What tools and Resources do you use on a regular basis as a real estate agent?
When you’re a real estate agent, you need to be prepared for almost anything. Unexpected questions from your clients, rapidly shifting market trends, tricky relationships with other agents… You need a powerful “toolbox” of skills, abilities, knowledge, and resources that can help you out in any situation.
Here are some tools that no real estate agent can do without:
Your Company
One of the most important decisions that a young real estate agent can make is the company they choose to park their license with.
Picking a solid company with a good reputation and excellent training programs can give you an edge that many other real estate agents just don’t have. Do you want to work with a large company, with hundreds of agents all across the country? Or would you prefer to work at a smaller agency, with a select group of real estate agents? Both have their advantages. There are many franchise specific tools that could be at your disposal, if you decide that type of working environment is the best choice for you. By going boutique, you could benefit from the special culture of quality for which many of those firms are known.
Training and Education
Some of your most powerful tools could be ones that you don’t have yet.
In the ever-changing and advancing world of real estate, those with the most up-to-date knowledge and training have the edge. Becoming a well-rounded agent who can keep up with market trends is an essential part of being a successful real estate agent. Check out what avenues of additional education and training are offered through the company where you’ve parked your license. These courses could give you skills that will give you a leg up over other agents, even ones at your agency.
Education doesn’t always have to mean attending expensive conferences and seminars. It also means checking up on real estate blogs, following the #realestate hashtag on Twitter, keeping up with the news about market trends, and taking advantage of the experience of other agents. A constant thirst for knowledge and education always shines through and will help you to build confidence in your abilities among your peers and clients.
Online Marketing
The internet is not just an option when it comes to marketing--nowadays it’s more than 50% the whole game.
In real estate, it almost goes without saying that you need a very solid web presence. If you’re with a larger company, it’s likely that they’ll already have a website; hopefully one that’s search engine optimized, mobile-friendly, and has gone through usability testing. If you’re an independent agent, building a well-designed website that will work as your digital storefront can be a very wise investment in your personal brand. Also start to utilize social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to reach out to a wider online audience and become part of the conversation.
Monthly online newsletters can also be a great way to reach out to clients, both old and new. Just make sure your newsletter actually contains useful and interesting content, such as blog posts and articles, that will provide your readers with real value. Otherwise, it will probably just go in the spam folder.
Print Marketing
No matter how important the internet and digital marketing become, in the real estate industry there’s nothing as important as the right print materials. Professionally designed, quality business cards, door hangers, and other print items are a necessity for getting your name out there in the community and maintaining your brand visibility.
At SureFactor, we provide real estate agents with easy, high quality, and cost-effective business cards and marketing solutions. No matter what real estate company you represent, we have your business card and stationery templates ready and waiting for you. Just plug in your credentials and your order will be printed and shipped to you. It’s as easy as that! You can create your real estate business cards and stationery in minutes.
If for any reason we don’t have your real estate company’s template on file, we’ll create a template for you. Just ask.
Click here to find your real estate company and get started.
Your Local Market
Becoming an expert of your local market is a necessary part of becoming a successful and top-earning real estate agent.
You need to know your local market in and out, including list to sell ratio, average sale price, the number of days properties have been on the market, and other intimate local knowledge. These details should to be at your fingertips so that you can answer any questions without delay. For your clients, this kind of knowledge can create tremendous confidence in your abilities.
Knowing your local market actually goes beyond just knowing details about listings and sales data. You also want to know the neighborhoods, their demographic makeups, and all about the local amenities. When a potential buyer asks you what grocery stores are in the area, being able to tell them off the top of your head will show that you know what matters to your clients.
Your Reputation
Your reputation goes far beyond just your reputation with clients. Building up a great reputation for professionalism and results is one of the best ways to get business. Never underestimate the power of referrals and repeat business from happy clients. The practice of putting your clients’ interests ahead of your own can be an investment that pays off tenfold. You want a reputation as an agent as someone who works hard for their clients with a high level of honesty and accessibility.
You also need to build a great reputation with other real estate agents out there. Yes, they’re competitors, but you also need to work together. Building a rapport with them can pay off for you and your clients down the road. No one wants to work with selfish, rude, or dishonest people. Be diplomatic, always have a friendly attitude and above all, be honest. When other agents are comfortable cooperating with you, everybody wins.
Do you have another tool or resource you would add to the essential list for real estate agents? Leave a comment, we’d like to hear about it.