6 Tips to help you become a successful real estate agent

You may be starting out your real estate career as a Rookie Realtor or you may have been a real estate agent for a few years, but have yet to figure out what it takes to succeed in the competitive real estate industry.

For that reason, we have compiled 6 tips to help you become a successful real estate agent:

 

1. Write down your goals.

Creating goals and writing them down is essential to your success, not just in real estate, but also in everything you do in life.

In fact, it has been statistically proven in over 100 studies that: “people who explicitly state when and where their new behaviors are going to happen are much more likely to stick to their goals.”

You want to succeed?

Pick-up your smartphone, create a new Note, name it Goals, and type what you want to achieve. Alternatively, you can also write down your goals on a piece of paper and place it next to your computer or workspace.

Don’t hesitate.

This is a great way for you to look at your goals, be more accountable, and strive towards achieving them every single day.

2. Maximize your productivity by using a system.

If you look at what successful real estate agents have in common you will notice it all comes down to one thing: they have a systems based approach. By utilizing a system, you will be able to reduce the time you need to spend on any given task and free up your time to work on important tasks that will bring you success.

For instance, by employing a real estate specific CRM, such as IXACT Contact offered by The Referral Marketing System, every time you have a new prospect you can easily, in one step, upload their contact information and automatically set-up  a direct mail communication, or an e-newsletter communication.  This will assure that you are kept “top of mind” with each new prospect that comes your way.  In addition, you can set up reminders for yourself to call them every 6 months, send them a happy birthday or anniversary message, and any other messages you deem important.

This entire process is easy, quick, and will be done automatically, without you having to think about it ever again.

This is how easy it is to automate your real estate business maximizing your productivity and success in the process.

3. Invest in marketing.

The minute you decided you wanted to become a real estate agent, you essentially decided to go into business for yourself.

And guess what? Every successful business needs to have a marketing plan along with a marketing budget.

You may say to yourself ‘but I can’t afford to spend money right now, I am not making enough, so I will invest in marketing when I make a bit more.

One of the biggest mistakes any entrepreneur can make is to think that they can’t afford to invest in their own business and market themselves. In fact, it’s a catch 22; don’t market yourself and you will never make enough to spend on marketing.

Start small.  With The Referral Marketing System you can invest in your business, and it will cost you less than a monthly coffee habit.  So, start today and watch how successful your business will become. You’ll gain many more rewards than a cup of coffee.

4. Use available free resources.

Many real estate agents don’t realize that they have access to free resources available at their fingertips.

Here are some great examples of free resources you already have but may have overlooked:

• Successful colleagues: Look at what they do, how they do it. Learn from them; ask them for advice.
• Brokerage: Chances are your brokerage has many resources you can access and use, all you have to do is ask.
• Professional Organizations: You probably belong to a number of professional organizations, from your real estate board to other organizations.  Simply go to their websites and see what they have to offer. It will be a lot more than you might realize.

5. Read.

You studied hard through your real estate course, and any other schooling you have done prior to that.  You may feel that the last thing you want to do is pick up a book and read.  Yet this is one of the best things you can do to further your real estate career.

Still not convinced? Here are some reasons to convince you to start reading today:

1. It’s an Idea Generator. Reading will help you generate new ideas for your real estate business.
2. Helps you De-stress.  Reading has been proven to help people relax and reduce stress.
3. Motivation. Reading will motivate you to reach new levels of success.

In fact, by reading online, on a tablet, or an e-reader you can often read for free.  Here is a link to the top 10 business books you can read for free today: http://www.forbes.com/sites/brettarends/2014/06/18/ten-free-books-every-mba-should-have-on-their-kindle/2/

6. Network.

As a real estate agent you should always be looking for ways to expand your professional network. Do not just keep a list of the typical service suppliers – such as lawyers, lenders, home inspectors, contractors, and movers.

Think outside the box. Make your list comprehensive. In other words, make it a real resource for your clients.

Beyond the obvious, here are some potential service providers you should consider for your professional network:

• Home theater installers.
• Restaurant owners.
• Banquet halls.
• Caterers.
• Florists.
• Wedding planners.
• Health clubs.
• Computer technicians.
• Insurance agents.
• Spas.
• Medical walk-in clinics.
• Dentists.
• Orthodontists.
• Decorative design painters.
• Golf shops.

Takeaway Point: Real Estate agents, if you want to succeed you need to write down your goals, employ systems, invest in marketing, read, and network. Start today with The Referral Marketing System and you will be closer to success than you realize!