- Choose a broker: All real estate agents need to start out by working with a real estate broker. Choosing the right broker for you is an important first step. Consider factors like the size of the firm, their typical clientele, and what mentorship and client-building opportunities will be available to you.
- Know your market: All real estate is local. The more you know about the place where you’ll be doing business, the more likely it is that potential clients will see you as an expert. Get to know the neighborhoods, the schools, the big employers, the hyperlocal housing market.
- Look the part: If you want to be a real estate professional, you need to take yourself seriously. Don’t visit networking events in yoga pants or a track suit. Get a real estate nametag. Make sure you’ve got a wardrobe that reflects the image you want to present.
- Find a target: Don’t fall into the trap of assuming that absolutely anyone who wants to buy or sell a house is your target market. Choosing a target market can feel like limiting your options, but what it really means is avoiding spreading yourself too thin. Of course you’ll accept any work that falls into your lap, but to market effectively you have to market specifically. Focus on the location and client types you know best, and build your business there first.
- Work your network: As they say, it’s all about who you know. And once you start making a list, you might be amazed at how many people you know. Start with close friends and family, LinkedIn contacts, Facebook friends, members of your church, other parents at your kid’s school – if you know their name and they know yours, that’s enough for a brief message telling them about your new venture. Most of them won’t be a part of your target market, but they might know someone who is.
- Get your name out: Working your current network is a great place to start, but you’re going to have to get the word out to the public at large as well. Advertising for new real estate agents can take many forms: real estate postcards, door hangers, and magnets are a good start, but anything that gets your name out in front of new prospects is great.
- Get yourself out, too: People do business with people they know, like, and trust. Expand the sphere of people who know, like, and trust you by growing your network. Join the local chamber of commerce, volunteer with local charities, attend local networking events. Bring along your real estate business cards everywhere you go, and don’t be afraid to make new connections. Being a visible member of the community is an excellent way to help establish your professional reputation.
- Ask for the business: You should never be rude or overly pushy. But if all you’re doing is letting people know that you’re in real estate, it’s not enough to get the sale. Be polite and direct about what you’re looking for – a referral, a contract, a listing. Accept “no” with grace, and follow up on “yes” with gratitude and respect.
- Keep at it: You will hear plenty of “no” in the beginning. Keep at it. When you’re trying to get your first client as a real estate agent, you need time to build confidence, to establish your expertise, to get your pitch down pat. All of those things will come – but only if you keep at it. Keep marketing, keep meeting new people, keep learning to do better. Eventually, you will get to “yes” – and you’ll be very glad you kept at it.
If 2015 is the year for your new start, whether you’re starting out in the real estate world or starting with a new firm, BestPrintBuy is here to help. We’ve got all the marketing materials you need to start the year off with a bang, from custom real estate business cards to complete real estate agent starter packages.