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Congrats! After all your hard work of studying and preparation, you’ve passed your exam! You're now on your way to becoming a successful real estate agent.
There are five steps you can take that will lead you to the sales you’re hoping for. Let’s discuss what you can do next to succeed in your newly acquired career.
Step 1: Choose the best brokerage
The first action you should take after earning your license is finding a brokerage that best fits you. In your search, consider any potential brokerage's reputation and education opportunities. Look for one with great employee reviews and growth opportunities.
It’s also important to join a brokerage that aligns with your specialty and is the best match for your career goals.
Step 2: Develop your marketing plan and budget
Once you’ve joined a brokerage, develop your marketing plan and budget. When you're starting out, your resources are usually limited, so it's important to be creative. Consider tactics that don't require you to have listings.
How about deploying a farming campaign that offers local real estate insight to prospects in your targeted area? Or try sending out promotional postcards.
Another great place to start with a marketing plan is creating social media channels. Facebook and Instagram are good for business-to-consumer (B2C) interaction. LinkedIn works better for business-to-business (B2B). These platforms all give you the opportunity to utilize a budget to further promote your content to specific audiences.
Related Post: Your Secret Weapon for Unlocking Real Estate Success
Step 3: Invest in print marketing
As you probably know, professional business cards are a necessity for a real estate agent. Information, like your name, phone number, email, brokerage and your social media accounts and website, is useful to have in one spot.
But don't just stop there! Level up with direct mail marketing.
You can send out Just Listed or Just Sold Postcards or deploy a campaign that sends regular mailings to targeted prospects. This is an effective, data-driven way to get your name and face in front of the right people in your community.
Step 4: Join professional associations
There are real advantages to be gained from joining professional associations. As a member of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), for example, you'll be a Realtor held to a higher code of conduct and viewed as a sophisticated and ethical real estate agent.
You'll also have access to broad geographic areas and e-lock boxes. And you'll get special savings on things like insurance, technology, and education.
Now, just in case you might be wondering, this blog is not sponsored by NAR. Promise! It's certainly not the only association you can or should join. There are plenty of other associations and boards – national and local – that will be a positive influence on your personal brand.
Start by looking into the one your broker is a member of, and expand your search to other local boards that will provide the benefits you need to succeed.
They'll also help you with this last step...
Step 5: Make sure you're networking
It's not an overstatement to say that networking is crucial to your success as a real estate agent. A reliable network offers so many benefits. Many successful deals, for example, often come from referrals and word-of-mouth.
A network also allows you to offer homeowners reliable recommendations. This, in turn, strengthens your reputation.
Reach out to fellow agents and brokers, photographers, property stagers, general contractors, attorneys, movers, and builders. This will show homeowners that you're an agent who can truly be a resource for them through every aspect of the home sale process.
Being well-connected in all areas of the industry will be an effective way to gain referrals, and ultimately, sales.
Onward & upward! 🚀
Being an agent is a rewarding position, and there are certainly several ways to build and maintain your brand. Take these first steps, and you'll be in a great position to find long-lasting success in the real estate industry!