A rookie Realtor writes:

Greetings Blanche,

I am coming to you by way of Raleigh, NC in search of a little guidance. I'm sure you get tons of email daily so I'll make it brief.

First of all, I would like to say that you are a very insightful, motivating and trustworthy writer. I have been reading your articles for about a year now and I think I've learn more through your articles than real estate school ... go figure. Anyway, I placed my license with a small brokerage in June '05 and I have had one sale and I have one pending. I'm part-time while I work at a local TV Station where my hours are all over the place.

I think my main problem is lack of marketing materials that will fit my budget and lack of prospecting know-how. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.

-- Shawn

Realty Times responds:

The way to make part-time sales work is to find solutions to what is essentially a scheduling problem. That comes before marketing. You have only so much time and money, and want to throw more of both at a real estate career, so here's some tips for how to do it.

1. Containerize your time. Separate your other work time from your real estate time as clearly as you can. It's hard to maintain control with a lot of spillover, so figure out how and which windows of time you have to devote to real estate. Simply mark times in your datebook or PDA for real estate and start filling those windows of time with real estate-related activities. Make a firm commitment to yourself that during those times, you will make calls, do research, take classes, network, tour homes, and so on to build your career.

2. Organize your real estate business into tasks. Real estate isn't all sales, so divide your activities into 30 percent marketing and self-promotion (calls, visits, door-knocking), 30 percent personal development (classes, reading, networking, shadowing better agents,) 30 percent productivity (face-time with clients, showings, closings, contract writings) and 10 percent business management (database management, bill-paying, sending newsletters, buying ads, etc.)

3. Tithe your income for marketing. Income also has to be scheduled. Most Realtors spend about 10 percent of their income in marketing, so start socking that much of your earnings away right now. Assuming you have enough to live on from your part-time job, set aside enough for your free-lance income taxes.

4. Start a contact management system. Even if you have nothing fancier than a datebook, you need to start organizing the names of everyone you know and meet so that you can later put them into a contact management program. Collect as much information as you can from addresses to living preferences, to children's names and birthdays.

5. Start calling. Get your database up to speed by calling your contacts and tell them what you are doing. Tell them you want to update your records and would they mind if you added them to your contacts? You have some great information for them - would they like to receive your email alerts? Ask them if they know anyone who might be interested in investing in a home in Raleigh. Offer to send them materials you've gathered about why you think R is a good place to buy a home. Offer to keep them updated on market changes via a newsletter .

6. Stay in contact. Timing is everything. As you build your database of contacts, make sure you contact them at least once a month with listing or news alerts, newsletters phone calls or news.

7. Become a newshound. Follow the financial news, and learn to give an opinion about what's happening. Is there a bubble or not? You should be able to answer any question put to you about real estate in your area, so that means constantly scouring the news for information about Raleigh. For example, ApartmentRatings.com just ranked Raleigh as the number one city for rentals, which should be very good news for investors. This is an example ample of news you could e-blast to your contacts. You want to be known as the market area expert.

8. Develop a niche. You have a special advantage because Raleigh-Durham is a big college town and medical center and that means a lot of turnover in housing. It should be easy to develop a niche, but start with your strengths and interests. If investment property is where your heart is, do you want to work with parents of college students near the campuses or the doctors, nurses and technicians of the many wonderful hospitals in your area? Do you like older homes or new construction?

9. Don't overlook possibilities. It's typical to think only in terms of immediate buyers as being good prospects. You want to build business by building trust. When you email someone they may not be in the market to buy today, but they may change their minds in a matter of weeks, so don't give up. All it takes is a notion and your prospect may buy a home quickly. You can stoke that desire with a constant flow of accurate, stimulating information. You want to get people asking you what you think, then they will be more likely to trust you to help them find what they want.

10. Buy a home yourself. There's no teacher like experience. If you want to sell investment real estate, you must learn how to invest, too. Pick the top-seller you know of to help you find your first investment home and pick her/his brain. Your purchase can be turned into a rental, and then you'll have rental management experience, too.

11. Build on success. You've sold two houses so you must be doing something right. What did these two sales have in common -- family, friends, a particular neighborhood? Start your career there and build out. Ask your clients if they know anyone else who would like to buy/sell a home. Start door-knocking in the neighborhoods where the homes sold. Hand out your card to other homeowners and ask them if they would like you to send them news. Build your email. That way you can contact them any time of the day or night.