Expert Advice for New Real Estate Agents

What I Wish I Had Known

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Today’s top producers weren’t always top producers. In fact, most didn’t become high-

earning agents until well into their real estate careers. Real estate is a cutthroat industry,

and it takes a lot of experimentation, training, and learning on the job to master the art.

From trying out different marketing approaches to discovering networking best practices,

today’s most successful agents (and brokers) slowly but surely honed their crafts to get

where they are today.

And it’s not just top producers who have lessons to share with beginner real estate agents.

As Placester VP of Marketing and Branding Seth Price puts it, if you can make it two years

in the business, you are a survivor. Any agent with at least a couple of years of experience

under their belt has plenty of war stories.

Continue reading to get tips from dozens of veteran real estate pros. Their collective wisdom

can help shape your new career as an agent and get you started off on the right foot.

Introduction

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Heather Cole Keller Williams Mohawk Valley “Before you sign on anywhere, find a mentor that will invest in you! There are two kinds of people in this industry: those whose primary motivation is to help themselves, and those whose motivation is to help others. Find the latter, and latch on! I’ve seen too many new agents join under the top producers, thinking they would learn the most from the ‘best.’ It rarely works that way! Oftentimes, they’re not interested in walking new agents through how to write a purchase offer or how to negotiate home inspection issues — and they’re definitely not going to share their marketing secrets!” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: There are countless real estate coaches and

trainers out there who specialize in educating and guiding new agents like you. Some

cost a pretty penny to hire. Others are willing to help out pro bono (on occasion).

Spend a lot of time researching real estate pros who offer such services in your

market to find the best one that fits your needs. You’ll know who’s a good mentor

to work with after interviewing at least a handful of candidates. This is one aspect of

your work where due diligence is a must.

Alejandro Rojas KOR Properties “Build your own future! When I got involved with real estate, I thought there would be a specific path to take with slight variations, like most industries. The reality is this is your business to build the way that works best for you. You may try many different methods to market and work with customers, and although there are many different ways to go about it, no one way is necessarily the best. Do not be afraid to do what feels right for you and what you believe brings you success. You being you is what makes you different and is what will make you stand out in the crowd. Be bold!” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: When you work in a corporate environment, there

is generally a clear path upward for even entry-level hires. That’s just not the case in

real estate. There are so many business models used in the industry nationwide. That

means it’s not realistic to think you could plan to make the switch from one niche role

to another in a specific time period. Each agent grows and evolves at their own pace.

Don’t try to force yourself to become better. Just fine-tune your skills over time, and

you’ll see the results.

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Dan Weis Comey & Shepherd Realtors “With all of the changes happening in the real estate industry, it’s important to keep up with everything that’s going on. There’s always new skills to be learned — like studying revised purchase contracts and new closing statement processes, improving upon your negotiations, mastering social media strategies, and understanding the mindset of the Millennials and other generational groups.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: The education truly never stops for real estate

agents: from the moment you sign on with an agency (or start your own) to when

you earn that first million dollars. Fail to keep up with sales and marketing trends,

and you’ll be left in the dust by other agents in your market. To ensure this doesn’t

happen, set aside an hour each week to catch up on news and updates. For instance,

read your local, monthly housing reports to get a glimpse into how your particular

market performs over time.

Brenda McClain Keller Williams Dallas Metro North “Walk into the business as though you know nothing, then find the experts and do exactly what they say. Don’t deviate from one single piece of advice they give you. Find your sphere of vendors to support you and whom you can leverage in return to give them business. Create a schedule and stick to it. Live by it; don’t deviate from it. This is a business — run it like one. Find your niche, when it comes to lead gen, and go at it with all your heart.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Over time, you’ll eventually have to sink or swim

as a new agent without the aid of an experienced real estate coach, trainer, or mentor

at your side. But once you do swim on your own, you’ll have the freedom to flourish

in your own unique way and adjust your business systems and processes to best fit

your own agency. This is when you’ll really start to bring in the big bucks. (And if, for

some reason, you continue to run into roadblocks, consult your agent pals in your

network for advice!)

