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Get Rich Quick as a Realtor®! The Ultimate Plan that WORKS!

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Cam Realty and Property Management

Get Rich Quick as a Realtor®! The Ultimate Plan that WORKS!

Whenever I see an article that begins with “get rich quick”, I click off. Do read on, this one is different. Other than winning the lottery, there’s no such thing as rolling in money without hard work. I wrote a post not too long ago on couple of tips for new agents but talking to yet two more Realtors® over the weekend prompted today’s post.

First, let’s take a look at some statistics;

 

For the entire year of 2014, 27,661 took their Florida Associate Real Estate Exam for the first time. 13,957 passed.
30,024 took it for a second or for a repeated time and only 10,226 passed.

As the real estate market improves, I see more hopefuls taking their real estate license which is a great move if they know what they’re getting themselves into. Being a Realtor® and actually making money is not easy. It takes planning, commitment and action. That’s IT!

PLAN---COMMIT AND ACT! Simple enough? Well, not so much.

We can do all the planning but without committing to what we plan, we will fail. This is not a one time commitment but every single day.
I had a very lengthy conversation with a new Realtor® from another state who has been in the business for over six months and doesn’t have a single lead. He is looking for a better brokerage, coach, scripts, systems....anything that will just magically make leads pop up!
I did let him know my thoughts on what he should do;

 

-Have a business plan. His answer was “how do I do that?”. If this is you and don’t know where to start, you could go to Tom Ferry's site and download a “FREE” copy of their business plan. Just DO IT!
Having a yearly business is just a start we should all have, you will then need to have quarterly, monthly, weekly and naturally daily plans.

-Create a data base. His answer was “where do I begin?”. If you are living, breathing, driving, chances are, you interact with people. Real Estate is a relational business. You need people who trust you and feel comfortable working with you. If you are a “secret agent”, those around you have no clue you are a Realtor®. Get some business cards and start handing them out. Start with a number 5/10/15..whatever you feel comfortable with and do not go home until that number of cards are handed out.
Make a list of where you go for shopping, oil change, dry cleaning, school, bank, coffee shop, nail salon, restaurants, doctors, your friends, neighbors..create a list and go give out some cards.

-Be active on Social Media- His answer was “I’m on Facebook all the time”. That’s awesome! What do you do on FB? Play games, comment, read, belong to groups? There’s nothing wrong with socializing as long as you are taking care of business first. If you don’t already have one, create a business page on FB. Don’t let your pages be all about “look how much I’m selling”. People don’t want to be SOLD. People do business with those whom they trust and by posting how much money you are making, you may be turning many people off. Mix it up, find out what your audience is hungry for. Look at their home pages, find out what interests them, then post based on your findings. Don’t send private messages asking for their business, instead send them messages asking about their day, family, job etc. Build a relationship.
Be part of some of the FB Real Estate groups, you will learn lots.

-Hold open houses. His answer was “I don’t have any listings”. My response to that is, go ask real estate agents to hold an open at their listings.

-Work the Expireds and FSBO’s. I know many will say NO to this one and that’s fine but should you decide to go after them, be consistent. Call, text, email, call, text, email, call, text, email. Visit them in person. Mail a pre-listing to Expireds and prepare a packet for FSBO’s with valuable information and drop it off as you are driving by their house. Just remember, don’t try to close them on first contact, instead, become their source of information. Most will take at least seven contacts before they commit.

-Start Farming. Choose two or three neighborhoods in your area and start mailing out postcards, mail or hand deliver newsletters, visit them when they're having community garage sales. Be consistent, be sure to be seen by your audience every three weeks. P.S. Do not open mailboxes to insert your packets, it is illegal. Leave it at their door.

Learn to motivate yourself. Read books, here are some of my favorites;
-The Miracle Morning
-Rich Dad Poor Dad
-The Magic of Thinking Big

If haven’t already, become a rainmaker with ActiveRain. Go ahead and lurke away for as long as it takes and learn, comment, talk to other rainers. Just trust me on this one, you will be happy you did. Don’t wait too long to start blogging though!

Let’s face it, not everyone is good at sales and working with people, if this is you, I would strongly suggest you shadow other Realtors® before taking the plunge.

Get Rich Quick as a Realtor®! The Ultimate Plan that WORKS!

 

Comments(77)

John Meussner
Mortgages in AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IN, MD, MN, MT, NC, NJ, NV, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI - Fair Oaks, CA
#MortgageMadeEasy Fair Oaks, CA 484-680-4852

Great blog, Beth.  There's no quick & easy way to riches, but consistency can get you there for certain.

Oct 13, 2015 06:23 AM
Beth Atalay

Thank you John! 

Oct 13, 2015 11:36 PM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

Beth,  And we all need to find the thing that fits and works for us.  Doing things we do not enjoy doing is not only not fun … but others feel it and sense the “desperation.”  Glad to see this post is Featured. 

 

Oct 13, 2015 07:55 AM
Beth Atalay

Thank you Kathleen, I've been in sales for a very long time, I enjoy working with people and certainly have the passion for real estate or I wouldn't be practicing it.

Oct 13, 2015 11:35 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Good Morning Beth Atalay - this is a well-deserved feature and well written too! Unfortunately, there's still a lot of people who get into this market because they think it's a great way to get rich quick. 

Oct 13, 2015 11:31 PM
Beth Atalay

Good morning Patricia, there are no easy ways in life when it comes to work, real estate is definitely not one of those professions. 

