Want to hit the next level in real estate? We asked top producers what they would suggest to an agent looking to hit the next level in real estate.
Real estate is tough. We all can agree on that.
A while ago, we asked some top performers what tips they’d give to brand new agents.
Today, I’m following up with them to get the answer to another question.
Here’s the question:
An agent just finished year 1 and has a few transactions under their belt, what are the top three things they should focus on to get to the next level?
Year 2 is a lot different than Year 1 and getting your real estate license. The following tips for real estate agents are perfect for those looking to make the next big jump!
If you didn’t know it was a hard job prior to getting your real estate license, you now know we do more than just stick signs in yards. In your first year of real estate, most of your transactions likely came from close friends or relatives. As such, this pool of clients is likely to soon run dry. So, what are things you can do in your second year to reach the next level?
Whether you are working towards building a World Class Team, or are just trying to figure this crazy business so you can pay your bills, you MUST learn, implement, and become a NINJA at the 3 most important things in your business.
Master them, create habits and a schedule that ensure they are your daily focus, and you will eventually enjoy the financial and time freedom that comes with being a well-balanced top producing agent.
Fail to master them, and you may find yourself stuck making just enough to stay in the business, but not enough to be happy or feel successful in it.
There are no magic pills, but there is hope. Get the right coach NOW! Find a mentor who has succeeded in real estate sales, will help you avoid mistakes, and who you feel will push you and guide you to CRUSH your goals!
With the anticipation of your first deal behind you and the future ahead of you, now is the time to treat this like a full time business; that being said here are the Top 3 things you need to do to take your business to the next level:
1) Act like the CEO of your company! Most real estate agents don’t consider themselves as the CEO of their business and wake up every day hoping for another deal. Well you are wrong, you are Self Employed and the Owner of your company. You wake up unemployed every day and you have to get a new transaction to feed your family.
2) Business Plan! How do you expect to ever achieve your expected results if you never know what they are and how to get there. If I asked you to drive from Omaha, Nebraska to San Diego, California what would be the first thing you would do? Probably mapquest the directions! If I ask you how to do 50 transactions in one year, then shouldn’t you do the same thing?
3) 1-Hour of Power every day! Every person in real estate should do a minimum of 1-hour of prospecting every day. It doesn’t matter what season it, how many transactions that you have done this year or how long you have been in the business. Here is something that you have to remember when you are prospecting “You are not a sales person; you are a Solution Provider”! If you speak to someone to fulfill their dreams and help them overcome situations – then you are a valuable piece of the puzzle of homeownership, if you sale, sale, sale – then you are like the other 2.3 million licensed real estate agents.
Top three things new agents should focus on to hit the next level.
Step 1:
Number one top thing to do would be to look at your past year transactions and evaluate what worked best for you in terms of bringing in leads and clients. Was it blogging, cold calling, social media, face to face networking, mass mailing or some other type of marketing? Whatever activity was the number 1 activity that brought you in the most leads and most clients you should double down on. So, if mass mailing or social media were your top most lead and client generators, focus on the finer points of those activities. Research, read and get trained as much as you can about those lead/client generating activities in order to help take it to the next level.
One great way to learn how to take it to the next level is to watch what other successful real estate people are doing. Learn how to be the best by seeing what the best are doing. A great example of this is a recent post I did on the Top 35 Bloggers and Social Media Power Players on the Internet. Just take a look at all these people on the list and how they are actively engaged in social media, blogging and more. Learn by watching what they are doing in their own areas and apply it consistently to your marketing in your area.
Step 2:
If you are not already doing this then don’t forget to focus on your current network of friends and clients to keep them in the loop. Keep those clients and friends in the loop and connected by wishing them happy birthday, happy anniversary, happy holidays and more. Don’t be overt in asking every single friend and client to refer business to you. Too much in your face “give me a lead” pushiness results in people getting turned off and tuning out your message. Instead be engaged, helpful and friendly so that way if someone does need a real estate agent or is asked to refer a real estate agent you are the first person who comes to mind!
Step 3:
Take time out for yourself and your family. Don’t immerse yourself into this so much that you go off the deep end and lose sight of why you are working on this in the first place. You need to put food on the table and live a comfortable life. If you try and do that at the expense of your familial relationships, personal health and mental sanity you gain nothing in the end. Instead make sure you take time out of your schedule to be with your family and have some personal time so you can read a good book, exercise and just enjoy things outside of real estate. Often times a relaxed and refreshed brains leads to creativity in other parts of your life!
In my experience, most new agents are not very good at tracking their data. Ask any new agent how much GCI they made last quarter or what their projected sales volume for the year might be and you’ll see what I mean. I was the same way when I first started as a Realtor. When you’re first starting out, you’re really in survival mode. Most new Realtors won’t make it passed their first year. The majority of the ones that do won’t make it passed their second year. It’s just common knowledge in the real estate community. I feel like the ones that go from randomly closing deals, to tracking all of their data and running their business off of real numbers are the agents that make it.First and foremost, congratulations on making it through year one in the business. 
here are many real estate agents who decide after year one that the business is not for them or it’s too difficult!
