CONGRATULATIONS – you have yourself a real estate license! It’s official: you are now a real estate agent.
So, what’s next? Garrett Lenderman, lead writer and researcher for Keller Williams’ publishing division, offers valuable insight.
“Your database is your business.”
Oftentimes, the difference between an average business and a mega business can be pinpointed to the number of times an agent communicates with members of their database.
“Each time you touch people in your database, you gain a piece of mindshare, which will help position you as someone they need to talk to when they think about buying or selling real estate. The more frequently you communicate with your database, the more mindshare you gain, and the more you’re able to profit from the relationships you build within it,” Lenderman explains.
He also emphasizes that how you talk to your database matters. While the world continues to invent new, easier ways for us to communicate with one another, for real estate agents, the number one weapon of choice is still the phone. This isn’t because real estate agents are old-fashioned; it’s because voice-to-voice communication is extremely efficient and effective. When engaging with someone else, what we say is only one half of the equation – there’s also how we say it. When speaking with someone else, we constantly send and receive millions of signals that all add up to our interpretation and understanding of what’s being said. When using simple forms of communication like text messaging, we restrict our ability to use our full arsenal of communication tools.
So go out and talk to people, and make sure what you say counts. Lenderman suggests, at the very least, you should pick up the phone and call everyone in your database at least once a quarter. When designing touch plans to add to that, remember that the more personal you make it, the more effective it will be.
“No is a spectrum.”
The importance of learning that “no” and “yes” fall on a spectrum is key to becoming a successful agent. When someone tells us “no,” there’s usually a condition associated with it. When talking with people who are interested in real estate, it’s important to gauge how strongly someone is committed to their current decisions and what needs to happen for them to change their minds. Sometimes you’ll find that you have the ability to help people turn their no into a yes.
Learning to interpret people’s needs is part of being a good communicator, which is why it’s important to focus on building your skills through scripts and dialogues, as well as experience, on a daily basis.
“You have to invest in your business and you have to invest in yourself.”
Starting out viewing your job as just that – a job – is a mistake. Agents should view and handle themselves as business owners. By treating real estate as an enterprise from day one, you set yourself up for future growth and success. This means operating off of a schedule that allows you to take control of your time, investing in a database that provides you and those you’re looking to serve with continuing value, continually educating yourself so that you can educate your customers, and pairing big goals with big actions and big accountability that will guide you to the future you desire.
“It’s never that hard again.”
Starting something from scratch is always going to be hard. Your first cold call is hard. Selling your first home is hard. The good news is that it is only going to get easier from here. Repetition, making mistakes, and learning as you go will help make things exponentially easier. Experience is a great teacher, and relying on your own and asking others to share theirs will help you on your own personal and professional growth journey.
“Take a leap.”
Jumping into a new career in real estate can be challenging. Working on outreach, making real connections with customers, creating a strong database, and treating real estate like a business are all key ingredients for success.
Assuming you’ve chosen to hang your license with Keller Williams, you’ve already started your career off on the right foot. Plug in to your market center by taking advantage of the training and expertise all around you. And, if you haven’t already, start memorizing the proven models and systems of The Millionaire Real Estate Agent – a book that has sold more than 1,000,000 copies and helped agents just like you create a business worth owning.
This post first appeared on KW.com. To see the original, click here.