Oct 13, 2015 11:34 PM
Peter den Boer
Atlanta Communities - Woodstock, GA
MBA,GRI, Associate Broker, Realtor

Beth - Excellent Post! I would add the book, Raving Fans to your list as well.

Oct 13, 2015 11:45 PM
Beth Atalay
Cam Realty and Property Management - Clermont, FL
Cam Realty of Clermont FL

Thank you Peter, done!

Oct 13, 2015 11:52 PM
Amanda S. Davidson
Amanda Davidson Real Estate Group Brokered By Real - Alexandria, VA
Alexandria Virginia Homes For Sale

Beth, these are all great tips! It's a little scary to me the fail rate on the exam. Tells me that those taking it aren't too sharp unless it's gotten much harder since I took it. 

Oct 13, 2015 11:59 PM
Beth Atalay

It is a bit scary Amanda, I have to think about those who are taking the test as I don't think they changed a lot.

Oct 14, 2015 12:43 PM
Vera Gonzalez
RE/MAX Suburban, Inc. - Sterling Heights, MI
Gonzo For Real Estate

Beth Atalay ,

 

Great list and post. I always laugh when I see those facebook ads that promise 20 leads a month etc. This is the tried and trueno easy way.

Oct 14, 2015 12:29 AM
Beth Atalay

Ohhh those ads Vera Gonzalez, they are just laughable!

Oct 14, 2015 12:42 PM
John Petrone
ERA Nalbandian - Saddle Brook, NJ
SFR

Nice Post Beth - It's about about consistency and repititon -- as you put it:

Call, text, email, call, text, email, call, text, email.

Oct 14, 2015 06:17 AM
Beth Atalay

Thank you John!

Oct 14, 2015 12:42 PM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Burlington, MA
Metro Boston Homes For Sale

Beth Atalay all the newbies are so lucky! 

They have learned a lot from this contest - including your post where you have shown them the path to success!

And they don't need to work on all of these to begin with. Pick few of them they are comfortable with - and yes, Get Rich Quick (I know it's not easy!)

Oct 14, 2015 10:43 AM
Beth Atalay

Praful, being a good Realtor® and reaching our goals takes a lot of hard work, no doubts about that!

Oct 14, 2015 12:41 PM
Regina P. Brown
MBA Broker Consultants - Carlsbad, CA
M.B.A., Broker, Instructor

Excellent tips!  Your post is a good guide for agents who are starting on this business, and a reminder for the seasoned ones.

Oct 14, 2015 11:06 AM
Beth Atalay

Thanks Regina!

Oct 14, 2015 12:40 PM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Beth, your licensing exam must be more challenging than ours is!  That is a pretty low pass rate.

Oct 14, 2015 09:39 PM
Beth Atalay

Patricia, I heard the exam was changed in FL in the recent years but that's still a very low pass rate.

Oct 14, 2015 09:52 PM
John DL Arendsen
CREST "BACKYARD' HOMES, ON THE LEVEL General & Manufactured Home Contractor, TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments - Leucadia, CA
Crest Backyard Homes "ADU" dealer & RE Developer

How did you get the little trademark designation (R with the circle around it). It's not on the keyboard and I couldn't figure out how to do it.

Oct 15, 2015 10:23 PM
Beth Atalay

John DL Arendsen, hold down the "alt" button, type in the numbers "0, 1, 7, 4".

Oct 15, 2015 10:42 PM
Charles Stallions Real Estate Services
Charles Stallions Real Estate Services Inc - Gulf Breeze, FL
Buyers Agent 800-309-3414 Pace and Gulf Breeze,Fl.

Thanks Beth it sounds so easy to just get a license and sell real estate HAHA 

Oct 18, 2015 05:25 AM
Wendy Rich-Soto, Realtor/Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty, LA Harbor - San Pedro, CA
Getting you to your next with a zero failure rate!

It takes a determined soul to be successful in real estate.  That test is just the beginning...

Oct 19, 2015 06:24 AM
Beth Atalay

You are absolutely right Wendy!

Oct 19, 2015 08:06 AM
Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ
Value Added Service, 602-620-2699 - Scottsdale, AZ
HomeSmart Elite Group, REALTOR®, EcoBroker, GREEN

Great post Beth.  I also think it's wise to view "Insights" on your FB page to see which posts get the most views.  Know your audience and you can build your following by knowing what's important to them. 

Oct 19, 2015 07:50 AM
Beth Atalay

Great advice Jan!

Oct 19, 2015 08:06 AM
Rochelle Venckus
Thinque Realty - Wheat Ridge, CO
BROKER, REALTOR®, ABR, CNE, Metro Denver Are

Thank you for this most helpful direction.  Even seasoned Realtors can use a reminder to get back to the basics. 

Nov 02, 2015 11:39 AM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Beth

I missed this before but glad it was a reblog from Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, Broker, Tacoma Washington 

This is a terrific outline! It's important to be flexible and try other things, but the basics always work. It's equally important to do those things that we enjoy so we can do a better job. That said, like it or not, a business plan of some sort is essential.

Jef

Oct 20, 2016 08:03 AM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Beth what an awesome post, I totally missed this when you wrote it, thanks to our friend Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, Broker, Tacoma Washington  belated I am here, needless to say late to the party but worth every word, Endre

Oct 20, 2016 03:27 PM
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Thanks Beth,

An amazing failure rate illustrated here, hopefully this advice will help a few from adding to the statistics.

Oct 20, 2016 04:20 PM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning Beth. In my view there is no such thing as getting rich quick or getting a free lunch. It is always about focus and consistency.

Oct 20, 2016 11:04 PM