Congratulations! You have decided to become a real estate agent. After successfully passing your exam, your grandparents think that you are a genius about to bring in loads of cash for their retirement fund. You have plans to pay off debt and buy a new car, or maybe you want to give your family the life they deserve! Whatever your reasons, it’s easy to get lost in that lucrative dream of glory and forget about the sacrifices you need to make to get there. WELL, fear not -- McCann Properties is here to yank you back to reality!
Expect to make nothing for a while.
Yup! Hours of work for zero income can be discouraging at first. Even in the best case scenario, (You get a house into contract on your first day and close a month later), you are not getting paid until….. the house closes a month later. To save yourself some stress, it may be wise to save up money to cover bills, emergencies, groceries and LIFE for at least 6 months. That cushion will help you focus on starting your business, which brings us to --
LEAD GEN·ER·A·TION
noun
The action or process of finding and nurturing potential customers for your business.
AKA: call, text, mail, communicate with people!
It is a magical activity that is the key to your success. It is your friend. If you embrace this when you start, you will be ahead of most of the competition. Lead generation is simple to do, but requires discipline. If every agent did their lead gen on a regular basis, we wouldn’t need a survival guide because survival would be the norm!
Mindset
I have found that lead generation is much easier when I come from a place of giving. What can I do to add value to my clients today? Instead of focusing on if they are going to buy or sell or rent or refinance, focus on how you can help -- regardless of their goals. This helps change the tone of your call/email/text from “sales” to something more genuine. It will feel much better. Trust your gut! And don’t forget to listen to what your clients are saying. Honestly, people just want to be heard.
Goodbye, Weekends
Evenings and weekends are prime money time for the savvy agent. Your clients want to see properties when it is convenient for them, not for you. This means going on showings when they are off work, often after hours and on the weekends. Don’t despair, the money is there! You may need to re-work your schedule to set yourself up for success.
Define Your Why
When you’re tired of making calls and going to the 20th showing with the same couple, what will keep you going? The possibility of money, sure, but your reason needs to be a little more defined. Are you going to make sure your grandparents have a comfortable retirement? Do you want to send your child to a college of their choice? Is there a charity that you feel passionate about donating to? Dig deep. Your why should be that tiny voice in your head urging you to push through obstacles. It’s okay for your why to change. It just HAS to be strong enough to propel you through the less glamorous moments of your career. Oh, there will be moments.
Build a Bullet-Proof Support System
When those moments happen, do you have a support system to help you grow? This could be a significant other, family, or a team. Make sure that your family is on board with your goals and what those goals mean. It is so important to have someone support you in your endeavors. Sometimes a good team is just the key! They can give you insight on what they have learned in the past and offer suggestions to help you overcome whatever you are facing. Keller Williams happens to have the highest agent count, offering the biggest team to support you. But there are other phenomenal teams out there too!
This is all the time we have today folks! We hope that this helps you on your journey to that shiny new car and successful career. Need more tips? Feel free to stop by, our office is open!
Until next time,
McCann Properties