There’s no way around it, your first 100 days in real estate will be tough. It’s a critical time when you need to put in the hard yards to make contacts and get a few firm transactions under your belt to gain traction. You need a sense of urgency as the clock is ticking, this is not the time to sit back and wait for prospective vendors to fall into your lap.
Successful real estate agents work up to 12 hour days including the weekend (yes that can mean Sundays) so you’ll need to get used to making sacrifices with your personal time. The support of family and friends is important during the first 100 days, as social pressure can be a major hurdle to sticking at it.
You need to look the part because sellers will inevitably make judgements based on appearance. After all they’re trusting you with a valuable asset, and if you appear slovenly it could mean you don’t get their listing. This doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy a Ferrari on credit but a newer model car, a nice suit, good shoes will make a big difference. It’s not about looking rich, it’s about personal promotion, you’re your own PR firm from now on.
Broker Joanna Dermenjian sums this up pretty well in her article 10 things new real estate agents need to know, she says “Dress for the job. Arrive on time. Clean your car. Be organized. Be well groomed and presentable all the time, even in your leisure time. Behave.”
When you first start out you’ll need to have an inherent belief in your own abilities, and keep learning and honing your skills, especially with negotiation and pricing houses. As Internet Marketing Real Estate Agent Jhai Mitchell comments in his article Are All Real Estate Agents Rich and Overpaid? “Good agents spend a lot of time and money learning negotiation so, if an agent cannot negotiate his/her fee, what will they do with the price of your home?”
According to Realestate.com.au, 63% of consumers who are thinking of selling a property start online. If you’re a new agent then using technology, such as a lead generation app, is an ideal way to get your name out to potential vendors, and keep ahead of the pack.
According to Anton Kardash, Chief executive officer of The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ), “Real estate is built around networking and marketing perception, so it takes time for an individual to develop those. You’ve got to actually become known and have a client list. You have to show people you can actually deliver a service and you are a very good proposition.”
A lead generation app like Bricks + Agent can quickly give you access to your local market so you can start building that client list. The difference with Bricks + Agent is that you get to keep your commission (we charge a one off bid price per property).
Simply create your profile and bid for properties in your area using your desktop or mobile. It’s free to register and easy to use. Find out more
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