A new agent I'll call "Private Benjamin," was recruited into a brokerage with promises by the broker for lots of help in getting started. Once she passed her exam and showed up for work, the broker has been busy with other details and hasn't had time to do more than show her where her desk and phone are. Like Private Benjamin was made false promises by her recruiter, this agent is finding out that some brokers will tell you what you want to hear to get you in the door, and that by the time you have your business cards and signs paid for, you're going to be stuck for a while.

"I have been a Realtor for four months," writes Private Benjamin. "I moved into the state six months ago, and so I have two hurdles to cross: new to the area and new to the industry. The broker I chose to work with has no training and no interest in "mentoring" and so I am on my own. However, I know there are tools out there to educate and assist in my hurdles. I am confident that I will persevere and do well in the industry. I just need some guidance as to the due diligence."

At least this "Private Benjamin" isn't letting the grass grow under her feet.

So if you're in the same boat as Private Benjamin and have also been sold a bill of goods by a broker who suddenly doesn't have time to work with you now that you have reported for duty, here's what you can do.

Start your contact management file

Your first day(s) should be spent loading every contact you know into a contact manager program, either a real-estate specific program, or a professional e-mail program of your choice. Start with family, friends, and acquaintances, current and then work back into your past. Don't forget directories from schools and churches. Call every one of those people and let them know what you are doing. You want to do this with a program that will merge e-mail, as you want to be able to send these folks e-newsletters, listing updates and other information.

Shadow other agents

Introduce yourself around the office and offer to help other agents sit their open houses. They could use the extra security, and you could use the experience. Offer to take every other buyer as an 'up,' like they do in the car business. When it is your turn to be 'up' that means you are the one that gets to work the buyer. Sitting open houses is also a great way to get to know the other producers. Agents also like to take time off. With a few open houses under your belt, they may let you sit one while they go on vacation or work another home. Any leads that come through will be yours.

When you aren't busy, ask other agents if you can ride along on their calls. It will give you a lot of experience to attend inspections, listing appointments, and buyer showings to see what can go right or wrong.

Attend every meeting

Attend every function your brokerage has from breakfast meetings to home tours. This is the only way to learn housing inventory. Listen to the agents' comments. Use the comments to get a clue about their personalities. What do the agents say who sell a lot of homes? What do the agents say who don't sell many? Save your questions for your broker for those meetings. If he won't meet with you privately, get him to answer your questions publicly. Join your local board of Realtors and scout functions there, too. There are a lot of opportunities for volunteerism, and it is a good way to get known among other brokerages. These are the people you will be working contracts alongside, so getting to know them on a first-name basis can only help you. This is also a good time to find out about what goes on at other brokerages. You may stay with your current broker, or you may decide the grass is greener somewhere else.

Train yourself

So your broker doesn't have time to train you? Well, it's going to have to come from somewhere. Find out from your local MLS what classes are available. Sometimes they are free information classes on topics du jour like mold or insurance. You can learn a lot.

Read Realty Times, Realtor Magazine, The Real Estate Professional and any other real estate magazines you can. All can be found online, and you can sign up for daily e-mail headlines that come straight to your desktop. At Realty Times, search the archives for topics like "new agents," "commissions," and "buyers" so you will know the latest sales techniques to help you get started. As you know there are many people who will tell you what you want to hear and then once things are in place none of those things are put into action. She has her hands in many fires and does not have time to devote to the new agents. I continue to stay because of the $ I have invested in marketing myself. I don't want to confuse any of the "current marketing recognition" that I have attained and am continue to build. I am sure deep down there is that thought of "I really am doing this by myself and what a great feeling it will be when I begin to see my hard work turn into something successful".

Hire a coach

You can find terrific coaches at Realty Times, or in other magazines. Some coach by e-mail and phone. E-mail them your situation and determine which coach is right for you. Some coaches concentrate on new agent sales like Joeann Fossland, David Fletcher, and Jim Gillespie while others focus on experienced agents or brokers. Some coaches like Jim Crawford(Internet marketing), Bill Koelzer(Websites), and Gary Hall(contact managers), specialize in technology. Find the coach who is right for your situation, and let them coach you to success.

Published: June 24, 2003

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.