NEW AGENT: "My friends just bought a house using another agent then texted me the good news. I showed them about a dozen houses! I've been in real estate for nearly two years, and I still haven't sold a house. I'm about to quit..."
It's time for the truth, New Agent. I am pretty sure that your friends texted you the good news because they did not know how the system actually works, and THAT is YOUR fault. Two things are at work here: You did not have a buyers' agency agreement with them (BIG mistake), and they did not really understand how you are compensated (if they truly understood that they were giving you the royal shaft, they would be hiding from you 
instead of joyfully sharing the "good" news with you).
Real estate is tough, and you have to learn to be proactive. If you've been at it for two years and have not made your first sale, it's time to change your method.
NEVER assume that any customer knows about commission only sales. Tell them, "Thank you for remembering me. I work on commission only. If you don't buy or sell through me, I make nothing--so I am very motivated to make you happy. I can represent you in the purchase of any listed property, so please call me first." Also, be sure to explain buyers' agency.
Of course I'm guessing here, but the sequence of events probably went something like this: They went to an open house (or saw an ad or drove by a sign in the yard), talked to the ever-so-helpful listing agent, viewed the house with the ever-so-helpful listing agent (maybe even went with the listing agent to view similar houses), and before you know it, they were under contract WITHOUT having a CLUE that they were hurting you.
You have to TRAIN the customer (I'm assuming here that they were customers instead of clients and that you did not have a buyers' agency with them) to call YOU and not any other agent, and then you have to keep reminding them. When they fall in love with a house, reason flies out of the window--just like in puppy love. If you didn't "raise them up right," they are going to make a mistake and burn you in the process.
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