As a new real estate agent, you find yourself facing an uphill battle. You're new to the industry, new to the area, and always competing against agents who've been doing the job much longer than you have. And to make matters worse, you've invested a bunch of time and money into your career, and you're ready to see a return on that investment.

So what's the one thing a new agent can do to break into the ranks and get their business up and running fast?

Become the "Knowledgeable Expert."

Quite simply the Knowledgeable Expert is the type of person who knows a good bit about a particular subject, but isn't stingy or preachy with the information. A conversation with you on real estate needs to be like talking to your neighbor about the lawn.

"Boy your lawn looks great! What are you using on it?"

"Well, I've been using this new fertilizer lately, and it's really doing the trick. I used to go with 'such-and-such brand' and I don't know … it just wasn't doing it. I've had this new brand for the past few weeks now, and it's got this lawn looking good as new. And it gets rid of those fire ants, too."

"Really," you ask.

"Oh, yeah. I picked up a bag at Lowe's for $5.99 a pound, just right down the street here, and I was good to go. Real easy to put on, too," your neighbor replies.

"Huh."

(Pause)

"So how do you keep all of those weeds back?"

"Well, I ran across a product I'm really impressed with," your neighbor starts, and off he goes.

Notice how the neighbor provided valuable information without seeming overwhelming in the process? And I bet if during the middle of the conversation he worked in the fact that he was in the lawn care business, you'd consider his company next time your yard needed work.

Why?

Because he was confident and knowledgeable with the information he provided, which gave you the comfort level that when it comes to lawns, he knows what he's doing -- even if he just got started.

So how do you become a Knowledgeable Expert in real estate when you're just starting off? Here are a few suggestions:

• Read real estate material. Read any real estate material you can get your hands on. This includes books, cds, magazines, Realty Times, ... anything that impacts your real estate knowledge in general, and your geographic market knowledge in particular. I'd recommend 15-30 minutes a day as a good starting point, either first thing in the morning or at lunch.

• Spend time with experienced agents. Some agents are going to be more receptive to this than others (they might think they're fostering increased competition, and therefore be less inclined to help).

  But for those who are amenable, go out to lunch one day and 'talk turkey.' What have they found to be most successful in this market? Where are some of the challenges? And if you're really lucky, they might be willing to let you to "shadow" them for a day, or work as an assistant so you can learn the ropes. This will be an invaluable experience when it comes to finding your own clients.

• Develop a quiet confidence in yourself. This is one of the biggest hurdles I see most New Agents face, since a good bit of them haven't reached the point where they feel super confident when engaging a prospect. Not a problem.

  Everyone's nervous when doing something for the first time. Try rehearsing a few times before going out on your next prospect meeting. "Stockpile" a couple of questions you'd like to ask. Think about their likely answers, and then have a response for them. If it helps, role-play the situation with your spouse or kids so you feel more prepared when engaging a prospect.

Here's the deal. When prospects are "sizing up" potential agents, they're looking for someone who "knows their stuff," someone who's cool, calm and collected, and comes across as being knowledgeable in their field.

So if that means picking up a magazine or going out to lunch with a seasoned pro, or even mentally rehearsing a meeting the night before to help build your intellectual real estate capital, then by all means go for it. All of those actions will go a long way towards reducing the "experience gap" between yourself and the rest of the field.

But either way, here's the thing to remember: nobody knows you're a new agent until you tell them. And if you come across as the Knowledgeable Expert in your field, they won't even think to ask.

So go out there, get some more business, and congratulations on your new career!