March 12, 2013 by 29doors

When it comes to tips for new real estate agents, we could easily sit down and write an entire book on the subject.  There are many best practices, sales tips, marketing tidbits and real estate technology tools we could compile and share as important, must-have advice for new real estate agents .  But instead of writing an entire book, we thought we would provide you a quick-start guide to help you navigate this new career path.  So if you are ready, let’s take a look at eight essential tips for new real estate agents looking to ignite their career and succeed at real estate.

Tip #1 Prepare with a Plan

Freedom is one of the reasons many of you started a career in real estate.  Freedom can also be the biggest contributor to the end of your career.  Don’t go where the wind blows you each day.  Instead, begin your day with a plan a set of goals along with action steps for achieving those goals.  This can include everything from obtaining two new listings to developing an online lead-generating strategy.  The purpose of your daily plan is to provide a roadmap that leads to success while helping you avoid costly detours along the way.

Tip #2 Build Your Brand

Most of you will get your start with a well-known brokerage and this does come with many benefits.  However, in the grand scheme of things, you are still on your own when it comes to your success or your failure.  Make it a point to build your brand a brand of one with your marketing materials, your advertising, your niche market and the way you go about your business on a daily basis.  Be a part of a team, but position yourself as the star of your team.

Tip #3 Grab the Online Bull by the Horns

According to a report compiled by Google and NAR. “90 percent of home buyers searched online during their home buying process.”  Unless you want to compete for the 10 percent who are searching for a home somewhere outside of cyberspace, you need to embrace the Internet and all it offers.  Start by establishing your home on the Web with a branded, professional website.  As a new agent, your real estate website will give you instant credibility while also delivering valuable information and collecting leads twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week.

Tip #4 Socialize and Network

Sticking with the theme from the previous tip, our advice for new real estate agents would not be complete if we failed to mention social media marketing.  Relationships are key to your success.  And while it is still absolutely necessary to network with prospects, customers and clients in a face-to-face environment, social networks are now a must-have tool for every agent.  Social media can help you grow your buyer and seller networks quickly and inexpensively when you are just starting your career.  Spend some time each day connecting with your social community, providing them with valuable content, and utilizing strategies to convert these individuals to viable leads.

Tip #5 Cater to Your Clients

With the whirlwind of activity and chaos that comes with the newness of your career, it is often easy to forget that it is not all about you  Instead, it should be all about your clients.  Focus your energy on learning about each and every one of your clients.  Do they prefer to meet face-to-face on a regular basis instead of swapping emails?  Do you have clients who want to be involved in every step of the buying and selling process?  Are there clients that have an exact set of criteria for the properties they wish to add to their real estate investing portfolio?  Cater to your clients, show you care, and you will be rewarded greatly for the effort.

Tip #6 Narrow Your Niche

Like any new career, you can easily get overwhelmed with all of the possibilities and options that career offers.  Real estate is no different.  Some excellent new real estate agent advice we heard previously was to seek out that one segment that one niche that interests you.  Then, focus your energy and efforts into being the best you can possibly be at servicing the target market that is in that niche.  For example, you may find that you love short sales and helping homeowners avoid foreclosure.  You might decide to get extra training in green building and environmentally friendly housing.  By focusing on a niche, you can brand yourself as an expert (remember tip #2) and grow your business quickly.

Tip # 7 Embrace Education

As your real estate career moves forward, you will have to complete continuing education courses to keep your real estate license current.  However, don’t think of these courses as boring requirements.  Every opportunity you have to learn opens the door to a new group of potential clients.  This real estate training can also be an essential part of branding yourself as a expert in a niche area of the business.  Every day you practice real estate will bring a new learning experience.  Always be open to these learning experiences and always embrace education opportunities whether they are required or not.

Tip #8 Practice Professionalism

This is one of those tips for new real estate agents which encompasses everything you do each and every day of your real estate career.  Always do what you say you are going to do.  Always call people back and reply to emails in a timely manner.  Always address problems head-on, accept responsibility for mistakes and correct those issues immediately.  Always treat people fairly and honestly.  Always go into every real estate transaction prepared.  Practicing professionalism even when things don’t go your way can be the difference between losing a client or gaining a handful of referrals.

If you found this post helpful, you might also like our free real estate marketing ebooks . We at 29doors help new real estate agents launch their career by giving them hassle-free WordPress websites. For more information about our websites, check out some of our live demos .