HELP!!!! I'm New and Don't Know what to Do!!!!

Michael,

Try a FSBO program.  If you work it systematically, I guarantee your success. 

You'll want to start w/ an anchor site that is neutral.  Something to give the FSBO w/o asking for business.  Follow that up w/ call capture technology so that you can pick up buyers while you're "marketing" their property.  I have a canned email campaign that I use.  I usually run it with them for about 7 weeks.  By the 8th week they are typically ready to list.  By then you should have a relationship with them.  It's kind of a no-brainer. 

Let me know if I can help.

All the best!

Michael,

Getting your feet wet is part of the fun. I am sure you have had a good laugh or two already. Post them here to share, or you can guest blog for me!

On the marketing side, according to NAR, 8 out of 10 buyers are on line. If you want to win listings, go with an on line company that can provide you with a stated marketing program that can be measured statiscally, quality top-notch photos and a website for each listing, and distribution of the virtual tour to the top 14 RE websites. (Ok, that is my company-Obeo.com-we get 1 million visitors-those are buyers-to our site each month. Enough said.)

Then, follow the lead you are making for yourself here: get active in the 'Rain-yell it out!

Read blogs like sellsius, 1000wattconsulting and local Jersey RE blogs to get into their community on line. And then start a blog at blogger.com about what you know about living in your area and what makes it great-be the neighborhood expert you are.

Get a great web page-PAY THE MONEY TO HAVE IT DONE RIGHT-and make it your new office.

Then, be available for your clients. Answer your phone and your emails as soon get them. It is always about who you are talking to. They will tell you what they want to know!

Always be real, be yourself and share all the knowledge you have. You have it and you know you do!

If you need a laugh or an idea, call me at 262-325-8687. Or just read my blog.

Best of luck to you and wire me back if you have any questions!

steven.stearns@obeo.com

http://obeoman.blogspot.com

Hi Michael,

I think the first thing to do is establish a business plan. it should outline your vision of what you want to accomplish this year. Many might say to create a 5 year plan, however a 1 year plan is a good start. In your plan include how much you would like to make. (Be realistic) from there do the numbers for the average sale prices in your area and based on your commission split, how mant transactions would you need to make. Then divide the number of total transactions by 12 months and this will give you a starting point for how many deals you need per month. Next draw up a budget...both personal and busines. Now you are on your way.

Talk to your Mentor/Broker and colleagues on different strategies that they used when they started. Expired's is a good starting point as well as investors. But don't limit yourself. Buyers are king in today's market, So try Open Houses, FTHB seminars and reach out to lenders. Ask another realtor in your office if you can use their listings to market (pick a desirable area) and let the public know that you are their expert. Your sphere is a good resource, so keep them in your loop and send something on a monthly basis.

Ps. Never Give Up! 

Hope you find this helpful -- Good Luck!

I think one of the best ideas above was the volunteering to do another agent's open houses.  I did this my first week in the business and got a listing!  I hear now this is pretty rare, but hey, it DOES happen.  Once their house sold they bought from me too ;).

Good luck, you are getting in at a tough time. 

Hi Michael,

I think you made a very good start.  Particularly if you use that as a foundation for building the rest of your plan.  Now that your announcements are made (and I assume you have those contacts in a computerized data base), you want to decide how to build on those relationships on a regular basis...what do you send them?...how often do you contact them?...how often do you talk on the phone? - in person?

Use experienced agents to get a plan for those contacts - then ask the same agents or your broker what you should do next?  Select another avenue for gaining quick prospects and go after it with passion.  Stay with your sphere of influence and one other avenue you have chosen until you feel you have given it enough effort to switch or to add another way of generating business.  Avoid the paralysis of analysis and Focus...focus...focus!!!

Michael,

The one thing I have learned is what works for one of us doesn't work for all, but don't try to reinvent the wheel. Try and test the ideas that people give you, if you don't see results "try something new" but if it works "keep doing it!" Best of luck and do not give up...this is a tough business. 

www.myrealtorjoslyn.com

Michael, Welcome to the industry. It took me three years to feel like I knew what I was doing. Don't sweat it. In a business where we sign agreements that last six months, the cycles are long. Read every scrap of paper available from your local and state board.

Hold every open you can, offer to help agents going on vacation, do floor duty (read the board stuff then) study every single form your broker uses for business. Get a good website, http://www.agentdeluxe.com/ cheap and awesome! Half million hitters can't be all wrong!

I never worked my sphere, never, maybe that's why they still like me, respect me and return my phone calls. Do your friends a favor, practice on strangers. After time, your sphere will gravitate to you. When they come to you, you're in the position you should be in. When you go begging hat in hand, you're: a beggar, a telemarketer, or worse. Also don't take anything personally and never match the intensity of the angry party.

Expired are a daily source of new business. YOU MUST, make a listing presentation that details how you will help sellers, be ready to send it as a PDF. When you call to give the expired pitch, first find out if they are a bad prospect? Ask why they think the home didn't sell. If they get really angry and berate people, that's a red flag.

Bad selling propositions: "I have a lot of time to focus on just you." Think I can provide you personalized service and individual attention. "I'm not in this for the money" Think, I want to sell this home fast so I can save us both money. It costs us to market homes. We want Days on market to be as close to 0 as possible. "We have so many agents, your home may sell before it hits the market" This is a bald faced lie, don't go down that road Michael.

Finally, underpromise and overdeliver. Get a testimonial at close, and a release. You can write it, use things you heard the client say throught the transaction.

Hi Michael

Be sure to cruise around 21online.  Agent Financial Tools might give you insight on a financial plan for your business. 

Best,

Bruce Garber

Broker Owner CENTURY 21 BHJ Realty

Michael,

Welcome to the biz!  All of the work you are doing is great....keep it up!

Formulating a plan is important, sticking to it is crucial.  Share your thoughts with your manager/broker. Sit down and tell him/her what you want to do. What are your goals? How much money do you want to make? I have an easy formula to determine how much work it will take to acheive your financial goal.  If you'd like it shoot me an email and I would be more than happy to send it to you.

Stay away from the negativity.  This can be infectious and will bring you down.  Surround yourself with positive agents.  Ask them questions; What has made you successful?

Create a nich for yourself.  Look around you.....What are others not doing to set them apart from their compeition? 

Getting ahead in this business takes a lot of hard work, determination and a good sense of humor.  Real estate can be a very rewarding career.  Keep calling those expireds, contact your SOI every month and list, list, list.

The agent with the most listings will win!

All the best!

Welcome to the exciting world of real estate! The number one thing is to get systems in place. There are free resources at MillionaireAgent.com

It's probably a good idea to not go around telling people that you're "new." :-) I once heard a seasoned agent say, "You're 'new' one day - now get to work!"

While friends and family who actually know you may not care that you haven't been doing this for years, sometimes, the general public seems to care. (After all, it is the single, largest transaction that most people will make in their lifetimes.)

Happy Selling!

Hi Michael,  You have a positive attitude, and that says a lot!  It's scary at first, but I think it's best to just get out there and do it!  Ask for help when you need it, of course, but just get out there and do it.  That's the best way to learn this business.  Helping other agents with their Open Houses is a great way to meet people and maybe pick up a buyer or two!  Good Luck!

Linda Schulte, Atlanta