Real Estate Business Cornerstones: More Steps to Set Yourself Up for Success

It’s daunting to start a new career, but it’s filled with opportunity, too.

As a new real estate agent, you have the chance to define your brand, build the foundation of your sales and marketing plans, and set the groundwork for how you’ll communicate with clients and contacts.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Build your social media presence
As a new agent, develop your social media strategy. Which social media platforms will you use to focus on real estate? Should you use business accounts, personal accounts or both? What kind of things will you post and how often?

Build a plan to answer these questions and remember, if it doesn’t feel authentic, don’t post it. Be open to trial and error. Test your messages to see what resonates. Don’t forget to add your business and contact information to all your social media profiles.

Set up your Zillow profile and get reviews
Every real estate agent should build their Zillow profile. Log into your agent dashboard and fill out all the information. Include a good photo, your bio, service areas and specialties.

Most importantly, it’s important to get some initial reviews. You may not have sold your first home yet, but you’ve shown houses. These potential clients can post a review of their experience with you. We read reviews of restaurants and hotels before we book. People do the same with real estate agents.

Make your announcement
Once you've set up your online profile and social media accounts, it’s time to announce your new career and brokerage affiliation. This formal announcement should be delivered through all your channels: social media, email and snail mail. Start with one channel one week, adding the others over a couple weeks’ time. That way your message stays in front of your contacts longer.

These announcements will be your first impression as a real estate agent, so consider the timing and the message carefully. Everyone you know should be notified. You’ll be surprised by the number of encouraging messages you’ll get from supportive friends, family and colleagues. I’d recommend sending a few personal notes to people that you think will be the most encouraging and good potential sources of referral business.

Get to know local homes
The most important thing to a real estate agent, second to a good customer list, is their knowledge of the market. Knowing home the types of homes that sell in your market – their history, floor plans, fixtures and finishes – will become invaluable as you grow your business.

This knowledge takes work, so plan to visit at least 20 for-sale homes every week. You’ll learn the inventory and the streets, intersections and nuances of the area. A local agent’s knowledge of the market is second to none.

Real estate is a long game. Have faith that things will come in time, the business will grow, and you will learn. In the meantime, have fun and dream big.

And for more ideas on how to get started, take a look

What advice would you give to a new agent?