The Rookie Agent Guide to Prospecting like a Boss

asdfSo you’re the new kid on the block and you’re on the hunt for hot real estate leads.  The first thing you need to understand is the value of prospecting in your customer hunt.  Real estate prospecting is the best way to generate new leads as a Rookie Agent. Prospect effectively and these quality prospects will be your first clients.

If you provide excellent service, your customers will refer you to their friends and initiate the coveted cycle of repeat and referral business.  It can be a challenge to generate leads as a new Agent (as you likely know). It’s your inner drive that will help you make connections with people and steadily convert your prospects to leads, and ultimately into clients.

It’s easy to understand why prospecting can be intimidating for any Agent, not just rookies. Nobody likes cold calling, hard-selling, and what can feels like—rejection.  But this rejection is not a reflection of you as a person or your sales script—the client simply is not in need of your service yet. So don’t take it personally. Learn to celebrate the “no’s” because they are bringing you closer to your next “yes.” Also, remember that when people say “no”, often what they mean is “not yet.”

Here are the top tips to real estate prospecting for Rookie Agents:

Be Persistent in Cold Calling.

In today’s digital age cold calling is not the same game it used to be.  Don’t get discouraged! According to Hubspot, it can take 18 unique calls to connect to one person.

Getting in touch can be a challenge. The most important thing to realize is that although your market may be hard to reach, they are still there. It may take twice the amount time for your calls to see fruition, but once you lock up a sale, it will be worth it. If you give up too quickly, you’ll be missing out on perfectly good opportunities.

As a newbie, now is the time to establish good habits. Many top producers build time into each day to dedicate to prospecting over the phone. Schedule an hour or two into your day, and stick with it as you would with any other appointment.

Get Down Your Script

Remember in school when you’d sit through hours of presentations? You could always tell which classmates had prepared and practiced and which ones winged it.  It’s the same thing when you’re prospecting!

If you go into a call without much prep and hope your charm will carry you through, you’re taking a risk.  Selling is a learned skill and to properly execute a sales call, you need to organize your thoughts, goals, and delivery into a clear dialogue.  It even helps to record yourself saying your script, and then listen to it to hear what you sound like.  Your voice should sound confident and professional, and your script should be consistent and natural.  Once you feel ready, start calling. The more calls you make, the more learning opportunities will arise.  Aim to constantly improve your script and you’ll soon be a master prospector.

Get Personal with Your Real Estate CRM

Take a systematic approach to prospecting.  Say goodbye to sticky notes that get lost behind the desk and notebooks left behind on the road.  Like I mentioned above, this is the time to put good habits in place that you’ll benefit from throughout your career.

A real estate CRM will help you be efficient when capturing and nurturing new leads. You’ll be sure to get down the important info, such as their full name, spouse’s name, mailing address, email address, and phone numbers.  Complete contact profiles are critical for following up and building relationships with your new clients.

Your CRM will help you keep in touch with your leads and clients by assigning them to drip email campaigns, including email and Monthly e-Newsletter, and set reminders for when you should be contacting them to keep in touch.  Never again will a lead fall through the cracks due to disorganization.

IXACT Contact real estate CRM offers the complete package for Rookie Agents and industry veterans alike. The mobile Agent app will help you stay organized and informed on the road. All of your information is in one place, no matter where you are, and can be managed on all of your devices (tablet, smart phone, laptop, and PC).

Prospect EVERY SINGLE DAY

I know how hard it is for you to schedule regular recurring activities into your incredibly hectic days.  Still, especially as a new Agent, prospecting should be one of the most important parts of your day! I recommend allocating a chunk of time each day specifically for prospecting. The mornings are generally a great time to prospect because both you and your prospects are still fresh and alert. Take this time seriously—don’t get distracted.  These are potential leads. They deserve your full attention.

Try Something New!

The best Agents use a variety of methods to generate leads.  Do you like meeting people face-to-face at social events or in group settings? Maybe you enjoy presenting and teaching, and would like to share your knowledge of your favourite industry. Here’s a list of the most successful activities that complement your prospecting:

  • Sponsor a children’s sports team and introduce yourself to parents at games
  • Compile and distribute a list of preferred local businesses and services
  • Host an information session for first time home buyers
  • Host an interior decorating seminar with an expert
  • Offer home appraisal door-to-door
  • Send Just Listed and Just Sold e-Cards or e-Flyers

Ready to jump in? Use this knowledge to help you plan your prospecting and attack it with mindfulness and confidence as a Rookie Agent.

IXACT Contact is the best place to start for any Rookie Agent. The integrated solution includes your real estate CRM, email marketing platform and agent website. Best of all, as a Rookie Agent you’ll get 6 months FREE! Start your free trial now!

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