How Did You Get Your First Listing?

Dorothy Griggs - Yes! I do remember my first listing. It was exciting because it was from an unexpecting neighbor. 

I was also told to talk to people in line at stores and inform them I was a REALTOR and hand them my business card. I had a hard time doing it and nobody took me serious with that version of cold-calling in a grocery store in person. I always thought it was absurd!

I hope your retirement is going well. I find reflection follows immediately and long afterwards too. 

Hello Dorothy - like many agents, I started my real estate career working with buyers.  As for my first listing, that was a long time ago.   My mind at the moment is short of immediate memory recall.   Good question though.  

Good morning Dorothy,

I do remember my first listing it was a referral. I ended up selling it myself and boy did I learn a lot. it was a property on septic, well, sold FHA and my buyer was a first time home buyer! I definitely earned my commission but I lived through it and knew I made the right choice to be in real estate. I am a problem solver and I was put to the test! 

Thank you very much for following my blog. Your comments are always welcome.

I do not recall how I got my first listing. That was long ago...1961.

Was a flip. Sold the home to some investors (my first transaction) then listed when they were ready. 

Welcome to the business and also ActiveRain.  We all remember our first. Mine was a referral from a longtime friend that knew me well. 

You should reach out to family and friends as well as people that knew you from work and let them know about your new career.  

Hand out a lot of business cards and to people you know give them a few. This is a business of self-promotion, and business cards are cheap marketing.

Walk your neighborhood and introduce yourself and let them know you are the number 1 agent in that area.

Check out the Zoom call this week as it is social hour where all subjects are lively.

Zoom call

It will also help you to get familiar with others by using your #1 resource, your phone.

Hello Dorothy, I remember I did a open house the first weekend I had my license, it was my broker listing, some young couple came in and loved the place and off to the office to meet them and write up a contract.  I called my Broker to come to the office and help me write up the contract and he said just fill in the blanks.  At that point, I wonder what kind of a broker I got in with.

What a relatable and authentic post, Dorothy Griggs! Your journey shows the power of staying true to yourself and maintaining a positive mindset. Keep shining and inspiring others! 🌟✨ #StayMotivated #BeAuthentic

Dorothy, it was years ago, but thinking she was an office call, needed to sell her condo, so off I went.   She did lose it a few years later to foreclosure, sadly.

Hi Dorothy- I was an agent for one year about 35+ years ago. My first listing was from a referral. Ed Silva, 203-206-0754 gave you excellent advice. Get involved in something you're interested in. When I was staging, my one of my first clients was an agent I met at a Chamber of Commerce mixer. He and his wife always referred clients to me. 

Dorothy Griggs  I have been a realtor for 30 years and in two different markets Boston, MA and the greater Los Angeles area, it is all about being yourself, I have 17 listings and they are all from repeat clients or someone who saw how I conduct business... it is an easy business, answer your phone, reply to texts, and reply to emails...worked for me and no I do not have a Realtor T-Shirt, Endre

My first listing happened to me in a disaster of a period for me. I was up against a discount broker for a listing in my building- but already had experience closing some deals in my neighborhood as a buyers agent. It helped that I was President of my condo board and was turning the health of the building around (which also meant some tension with owners in order to make some positive changes a few years prior- but it was becoming apparent my changes were indeed for the better).  I get the listing- set up the photographer and I am getting ready to list- when I find out I need to fly out to Florida (I live in NYC and I am an only child) because my mom is in the hospital- and my dad is also checked in. My mom had pneumonia caught almost too late unconscious and on a ventilator- and was caretaker for my dad with dementia. So needless to say, it was a rough period of needing to fly back and forth- and didn't want to screw up my first listing either. I had to bring in another agent to help me with showings- but I got it sold. I was able to check my dad out as soon as I got down to Florida- but ultimately he needed full time nursing care. My mom's case was far more complicated- and while she needed a pacemaker as a result of all this- and needed rehab to learn to walk again ultimately she fully recovered. I am going down to Florida in a few weeks as my mom needs the pacemaker replaced since they don't simply replace them for aging batteries- but otherwise she is good.  

Hi Dorothy:

Welcome to AR - you will learn so much by being here and participating.

I had just been licensed for a month or so and was on floor time in Cambridge MA. A man who lived nearby walked in and wanted to talk with someone about listing his home. We talked, and took a walk to look at the property (a beautiful Victorian 2-family) and within 24 hours I had a contract and a new listing. The property sold fairly quickly and within a few months I listed another 2-family property that he and his wife owned in an adjacent town.

Jeff

My first listing came from a referral.  Since then several have been through sale leads, but most still come from referrals as well as signage. Yes those signs place on properties for me are still the best investment to secure new listing and buying clients. Thank you for asking. P.S. I never really wanted to be a listing agent, but it just sort of happened.