Tales of Melynda Capps, a new agent: 5 things I have learned so far...
I received my Real Estate License in October 2013. I am a full time agent in Stockton/Lodi, CA, and have learned many lessons in the short amount of time I have been an agent. Here are the top 5 lessons I have learned so far.
1. Learn the sales contract! In California we have 8 pages of the sales contract (plus numeruos disclosures) and there are so many things that can and do go wrong. I have taken classes to learn each aspect of the sales contract so I can better educate my clients and make sure I don't look like an idiot when submitting my offers. While I am not an expert (yet) I understand and can explain the contract to my clients.
2. When in doubt, ASK! As a new agent, sometimes I get a little cocky thinking I know it all. BUT I DON'T! I had to learn to stop and ask questions to my mentor and yes even CAR Legal. But if I didn't ask these questions, where would I be? I would be misinformed and not giving my clients the best representation they deserve.
3. Not all agents are the same! What I mean here is that some agents are part time, some only work weekends, ect. We cannot expect all agents to act and respond just like you would. This was the biggest adjustment for me. I assumed since I call people back within an hour, that's how everyone was. But I have learned to set expectations with my clients so they understand we will not receive an answer in an hour.
4. I will not have someone in contract every month! Starting a Real Estate career is HARD WORK! While I have goals and have done really well so far, I still get hard on myself when I don't have someone in contract. I have come to the realization that I can't control when my clients like a house and decide to make an offer. I can control showing them homes and holding open houses to get more clients. So even if I go a month without an active contract, I am always working for more business.
5. Communication goes a long way! One of the biggest complaints from people who are looking to buy or sell a home is the lack of communication they receive from their agent. I was shocked at how many people had this complaint. As a new agent, I am a lean mean communicating machine! I will call, text, email, or even send a honing pigeon to communicate with my clients. Even if I do not have an update or anything new, I let my clients know that! The worse feeling is not know what is going on!
I have learned so many valuable lessons in my first 10 months of Real Estate. These lessons have helped me close 15 transactions so far and get 2 referral clients wanting to sell their home. While Real Estate is a very difficult business to start, if you go into it with determination and a willingness to learn and communicate, I believe you can be successful!
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