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Tony Iacoviello RE/MAX Escarpment Realty, Inc. “Your creativity and your time are your greatest commodities. Use your time wisely, and don’t pursue clients who don’t value what you have to offer. Plan your days as much as possible setting aside time to prospect for new clients, follow up on current tasks, focus on building a strong marketing presence, and space for yourself, your family, and your friends. Use your creativity to set yourself apart from everyone else in the marketplace and don’t be afraid to let yourself, the best version of yourself, shine through in your marketing, website, videos, and everyday interactions.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Your time is precious. Use it as wisely as possible.

Scheduling out all of your core professional and personal endeavors out at least a

week in advance can help ensure you use your waking hours as best as possible.

As for the creativity tip, this savvy real estate pro is spot on: The more you can

differentiate your business from competing firms in your area, the better you can sell

yourself to your audience offline and online — including and especially on your real

estate website.

Asharelah Watford Keller Williams Select Realtors “Always be closing. As a new agent consistent lead generation is important. Never stop generating leads! You have tomake sure you keep clients in your pipeline. Do not get so distracted with listings, open houses, and showing houses that you neglect to generate leads. Lead generation is crucial in order to be successful and stay in the business.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: The mantra from Glengarry Glen Ross has become

trite, but it is still solid advice. Securing many high-quality leads (ideally online, since

digital marketing has the most trackable return on investment) is so important. You

certainly have a lot of other essential business activities to handle daily, but you

simply can’t ignore your lead gen pipeline. If you end up with a CRM lacking that

“next” lead to work, you’ll end up with a stagnant revenue stream.

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Tom Weir Keller Williams Next New Home Team “Real estate is about following a schedule. You are a business owner now. Treat your business as you should. Show up on time, do the work, lead generate, go on appointments, negotiate contracts, and script practice.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: There’s nothing wrong with having a routine.

Tasks will change from one day to the next, sure. But having a strict pattern by which

you start off each day and execute your core real estate agent duties can help you

perfect each and every one of those duties. For example, spending a couple of weeks

to craft a listing presentation and sales pitch you can reuse time and again with new

prospects can save you a ton of time down the line and help you better convince

leads to sign on with you.

Lucy Korzelius eXp Realty “A real estate professional doesn’t just sell a home. They wear many hats in a transaction. New agents should find a mentor and company that supports new agents when they begin a real estate career.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Finding the right agency to work for at the start

of your career is vital. Many top firms hold the cards when it comes to hiring who

they want. However, if you prove you’re a savvy agent with a lot to offer (i.e. you

have the potential to become a top producer), many of those agencies will want you.

When being courted and researching brands to join, use your common sense and

best judgment to determine which company offers you the best path to becoming an

even more successful agent.

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Stephanie Mathis Reliant Realty ERA Powered “Always answer any question with complete honesty. If you do not know the answer, don’t just make something up. Tell the client you don’t know, but you will be happy to find out.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: You will inevitably end up in a situation in which a

client asks you an endless number of questions, many of which you simply don’t have

answers for. Remember: That’s okay! It’s more than fine to say, “I’ll get back to you

on that” or “Let me look into that for you” to those you work with. It’s better to get

your clients the 100% correct answers or most appropriate responses than offer your

customers a half-baked reply they’ll find suspect. And as a bonus, your clients will

respect your honesty.

Corey Robinson Golden Gate Sotheby’s “Our industry is all about relationships. Dive deep into the relationships you have and work from a place of giving. The more you put yourself out there to help others, you will come to learn that the business follows. Don’t be patient — be persistent.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Too many agents today still believe they need to

be in “sales mode” at every moment, thinking that’s the key to growing their client

base. Take the exact opposite approach: Develop and nurture relationships over time.

As those relationships go on, you’ll understand who may turn into clients or referrers

and those who won’t. For those who seem likely to buy or sell in the near future,

simply (and subtly) let them know you happen to be an agent who can help them

whenever they’re ready.

