Before you go crazy…
So you have a shiny new real estate license. Now what? Even though you may not have been forewarned in 
real estate school, now you have to get busy doing two things:
- Learning more about actually selling real estate.
- Marketing your services to gain clients.
For top agents, learning more is an ongoing activity.
Just about the time you think you know all about your market, something will happen to change the dynamic. And just about the time you think you really understand the loan programs available to your buyers, those programs will change. Once you have the forms down pat, they’ll be changed. And of course, when you’re dealing with human beings, just when you think you’ve seen it all, a new twist will come along.
The knowledge will come, one piece at a time, as long as you remain open to learning. So keep reading, keep asking questions, and keep trying to understand human nature.
Know that honesty is always the best policy and it is better to say “I don’t know but I’ll find out for you” than to try to bluff.
Marketing your services is the part that can make you crazy.
Why? Because so many people will tell you so many things you “must” do. You can’t possibly do them all, but you might feel like you’re “supposed to” try.
So think about what people tell you. If something sounds interesting, learn more. Find out how well it really works for other agents. Consider whether it is something you would enjoy doing.
Just remember, everyone wants to give new agents advice, even if they don’t know what they’re talking about.
There are a few basics:
- Notify your sphere. Let everyone know that you have an exciting new career and you’ll be happy to be their real estate resource. If you don’t know what to say, come to Promote My Real Estate Career and scroll down to get your free copy of a letter I wrote for this purpose.
That site, by the way, offers many other resources and advice for new agents – so take your time, look around, and take advantage of all the free stuff. - Get your bio written and up on your company site and any social media networks you plan to use.
- As soon as you can, create your own website with your own domain, and begin adding quality content. Use it as the cornerstone of your marketing.
Include your URL in your email signature and add it to every social media post, letter, brochure, and property flyer you produce. All of them should invite people to your site.
Remember that you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to create a client-attracting site. - Begin marketing your services to strangers. You can use direct mail, door knocking, networking, and/or social media, and you do need to choose more than one activity.Just don’t try to choose them all!
- Do something every day to begin gathering clients.
Focus your efforts. 
Remember that you can’t do it all, and if you try, you’ll drive yourself crazy. So choose what you enjoy doing, and learn to do it well. Do NOT choose an activity you dislike just because it works for someone else. If you dislike it, it will NOT work for you.
Direct mail is easiest.
You can either write good letters yourself or use some of the prospecting letter sets you’ll find on my site. If money is tight, choose a small area, then expand as you gain listings and close sales.
I recommend starting with a geographic area you like, because you won’t know yet what niche will suit you best. Do your research first – choose a price point that is close to your own financial situation, then check to see what kind of turnover that area has. If only a small percentage of homes are sold each year, choose a different territory.
Some people love door knocking and attending events to network.
If you love it, then you should do it.
And then there’s social media.
Choose one or two sites that you like, and work them diligently.
Post about real estate, and remember to let your personality shine through. You can also post about things in the community that interest you, volunteer work you do, and how much your dog loves to ride along in the car when you go to a listing appointment.
Do not try to use every platform you can find. It will make you crazy, and when you have clients to serve, you won’t have time to keep up with all of them.
And if you really don’t like social media, don’t use it. Just because “everybody” says you must doesn’t make it true. Instead, work more diligently on other marketing avenues.
Choose the path that suits your personality…
When you do that, you’ll enjoy it and you’ll be consistent – and consistency in marketing is one of the keys to success.
Stressed lady Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