Now that you have a few deals under your belt, there are several things that you should be doing to ensure the momentum continues. The most important thing that a new agent should be doing to get to the next level is making sure they are staying in contact with their past clients.
Even if in year one an agent only sells 2 or 3 homes, those 2 or 3 clients are potential gold mines. Top producing real estate agents get referrals from past clients. A great way to stay in contact with past clients is by sending out a monthly newsletter via e-mail. I like to include one or two of my best real estate blog articles from the past month. Including past real estate articles that you have written shows to past clients that you’re well versed in many real estate topics.
For example, in my August monthly e-mail newsletter I included an article I wrote a couple months ago that provided tips for first time home sellers. This is a great way to show my past buyer clients that I also have a strong skill set that can help sellers too. Providing an article that provides tips for first time home sellers also is important for those buyers you may have sold a home to 5 or 6 years ago who may be thinking of selling their home!
Another excellent idea for those agents who are looking to take their business to the next level in year two is to make sure you have some type of follow up program in place. I personally use Top Producer which allows me to setup after sale action plans for my past clients. These action plans have various checklists for past clients, reminders that you work on referrals, and also real estate market updates.
Again, the number one tip I can provide for agents just finishing year one who want to take their business to the next level is to make sure you stay in touch with past clients. Failing to do so will lead to very few referral business, which is critical in the real estate business.
Don’t believe me? Just ask any top producing agent!
Tyler, this is a great question. I’ll answer by telling you my biggest regret about my early years in Real Estate. I would suggest to every newbie agent that they find and start using a good CRM to keep in touch with all contacts.
During my first year in business, I used my cell phone and the MLS to keep track of clients. I tried a couple of CRMs during that time but found them a bit clunky.
Lucky I didn’t lose the contacts for clients who actually bought and sold with me during that time. But I lost contact with some of the folks who were still in the nurturing/incubation stage.
One of the big things about finding a CRM is finding one that works for you. If it isn’t easy for you to use, you won’t use it. You should also make sure that you actually own the database. Some vendors make it difficult to export contacts to another system.
Over the years I have found a CRM that works for me. I use Follow Up Boss for all my leads. It’s compatible with all the websites I have. It works with Realtor.com, Zillow, etc. Leads from any of those sites are automatically entered in my database.
Follow Up Boss makes it super easy to schedule follow up tasks. I text new leads as soon as they register. As soon as the text goes out and I see whether it bounces back or not, I set up the next task for the lead.
It’s easy to set up tasks far in advance. Set up reminders to wish folks a “Happy Anniversary”. Schedule a follow up call to see how they’re enjoying their home, etc. Schedule it in Follow Up Boss and it will remind you on the date.
I use Follow Up Boss with MailChimp to send out monthly newsletters that I write. And yes, I write my own newsletter. It includes links to my monthly market update blogs. I throw in a little extra news about the market that might interest my contacts.
The newsletter has proven to be a money maker. I just recently closed a deal with a client who had purchased a high rise condo for their vacation home in 2009. The kids are bigger and they decided to buy a larger condo.
They first called an agent who lived in their building. He put them in touch with a buyer’s agent on his team who kept sending them condos that were priced much higher than they wanted. Finally the wife said, “why don’t you call Debbie?” after they received my monthly newsletter.
They bought a $320K condo this time. All because I use a contact management system to keep in touch with everyone. If I had it to do over, I would have started this in the beginning. New agents should find a CRM that works for them and keep in touch with everyone. Over the years it will give a great ROI.
Any real estate agent who makes it beyond the first year should be applauded for doing so. While that is an 
achievement worth noting, those agents now must buckle down and improve their systems and processes to have a successful real estate career. Here are 3 things they should be focusing on to take their business to the next level.
Building their network is one of the key things they should be doing, now and as long as they remain in this profession. If they have been fortunate to close some homes in their first year they should have a system in-place to keep up with both their buyers and sellers. Whether it is a robust CRM system or something they created, the key is to stay top of mind with those you have worked with. They also need to cultivate a group of professionals they can rely on to do handyman work, yard maintenance, lenders, etc. that will be available when needed.
They also need to find a niche and work hard at becoming their community expert. Whether they are working short sales, with first-time buyers, luxury sellers, or want to be the area expert for a particular community, subdivision, or city, they need to not only know as much about that niche as possible but make the information available to consumers so the agent can be found, called, and hired.
Lastly, they need to blog regularly and use social media to share their content, show their expertise, generate interest, and develop local relationships. Whether you are looking to dominate the Warner Robins GA real estate market, the foreclosure market in Dallas, TX, or luxury sales in Denver, building an online presence can be a difference maker. Instead of trying to survive, have a plan, and thrive!
Step 1 Build your list.
Right now, you’re in the first phase of your sales cycle. Hit the streets, attend community events and spread the word that you’re an agent. Hand out your business card to everyone who seems interested. Get as many names, emails and phone numbers as possible.
Hustle like your career depends on it.
Because it does.
