RandyO's Warm Hearted Advice to New Agents

Let me start by saying there is no one way to sell real estate. There are no guarantees of success or failure no matter how you go about it. I have seen agents who never should have been agents flourish in a troubled market and at the same time seen agents that had all the promise of being top notch quit before their business cards came in. Some believe helping others is not a personality trait they want in their companies, and it is their company so they can decide who hangs a license on their wall.

Agents can be taught to handle financial decisions, real estate law and how to make money doing it but it is hard to teach compassion and empathy for your fellow man. I respect the right for others to choose who they hang on their wall but if I am in an office full of agents I like the atmosphere of everyone helping each other vs. an office full of compassionless agents who could care less about anything as long as they make their dollar and represent their client. You CAN do both. Some of my best clients were referrals from people I just helped out. People I didn't charge or make them sign contracts, I just shared my knowledge of a career I love and it helped them. They in turn told their friends who could afford my services and I have sold several homes this way.

Bottom line is when becoming an agent their are many, many things to consider. Financial issues are the number one reason most don't make it. Plan ahead on how much it will REALISTICALLY cost you to do business and plan ahead for months when you won't make anything. When choosing a company to license with, make sure training is available and accessible for all agents. Take some time and talk to existing agents on how they like their company. Spend your money on developing and maintaining a web presence. A website can make or break a new agent so spend extra time looking at your competitions websites and see what you like and dislike about theirs. If you need help find an agent who DOES want to help others and ask. We are out there, just not in the numbers we used to be. I will always do my best to help anyone looking to start out. Best of luck in all you do.