There’s a clear and concise roadmap for how to become a realtor. Learning how to be a good real estate agent is something completely different. While the knowledge you obtain from the course you take to get your license is a great starting point, it cannot compare to the insight from firsthand experience and adopting the best practices.
If you’re looking to achieve greater levels of success in the real estate industry, here’s what you need to know about improving your performance and accomplishing your goals.
1. Understand How To Manage Your Time
Real estate professionals are largely independent. You don’t have someone in your ear setting up your schedule and teaching you how to prioritize. That’s all on you; you’re your own boss. When you have a million hats to wear, it can be tricky to decide which hat to wear first. The key is to understand the time sensitivity of each of your priorities.
It’s in your best interest to deal with the tasks that require your immediate response and expertise first. Potential leads warrant a callback as soon as possible. Saving that task for later may leave you no task to come back to.
Chances are high that you aren’t the first or only real estate agent a potential client has contacted. The goal is to be the last agent that person contacts. Good communication is the priority of every successful real estate agent.
Marketing and advertising are incredibly important, but you don’t want to monopolize too much of the time you can spend showing or listing properties and communicating with leads or clients. You can automate your marketing, advertising, and social media posts outside of working hours.
Simply plan a weeks’ worth of posts or ads at a time and set them to post themselves on a schedule. All you’ll need to do is check for comments or responses periodically throughout the day to maintain your online presence and build relationships.
2. Think Several Moves Ahead
You’re about to sell a property that’s fine enough for a family to call home. It meets all the marks, it’s relatively affordable, and it’s located in a good school district and lovely neighborhood. There’s one problem: The home inspectors revealed the roof is old, and there are a few small leaks in the attic.
How do you handle the situation?
Honesty. Integrity. Passion.
The best solution is to encourage the homeowner to fix the problem before listing the property. If they’re unable to do so, get several estimates from local reputable companies or contractors who perform that kind of repair.
You can be honest with potential buyers about what the problem is and show them the quotes, fees, and evaluations you’ve received. Take a walk through the property with the seller, and look at everything with a critical eye.
You know that if a potential buyer or the buyer’s agent sees that all the faucets are rusty, they’re going to have questions about the plumbing. If the only issue is that the fixtures are older and weren’t maintained properly, replacing them before showing the property will prevent skepticism or concerns.
If all the major comments, questions, and concerns can be resolved before the property is shown, your showings will be more effective from the very beginning. This can save you weeks or even months of time and make every conversation you have about the property significantly smoother.
3. Value Your Relationships
Making the deal is how you earn your paycheck, but prioritizing the deal above all else is far from how to be a good real estate agent. Your reputation as a good agent and continued success rely on your track record of building and maintaining strong relationships with everyone who crosses your path.
You may have six clients at any given time, but each of those clients only has one real estate agent. They’re entrusting you with an enormous financial responsibility, and they need to know that you’re the right person for the job.
You need to be available at times that work for your clients. If they can only reliably catch you during their 1 PM lunch break, you need to make sure you’re by the phone. You should be making an effort to initiate communication as often as possible.
Your clients want progress reports and the honest bottom line in any real estate transaction. They want to know where they stand and how close they are to reaching the successful conclusion they’re hoping for.
You should be pouring just as much time, energy, and resources into communicating with your clients as you do into selling or helping them purchase a property. They should never question your motivation or code of ethics.
It’s this kind of service and commitment to relationships that separates great real estate agents from average real estate agents or brokers. Chances are slim that your client will need you again in the near future, but there’s always a chance they’ll know someone who will need a real estate agent.
If it comes up in conversation, they’ll happily refer you to their friends, family, or coworkers when they’re looking to move. Referrals are a sign of a job well done.
4. Be Confident in Your Communication
You’ll perform better and feel better when you’re confident that you know what you’re talking about. There may be times where clients or potential buyers have questions or concerns that are unwarranted.
It’s not enough to suggest that they’re wrong or to disagree with them. The right course of action is to explain to them the reality of a situation in as much detail as they desire.
It’s inevitable that some clients will be more difficult to work with than others. Your response will make or break those business relationships, and your cool confidence is the key to keeping things on track.
Sellers will insist that they can price their property unreasonably high because a neighbor listed their property at that number. They might not understand how their neighbors’ renovations, repairs, and modernizations significantly pushed up the value of their property.
You need to be able to explain why what they have in mind is unreasonable and present them with solutions. Maybe they’d be willing to put money into their property before they list it. If they won’t, explain to them why a proposed asking price is reasonable.
The more you know, the easier it will be to comfortably navigate any situation you’ll encounter as a real estate agent. If you feel comfortable in your knowledge, your clients or potential buyers will easily recognize you as an authority on the matter.
It’s important to note that there’s a huge difference between the traits of confidence and arrogance. Confident people communicate with a pleasant or neutral intonation without drawing attention to themselves.
On the other hand, arrogant people have a tendency to be loud, dismissive, and talk over people. Leave room for everyone else to talk and respond gently.
5. Listen as Much as You Talk
Sellers and potential buyers are going to have a lot of questions, but they aren’t the only ones who should be asking questions. Your ability to successfully serve your clients heavily hinges on your ability to understand their particular needs.
Ask them why they’re selling or buying. Ask them what they love about their property, what their neighbors are like, and how their commute usually goes. Understand their lifestyle and their needs.
This will give you a better understanding of the property you’re selling, and asking those questions of potential buyers will help you explain why the property they’re currently viewing would fit their needs. Great listeners are more inclined to meet their professional goals.
6. Train Your Brain Everyday
You will never be done learning. Real estate markets, laws, trends, preferences, property values, marketing, and lead generation strategies will change over time. Sometimes, they change in the blink of an eye. The only way to predict impending changes and begin to adapt your approach is to commit yourself to lifelong learning.
Harris Real Estate University is designed for real estate agents who want to achieve greater success in the industry. Our coaching programs are comprehensive and designed to help every agent reach their goals.
We pair real estate agents with Harris-certified coaches who can help agents create tailored paths to overcoming the challenges they face and achieving their goals.
Our massive learning library provides knowledge on demand. You’ll learn market-tested strategies and expert techniques for many aspects of real estate.
With our university, you gain access to:
- Daily coaching calls
- A lead generation system
- Handling objections
- How to call prospects
- How to pre-qualify buyers
- How to list and present properties
- Finding the right mindset
- Proprietary tools and strategies like the real estate treasure map and magic number system
If you’re ready to commit yourself to mastering the real estate industry, try a free coaching call with one of our Harris certified coaches. Unlock your full potential and thrive in your local market.
Sources:
How to Prioritize Your Company’s Projects | Harvard Business Review
Exploring proactive market strategies | Science Direct
9 Qualities of Remarkably Confident People | Inc.com
19: Seven Steps to be a Better Listener | University of Utah Health
