Building your career in real estate is not complicated, but it is not easy and it DOES take time.  Being methodical in your approach will reduce the time it takes to build your business.  Below are some basic steps you will learn in our classes. These steps are followed by every successful agent who was once a rookie.

Figure out everybody you know — your family, friends, friends of friends, people you write checks to, your barber, your dry cleaner — and then send them a letter telling them you’re in the business.

Follow up on the letters a few days later with phone calls. Reiterate that you’ve started this new career. Tell people about your commitment to helping people achieve their real estate goals. Ask if they know anyone who may be looking to sell or buy a house. This is the way to build your database, the most important prospecting tool you’ll ever develop.

Everyone comes from somewhere. Maybe you went to school or worked at a local company; maybe you were a student or a small business owner. Whatever you did, you have contacts in those fields. Start with those and see where they take you, this will jump start your career.

As for the rest of the day, new agents should make contact with all their colleagues, the broker and other salespeople. They’re going to be your support system for the first few months.

Careers in real estate are notoriously unstructured. Many people choose it for exactly that reason. But appearances can be deceiving. Top salespeople understand that success requires discipline, and that discipline has to come from within. You’re not punching a clock, but you still need to follow some basic rules.

People think they’re here to sell houses. Actually, they are running a business. It’s all about mind–set.

Many salespeople use the mornings to prospect for new business and the afternoons for everything else — showings, paperwork, staying abreast of developments in the market.

It’s still all about getting in front of people. Call, knock on doors, send out newsletters to every house in a neighborhood. If you’re not top of mind the instant people decide to sell, you’re not going to get the listing.

Know your product. Drive around your market.  Find out where the schools and parks are; look at what’s being built in the neighborhood. Talk to builders; accompany a home inspector for a day. However you do it, you need to know what you’re selling.