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Kim Knapp Coldwell Banker Vanguard “Know your value. You are a professional working with grown-up people making grown-up decisions. Do not own decisions that are not your responsibility. Nowhere in what we do as real estate professionals holds us responsible for another human’s decision. As real estate professionals, we educate, council, help folks prepare, overcome objections, negotiate, and facilitate. People buy and sell houses. People move, and for that, I am grateful.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: At the end of the day, you can’t control

everything. You may not always close deals for clients who sign on with you.

There are a thousand things that can derail a transaction: cold feet, buyer-seller

disagreements, failed inspections. But as long as you handle all business activities on

your end as needed and do your best to guide your clients to the finish line, you’re

doing your job — and that’s really all that can be asked of you to facilitate deals.

José Quiñones Linda Vista Real Estate Services “You are a real estate agent, not a secret agent. Your voicemail should be alive and excited. Give out your business cards too. Also, have a morning routine. The way you start your day determines the rest of your day.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Showcase your personality in everything

you do for your business. Express yourself creatively in all of your real estate

marketing tactics and techniques: brand explainer videos, social media shares, email

newsletters, and so on. You need to be as memorable as possible to your audience

to get them to notice and, eventually, engage with your brand in some way online

or offline. The ultimate goal is to convert new clients, but you can’t rush the inbound

approach to building your business.

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Lisa Parenteau RE/MAX Leading Edge “Stay in your lane! We aspire to become the go-to problem-solver in a transaction — but that is a double-edged sword! It is noble and important to manage the messy details of a transaction (and remove as much stress as possible for buyers and sellers). Yet, I am reminded at each and every turn to be the source of the source and not the source. Offer solutions by finding and providing the source of the solution.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: The hallmark of a successful agent is knowing

which levers to pull to find solutions to their clients’ problems. At the same time,

though, there will be times when there just isn’t a solution — or at least one you can

provide. In these situations, try to understand the emotions behind clients’ issues

with one or more aspects of a transaction, and simply be there to hear them out.

Sometimes, buyers and sellers just want to vent — so just listen to them and try to

understand where they’re coming from.

Sherry M. Stapf-Tolisano Spartan Realty “I have witnessed many first-year agents have great success because they have a loyal sphere. Year two comes along, though, and they crash. Why? Because these newbies thought real estate was easy — they didn’t learn the basics of building a business. Gain experience working with your friends and relatives who trust you — but remember: You need to learn how to grow your brand to the community you serve.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: The common mantra among many beginner

agents is, “Oh, I can just close deals for my family and friends, then referrals for my

business will roll in!” This may be the case for a few lucky new agents, but for the rest,

relying solely on loved ones for income is a recipe for disaster. The most successful

agents play the long game. They don’t just look at the customers they’re trying to

close now; they’re filling their pipeline with leads to nurture 30, 60 and 90 days out

so they have a consistent stream of business.

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Lorraine Conforti Crowley & Carr “I thought when I first became a real estate agent that I needed to be trained in every aspect of a transaction from start to finish before I went out there. Every transaction is different, so it’s ultimately impossible to be completely prepared. The reality is you just have to dive in and believe in yourself. If you can get in a good agency that provides support and have a mentor, that is great! But ultimately, you’re going to learn as you go — especially if you’re not part of a team.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Experience is one of the best ways to learn. You

could have a dozen different deals closed for clients in your first year in real estate

— and you could learn a dozen new things in each of those transactions. Don’t fret

if you feel unprepared to take on new business. There are inevitably going to be

some ups and downs to your work in the initial months. Just take notes during each

transaction to understand where you may have made an error or two so you can

learn from those mistakes in future deals.

