The playbook for how to get started before you get started
I have a strategy specifically for those NOT YET LICENSED so that you get way ahead really fast when you first get your real estate license activated & officially in place. It's almost cheating, like starting a race before the go command, but it's not cheating & is so simple! You do this AND do a little work with me, and I would place a solid bet on your first year real estate career success.
Look at this race photo & imagine a runner to the left, out of the frame10 or 15 yards back that you cannot even see yet & he's already starting to run, timing so that he hits the start line at the same time as the go gun. We all did that as kids now & then, right? & it's cheating!! But in this real estate playbook, it is definitely not cheating and, in fact, it's simply super smart to get a running start.
There is a bunch of stuff you can do NOW to build momentum, shorten the learning curve, build confidence, gain opportunity, know what to say, & line up pre-client opportunities. I know an agent who had 6 clients ready to do that day she activated her license; she sold $10M in real estate her first year. I know another agent who was already gaining traction on YouTube before he got his license; he gained ALL of his business online & did 24 transactions his first year & 3 times that his 2nd year. These are award-winning agents but because of them & others like them, I present this playbook for how to get started before you get started.
But there are a few house rules:
First & most important ... you cannot say that you are a REALTOR nor imply that you are one until you actually have an active license.
Not for the under-motivated.
Not for the quick-fix.
Not for one & done.
It requires time, work, & focus.
And, requires a little sales swagger (yes, you have this).
And the good news is that the more FUN you have with all this, the better!
So here's the playbook ...
ONE - 2 books
Get my book now & immerse yourself in it! Highlight it, dog-ear it, sticky note it, listen to the Audible (especially the final what to say chapter), & start applying the concepts & exercises & tasks now. Success Faster On Fire Hot!
TWO - Study
Oh, this whole playbook just lost a little of it's shine, didn't it? I start here because this is what the best of the best do. The top athletes get to the gym earlier than everyone else & they train off-season. The best musicians put in more time with practice than everyone else. Remember the house rules outlined above. If you cannot push through & commit to this step, then you may as well stop reading now & then start your real estate swagger after you have your license. I am trying to help you have MASSIVE success in real estate in your first year and this step is the foundation and here's what you want to commit to ...
>>>>>> block 2-6 hours per week for YouTube & Google search time. Add on to that time listen time for you walks, runs, & drive time. This is your study time. IMO, 2 hours is low, 6 is strong. & you have to build consistency ... those who do this consistently week after week after week until it simply becomes habit & part of your lifestyle, you will succeed in this business. Block it into your schedule, commit to it, and all you are going to do is search for these terms & then read & watch, read & watch, read & watch ...
Realtor best practices
Realtor buyer scripts
Realtor seller scripts
Realtor what to say
Realtor best listing presentation
Realtor buyer consultation
Realtor condo advice
Realtor social media strategy
Realtor market analysis
Realtor lead generation
etc
THREE - YouTube / Insta Content Strategy
There are many online & social media strategies for your real estate business, but the reason we focus on YouTube & Instagram has everything to do with SEO. Apart from Google, YouTube is the largest search engine on the planet. Just test it >>> on the STUDY step #2 above, what results hit the top of your google search screen most often? YouTube! So your content about real estate in your city, we're going to start building that now. Create & post these videos now:
Top 3 reasons to move to [your city]
Top 3 reasons NOT to move to [your city]
A few things to know if you are considering moving to [your city]
Understanding [your city] north suburbs
Nearby small town 1 vs Nearby small town 2 vs Nearby small town 3
Moving to [your city]: Understanding Schools
Moving to [your city]: Understanding Traffic
Prices of homes in [your city]
Why I moved to [your city]
Are Californians still moving to [your city]?
What are the [your city] major employers?
Major employers in north [your city]
How is the [your city] economy?
[your city] commutes
Best parks
Best dog parks
Where to play tennis
Best bike routes
Best weekend motorcycle routes
etc
A little guidance on doing these videos ... it's quantity vs quality. And these are short videos ... 3 minutes, 5 minutes, short & sweet but full of content. Here's a quick best practice: do not introduce yourself ("hi this is debbie & I have lived in my city all my life & I love music & tacos & home design. I'm so glad you found my video & would love to work with you for any of your real estate needs ... blah blah blah." NOPE! The YouTube viewer clicked on another video 3 seconds into your hello. Jump directly into your content with "here are the top 3 reasons people are moving to Austin ... ". Does not have to be fancy or professionally produced ... this should be free. Authentic, relatable, valuable information ... your production quality will improve over time. Be yourself ... people are getting to know you through your videos. By the time they click through to inquire about real estate, they already like you & want to work with you. If you have 10-20 content videos up before your license is active, you will be WAY ahead of the game. You can come back around once you have your license & change up the video descriptions to then identify as a licensed Realtor & here is my website & the best way to reach me.
FOUR - Open house Strategy
Become obsessed with stopping in to open houses. All the time, any time you see one, every weekend, get your friends & family used to it. Just be that person who is ALWAYS popping in to open houses. Wait until the agent is not busy (more often than not, they are not busy with guests). & the conversation can go something like this ...
Hello. Nice listing. I’m brand new to real estate, actually not even licensed yet but working on it & obsessed with open houses. I love seeing how people live & love seeing entrepreneurs out there hustling. May I ask you a few questions? First, about the house ...what’s the best feature? What schools? How do you think it’s priced? How's the market for this house?
How long have you been in the business? Where does most of your business come from? If you were to start all over again, what would you do differently? What advice would you have for someone just getting started?
So what does this do for you? Many things ...
gets you comfortable talking to other Realtors about real estate,
helps you learn the market,
helps you learn the vocabulary & talking points,
exposes you to good agents & not so good agents, nice agents & not so nice agents, beautiful houses & the ugly ones, staged & not staged,
And you may meet an agent or two who wants to recruit you to their team or brokerage. Seriously, if I was doing an open house & someone sharp & engaging & smiley came in & had this conversation with me (& was respectful of my time), it would catch my attention. If his happens to you (& it will), talk to many people before you decide the right brokerage & business partners ... but that's another article.
FIVE - New Construction Strategy
This is similar to the open house strategy. You can be an new construction expert in your area by studying, visiting, having conversations with sales reps (if they are not busy). Similar conversation to the open houses & one of those builders may try to hire you if you're that much of a go-getter.
Every one of these tactics works. I would say ONE & TWO are musts then pick the right combo of THREE, FOUR & FIVE to fit your interests. The key here is twofold:
You get a running start to your career & fast-track the learning curve,
the more time & consistency you build in to this, the greater & FASTER your success will be.
You do this AND do a little work with me, and I would place a solid bet on your first year real estate career success.
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