Play around with different CRM’s (Customer Relationship Management) tools. You don’t want to be stuck with one that hinders you down the road.
Get comfortable. Learn it inside out.
This way you won’t have to worry about simple tech problems when it matters most.
Step 2 Test your follow-up tactics.
As mentioned above, now is the time to find out what works and what doesn’t.
Your client follow-up is more important than anything. This will either keep them engaged positively or push them away with a negative experience.
Or worse, they’ll never think of you again.
In any case, you need to work on your real estate newsletters. Find out what content works best. A/B test your emails. Do listings or neighborhood spotlights attract more clicks? Big red button, small blue button, or simply hyperlinked text?
Nail down the perfect formula for all of your online follow-up techniques.
Step 3 Establish your online presence.
Lastly, you should start a website. And not just a headshot, bio and list of properties that every real estate agent has.
I mean a proper website, one that engages with the end user. Create some content. Break down the local market with video, infographics and guides. Highlight all the hidden gems.
The number one perceived weakness of new realtors is their lack of knowledge and experience.
So beat them to the punch and show firsthand your expertise.
I could write a 10-page paper on this but lucky you I won’t!
Instead I will just choose one of the easiest, most practical things you can do. Turn those closings into more closings!
Post eye-catching, fun “Just Sold” photo collages (like Frametastic) and videos to FB, Instagram, and all your other social media sites. Be sure to include the relevant hashtags, tag your clients (so their friends will see it, like and share), and add an engaging, short blurb telling the story behind the new happy homeowners/sellers. This all cultivates free exposure and marketing. Boom!
Then “turn up” your reach even further with ads on FB, Twitter, YouTube, etc. Pay as little as $1 a day to target potential homebuyers and sellers. Here are a couple of 15-second tech tip videos on how to target ready, willing, and able homebuyers and sellers on FB.
I would let the ads run for at least 2 weeks but closer to 4-6 weeks to get maximum exposure. Then, wash, rinse and repeat with every closing so that your closings turn into more closings. Happy selling!
When an agent just gets into the business there is so much to learn. I remember my first year in the business and I was as green as can be. In real estate every year is a new adventure. I am still learning things after twenty-eight-years! If I were starting from scratch all over again today there are a few things that I would make sure I was doing right out of the gate including:
spend money to make money! It is hard to make a name for yourself when you break into the real estate industry. The fastest way to get recognized is to advertise and market yourself! There are a number of ways you can do this. Some of the better ways are actually old fashion methods including print marketing. Do you have a local newspaper that has a good base of readers? Advertise in it! But here is the catch – you need to create advertising that is memorable. You will never stand out in a crowd if you are doing the same thing every other Realtor does like advertising your listings. Instead advertise yourself and do it with outside the box marketing! Want to see what I mean? Take a look at my add “work like a dog”. This was one of the marketing tips I shared over at the Adwerx blog on real estate marketing tips. As you can see this is not your ordinary real estate add! I have about 30 of these that I rotate on a weekly basis. They go over really well and make the phone ring! The other thing I would absolutely do is send out a just listed and just sold post card for every home you list and sell. Remember, it is all about getting your name out there. Plan on sending each mailing to at least 500 homes.These are three ways you can become a better agent who is bound to capture more business!
So you’ve embarked on a new career in Real Estate having been a Real Estate Agent for about a year now. You feel you’ve learned all you need to know in order to succeed at selling homes after you’ve sold a few homes. Hold on. If only it were that easy. It may be easy to get a Real Estate license, but having success in Real Estate doesn’t come easy. Now that you’ve sold a few homes, what should you be doing to increase your level of success in order to take it to the next level?
Keep Educating Yourself
Read Real Estate Blogs and Real Estate Industry sites. Be an active part of social media networks that generate Real Estate information such as Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest, etc. Immerse yourself in Real Estate. Think of yourself as a sponge wanting to absorb as much information as possible. Learn from others having success in Real Estate. Learn about what’s happening in the Real Estate industry. Keep yourself informed of what’s going on in your local market and keep abreast of industry changes and how they’ll affect your business.
Start writing a Blog
If you haven’t set up a Real Estate blog yet, it’s time to do just that. The more you write, the more you learn. Through your ongoing process of educating yourself, as recommended above, you’ll be learning a wealth of information; share your newly found education and how you’ve used that to better your Real Estate skill set.
Keep fighting after the “No”
Rejection isn’t easy. That’s a fact. However, if you learn to deal with the “No’s” you’ve been given when you don’t get that new listing or that new home Buyer, you won’t crumble into a million little pieces. You’re in the business of selling homes, in sales, when you will experience rejection. It happens and the better equipped you are at handling rejection, the quicker you’ll be up and on to the next new listing or new Buyer. Don’t take it personally. You’ve likely learned something from the “No” you just received and will certainly not do the same thing again to earn that rejection at your next appointment, but rather you’ll gain a new customer from your newly acquired skill. Learning is a constant in Real Estate and life for that matter. Always think of it as a way to improve yourself, a way to get better in Real Estate. You’ll be well on your way to becoming a Real Estate expert!
Now go get ‘em!
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