Cherie Edmunds Keller Williams Realty Community Partners “Lay your foundation, first and foremost. Be organized before you start lead-generating so your efforts are not wasted. Get a good real estate CRM system in place — one that will help automate your lead-nurturing processes and communication with prospects.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: What good is developing a real estate lead

generation strategy for your new agency if you don’t have a system in place to

monitor leads generated? While you set up your firm’s website and put other tech

tools and resources in place to succeed, don’t forget the importance of a modern

lead management system. There are several ideal options for agents of all skill and

experience levels, so get a demo for several of these solutions to find the one that

best works for your marketing.

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Cheryl Spangler eXp Realty “Pick a niche now! Even if you decide to change it later on (like three years down the road), at least you will be very very specific as to who your current ideal client is. The only way to stop the circle where you are constantly looking for people to service and they start looking for you is by choosing a niche and promoting that niche. All of your marketing activities — blogging, social media, et cetera — need to be targeted to highlight the needs, wants, desires, challenges, behaviors, and pains your niche market thinks about day in and day out.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Some new agents think they’ll work with a wide

array of clients — and that may very well be the case for a portion of these beginner

pros. Chances are, though, you’ll find yourself working with a certain type of client

in your first months as an agent (e.g. new parents buying their first suburban home;

singles looking for modest-sized urban apartments). To make ends meet, learn

which niche you tend to close the most deals for, then gear most (if not all) of your

marketing efforts toward that demographic.

Lori Muller Exit Elite Realty “I wish I would have created a leads database and followed up with all past clients and leads from the start of my career — and did it consistently. So much of my potential repeat business went to other agents because I did not implement a leads database sooner and follow through with consistency.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Another downside to not having an easy-to-use

lead management system in place is you can’t keep tabs on clients you’ve worked

with. It’s not just net new leads to whom you should market your business. It’s your

previous customers, some of whom may want to work with you again down the line.

That means you need a CRM tool (and drip email marketing software) that makes it

easy to stay in touch with your past clients so you know when they’re looking to buy

or sell again.

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Sherry Wheeler United Real Estate Solutions “Your first brokerage can hold you back or spin you forward. Make sure your first company is fair and treats agents the same. Ask lots and lots of agents who they recommend and why or why not. Do your research, find your best fit — usually it’s the most progressive agency and not necessarily the biggest name. People remember your name, not your company’s name.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Not all real estate agencies and brokerages are

created equal. Some assume you have a certain level of knowledge as an agent and

offer little to no training. Others are very hands-on and want you to sell homes a

certain way. There are countless unique business models for firms nationwide, so

do your due diligence and research which kind of brand you feel you’d be most

comfortable working for. Ask long-time agents in your market how they decided

which firm to join for further help in your search.

Cynthia Woyak Woyak & Company Realty “As a real estate instructor, I have taught, mentored, and brokered new agents who entered the industry believing it was easy. Most of them had one to three people ready for quick business so they moved forward failing to heed the warning of preparing for business. After their last closing, they would then realize what they were told was true — but by then, they ran out of funds and had to get ‘real’ jobs to pay their bills. The method for procuring business is the same as it was decades ago — it is simply expressed in different ways.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Real estate marketing has evolved greatly over the

years. Outbound/offline marketing strategies like mailers, billboards, and newspaper/

radio ads were primary lead generation drivers back in the day. Nowadays, inbound/

online activities like search engine optimization and targeted digital ads account for

most of today’s agents lead gen efforts. And yet, as this agent notes, the method is

really the same: Persistence with your market and trying lots of different tactics is

vital to keep your lead pipeline full.

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Sarah Lynn Barton eXp Realty “Everyone says start with your sphere of influence — friends and family — for your first deals. Don’t! Easy money comes with strings. Make sure you don’t put yourself in a position where friends and family aren’t friends and family anymore because of business. Some money from a referral is better than no money (and relationships) at all.” WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: One of the worst things that can happen at the

start of your real estate career: You take on a brother or cousin or your best friend as

a new client . . . and things deteriorate between you because of a deal gone wrong.

Some new agents are willing to take the risk if it means they get a commission

check from a transaction for friends and family. But you need to ask yourself if

earning business that way is good in the long run for yourself, both personally and

professionally.

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