What do you want your career to look like in five or 10 years time? As one of a growing number of new agents, you might not be focused on that. Instead, you might just be looking at the here and now. How much do you need to hustle? How much money can you make? How can you get your name out there? Those are all valid questions, but you need to start with the end in mind!
Why? Because if you don't, you'll end up working all the time. All that money you're making? You don't have time to spend it! You don't have time for friends, family, or hobbies, either. Is that the life you really want? Probably not, so don't stick yourself there right from the beginning, because you're not thinking far enough down the line.
You can make a name for yourself and have a great career in real estate, without falling into the trap that so many new agents experience, thinking they have to do it all, right from the start. Since you're just getting started, now is the perfect time to think carefully about what you want for the future. A five-year or even 10-year goal is a good place to begin. Here are a few of the most important things to think about, when you're trying to meet your goals and begin at the end.
Get More Leads Than You'll Ever Need
New agents are starting from scratch, but that's a good thing. When you're new, you haven't learned any wrong ways to do things. That means you can choose the right way from the beginning, and foster a career and a life you can feel good about. In real estate, the best way to get started building that life is to get all the leads you could ever want or need, and more. When you have more leads than you need, you can let some of them go to other agents. When you don't have enough, you can't pay your bills.
List and Sell in a Formulaic Way
Work on creating a way to list and sell properties that you can do the same way every time. Whether it's a vacant piece of land or a multi-million dollar mansion, you should have a formula for how you work through getting the listing, how you post it online, and the kinds of things you typically say about a particular type of property. You want to work your sales the same way, so you don't get sidetracked and miss something, or get bogged down in the details. Efficiency is a great way to get more done.
Practice What You Preach
You want to keep your word, always. New agents often want to promise a buyer or seller nearly anything to close the deal, but that's not realistic. Under promise, and over deliver. People will remember you for everything you did, and they'll remember that you went above and beyond what you told them was possible. That will help you get more leads because they'll recommend you to everyone they know. Make sure you know what you can do, so you don't tell people you'll take care of something you actually can't do.
Create a Streamlined Process
Just like you need a formulaic approach to listing and selling, you also need a streamlined process you can rely on. Develop one that anyone can learn and follow. You want to be able to outsource a lot of the little parts of your real estate career, because that maximizes your efficiency. It helps you get more done, without spending all your time working. But if you don't have a streamlined way of doing things, outsourcing becomes a lot more difficult and complicated. Make it as easy as possible, for more success.
Hire a Hybrid Team
As soon as you can afford to hire a team, do so and mix it up with local and offshore real estate virtual assistants! They'll be following your streamlined process and the formulaic way you list and sell properties. That's automation, and it's an excellent way to bring in more clients and customers without doing anything big or flashy. You're just quietly there, every day, outperforming other new agents because you've figured out the secret to being successful in your real estate career. There's nothing better than that feeling, and you won't be working all the time to get it.
Set Your Schedule From Day One
From the very first day of your real estate career, make sure you set a schedule you want and feel good about. Sure, working two hours a day three days a week might not be realistic. But if you don't want to work six days a week, or you aren't good at being in the office by 8 am, you don't have to do those things. Think about where you want to be. New agents aren't new for very long.
So, what do you want your "established agent" days and weeks to look like? Do that from the start, so you don't have to change later. That will help you envision and build a life and career that works for you.
Stephen Atcheler is an entrepreneur in the Real Estate space. He has grown multiple businesses including a Real Estate Agency, an online Real Estate Advertising business, and now, currently the founder and driver of the fastest growing Real Estate BPO in the Philippines. If you would like to connect or get in touch with Stephen, he is very active on LinkedIn and always happy for a new connection.