully, there are software solutions to help streamline the process.

Ask around the office to get a feel for the best CRM solutions and you’ll find the same names pop up repeatedly.

LionDesk
pipedrive
Market Leader
Wise Agent
Follow Up Boss
realvolve
Top Producer

When you’ve found one or two that sound right, run your choices by your broker to help you decide. He or she has worked with enough rookies to understand what they need in a CRM and how to choose one that will grow with you.

Get the software up and running and start populating it with the contact information of family, friends and close acquaintances. This is your sphere of influence, and they’ll be important in your efforts to harness the power of referrals.

Contact everyone you know who lives in the area

You know a lot more people than you may think:

Doctor
Dentist
Veterinarian
Dog Groomer
Dry Cleaner
Barista
Hair Stylist or Barber
Nail Technician
Folks at the gym where you work out
Landlord/lady and former landlords/ladies
Your kids’ friends’ parents
Teachers
Former colleagues

This list represents just a small fraction of groups of people that you may know; use it to brainstorm additional sources.

It doesn’t matter how you contact these people – call, email, snail mail – but reach out to them and let them all know that you’re now in real estate.

Consider sending an Agent Introduction postcard to those people you won’t be calling on the phone. And be sure to mention, whether in person, by phone, email or snail mail, that you’re happy to help anyone they know who may be thinking of buying or selling a home.

Create a business and marketing plan

It’s a rare rookie who prepares a business and marketing plan. Hey, we get it, it’s a complete hassle and other parts of the new business which are more attractive, beckon.

Every successful agent we know, however, has a plan, even if rudimentary and written on post-it notes.

Check out the Real Estate Marketing Planner for 12 months of strategic marketing ideas. This Planner is a free resource provided by us for you.

Our One Page Real Estate Business Plan is another free resource that we have made available for you. It’s simple, yet gives you a direct path to achieving your business goals.

Watch this space next month for Part 2 of How to Spend your First 30 Days as a new real estate agent. See you then!

Let everyone know how to find you when they are looking for real estate help (available in the postcard section under Agent Introduction Series)

Send out Agent Introduction postcards to your newly created Sphere of Influence.

Make sure they know who to call when they are ready.

You might also like:

The Biggest Client Complaint and How Not to Be That Agent

Agent Facebook Success: Rules of Engagement

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

2. “Get More Listings” Free Online Webinar

“Get MORE Listings & Begin to Dominate Your Market!” Free online webinar. Learn the 3-7-27 strategy for explosive growth, why 95% of agents have less than 20% market share, and how to become the agent everyone competes against. – Click Here

3. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

New Agent RoadMap to Success

Agent Success

May 16, 2018

New agents, tortured by what feels like an enormously long wait between license application and receipt, typically tend to want to hit the ground running the minute that license is in the broker’s hands.

It’s only natural to want to jet down the runway to success, but how will you get from here to there?

That’s what a business plan is: a roadmap of how to reach your income goals from where you are right now. Once you’re familiar with the real estate terrain, and you know the shortcuts, the map may feel like an unnecessary encumbrance, but it’s not.

Business plans aren’t static and require tweaking as you move up in your real estate career. Your sphere of influence grows, requiring the use of good contact management software. Your personal expenses may change and you will no doubt need to adjust your marketing expenses along the way.

The process of creating a “roadmap for success” for the new agent is a bit challenging, though. I mean, you have no past expenses with which to estimate a budget. How do you plan for marketing when you don’t know how much money you’ll have to play with?

You estimate. It’s that simple.

Map out your first-year goals

Make a realistic determination of where you want to be in your new business by the end of your first year.

This should include both a financial goal (how much money you’ll make) and other goals as well. For instance, your goals may include adding 100 people to your sphere of influence or to come up with a killer listing presentation. A financial goal could be planning to put aside a certain dollar amount to buy additional tools.

Create a budget

To come up with an accurate budget requires understanding your personal as well as business expenses, both fixed and variable.

Start with your personal expenses, such as your house payment or rent, what you pay for utilities, groceries, entertainment and the like. This will give you an idea of the total amount of income you’ll need to cover these expenses.

Determining your business expenses will be a bit more challenging since you have no figures from last year on which to base your assumptions. Breaking these expenses into smaller chunks will help you get a handle on them.

Startup expenses: These include your NAR, state and local association fees, MLS dues, lockbox expenses and the cost of any tools you’ll need to buy to get going (laptop, software, website expenses, etc.).

Marketing expenses: You’ll need to market your business as well as any homes you may list this year. We offer a series of Agent Introduction, Listing Inventory and Just Listed postcards that will get you off on the right foot.

Ongoing expenses: Your automobile gas budget is about to explode now that you are part of the real estate industry. Plan on spending a good deal of your budget on your vehicle – maintenance and gas for starters.

Then, there are your phone, internet, web hosting and the other costs that will recur routinely throughout the year.

How much do you need to make?

This is the trickiest part of your business plan, but the most critical as well. You’ll want to estimate how many sides you’ll need this year to get the money you want to make. This means figuring out how many prospects it will take to get a transaction, knowing the average sales price in the area in which you work and crunching some numbers.

We have put together the perfect simple yet effective business plan worksheet to help you do these calculations. You can find it online here.

Once you know how many listings or sales you’ll need each month to reach your financial goals, you’re on your way to success.

It’s time to introduce your new status to the world (or at least your corner of it).

Send out the Neighborhood Specialist postcard from the Agent Introduction Series to at least 100 new prospects in an area you want listings.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of sellers or buyers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator.

3. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan.

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, Niche Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here – Click Here

Also…check out these cool tools 🙂

3 Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLS Mailings – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

new agent

Research and shop for a CRM

Your first direct mail campaign

Set up a Facebook business page

It’s survivable, and you can still thrive

It’s all in how you manage expectations

Myth #1: Your broker is your boss

Myth #2: Your broker will provide you with leads

You do have your own real estate website?

Get to work on social media

A business card is just the beginning

Who do you know?

What to mail, or email

Send out The Mac and Cheese postcard from the Comfort Food Series to your Sphere of Influence.

1. The Social Agent’ 2.0 Update: The Evolution of Digital Marketing, Tony Giordano

2. What to Post: How to Create Engaging Social Media Content that Builds Your Brand and Gets Results (for Real Estate), by Chelsea Peitz

3. Lead with Heart: Transform Your Business Through Personal Connection, by Tom Gartland

4. Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business, by Ann Handley

Escapism

We’ve chosen a few of our favorite “couldn’t-put-them-down” books:

Send a postcard from the COVID-19 Series to your Sphere or Farm. Let them know you’re thinking about them by offering DIY projects and family fun to keep busy during the stay-at-home orders.

Choose your broker carefully

What split are you offering?

Is there a desk fee?

Do you offer floor time to agents?

Related: 5 Ways Agents Sabotage Their Careers

What type of marketing are you doing?

Get business cards

Purchase CRM software

Contact everyone you know who lives in the area

Create a business and marketing plan

Send out Agent Introduction postcards to your newly created Sphere of Influence.

Make sure they know who to call when they are ready.

You might also like:

Map out your first-year goals

Create a budget

How much do you need to make?

It’s time to introduce your new status to the world (or at least your corner of it).

Send out the Neighborhood Specialist postcard from the Agent Introduction Series to at least 100 new prospects in an area you want listings.

**You do have your own real estate website?**