Author: Kelly Cruz, Customer Support Specialist – Realty Partners LLC

Sarasota, FL. November 12th, 2021 – Did you recently receive your real estate license? Have you joined a local REALTOR® association? Then congratulations; you are now officially a REALTOR®! What an exciting time for you as you start your new journey in real estate. There is a lot to be done to get moving along with your career and it can be an overwhelming time. We’ve composed a list of tips for you to prepare and give you an idea of what to expect.

Finances

First you will want to be sure that you have your finances in order and enough savings to support your business. As you know already Association and MLS fees can be costly and they need to be renewed annually. There will also be post licensing and continuing education costs that will come throughout your career. Consider any supplies you will need, such as nametag, business cards, signs and marketing materials. There is nothing worse than a listing with no For Sale sign on the lawn so make sure you can afford all of these things. 

Marketing

Marketing is very important in building your sphere of influence. Build your online presence on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter and so on. You can post your listing or other listings from your brokerage. However, don’t make the mistake many other REALTORS® make and share nothing but listings or open houses. Throw in some fun posts or question prompts to show your personality and engage your viewers. Sharing on these platforms regularly can be daunting so look into some automated programs that schedule and post for you such as COREListing Machine. This will save a lot of time that you can use to focus on other areas of your business.

Lead Generation

Consider farming a local neighborhood and try door knocking. Propose to do open houses for your REALTOR® colleagues in order to meet buyers and offer to assist them. You will want to invest in a quality CRM such as KvCORE and be sure to respond immediately to any lead you receive and update notes. Buyers move on quickly and if they wait too long for a response, they very well may move on to another REALTOR®. Remember to stay in contact with your sphere and always follow up. 

Handling Rejection

Rejection is inevitable in sales so don’t be disheartened by it. Yes I know, easier said than done and it is hard not to take it personally. The truth is that not every personality meshes well so maybe you are just not their cup of tea. Perhaps they have a friend or family member that is licensed and they don’t want to feel like they are being disloyal. Perhaps they already have a REALTOR® they have worked with in the past and would like to continue to work with them, or maybe they just aren’t ready at the moment. It happens to all agents so consider it a right of passage. 

We hope these tips are helpful to you and have given you some insight on what to expect. Remember, have your finances in order, build your sphere of influence, always respond to new leads immediately, and learn how to handle rejection. These tips will help to kick start your career and prevent you from being completely blindsided. Of course, there is much more to learn but go easy on yourself and go along with the ride. Celebrate this exciting time and be open to new experiences.