Getting your foot in the door as a “new-on-the-scene” real estate agent is challenging. Real estate sales can be cutthroat and competitive, but don’t let that discourage you. The big players in real estate didn’t start at the top. They have worked hard to grow their businesses and their personal brand.
That’s why it pays to examine what these veteran agents at the top of their games do exceptionally well, so you can get to where they are now, only faster. Let’s look at a few critical things these rockstar agents do to get to (and stay at) the top of the pack.
- Develop a professional web presence
Customers have so many choices when it comes to selecting a real estate agent to help them buy or sell, or both. You need to show potential buyers and sellers what sets you apart from other agents in your market.
Successful agents know they need to distinguish themselves with a strong brand and reputation in order to grow. That means a website is a must! Just having a page on a broker website doesn’t go above and beyond to distinguish yourself in the sea of competition. While you may not have a long history of experience behind you, having an accessible and professional online presence is your first step to getting there.
Launching your own real estate website may sound like a lot of work – it’s not when you have a site that allows you to build your online brand and generate leads. A solution that includes free set-up of a personal real estate agent website that is optimized for easy navigation on desktop computers, smartphones, and tablets is essential. A mobile friendly website is important because 70% of all real estate related searches are currently done on mobile devices, not desktop computers, and that percentage is rising.
Once a potential client is on your website, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to contact you. This means having automated website lead capture functionality built-in to your website that integrates with a CRM so you can manage and keep in touch with your contacts efficiently and effectively.
- Communicate with contacts
Once you have a real estate CRM that is connected to your agent website, you’re ready to start setting up a dialogue with your growing contact base.
“I believe that in any good relationship, communication is key,” says Scott Cooper from Keller Williams Experience Realty in Barrie, Ontario.
Over 90% of Scott’s business comes from past clients and referrals – which means he is on top of his CRM game.
“Since I now have a real estate CRM, I’m communicating to my clients better and getting more business out of my database,” says Cooper.
He started using IXACT Contact to grow his business and has seen it take his earnings to the next level.
“I am probably making somewhere between $50,000 and $75,000 a year more than I was before,” says Cooper.
Veteran real-estate agents like Scott know first-hand that using an effective and organized system to manage contacts and communicate with them regularly is key to maintaining strong connections that lead to more referrals and business.
- Build rapport
Build on the good first impression you’ve made with your beautiful website and great communication skills by showing your depth of knowledge. This is more important than ever before because real estate information is so accessible on the Internet. In fact, more than 92% of people search online while looking for a new home.
When you take into account that these clients are making major life decisions when buying and selling – they are relying on you as their trusted agent to provide them with valuable information that helps guide their decisions and ultimately ensures peace of mind.
One way to do this is through an email newsletter with fresh content. Having a solution that provides a monthly professionally written e-Newsletter can save you the time, effort, and skill required to put together one yourself, while enhancing your client’s experience.
- Automate
Does it feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything you want to do? It’s not uncommon that real estate agents tell us they just can’t find the time to manage all aspects of their business. Once they decide to automate things like online lead generation, lead nurturing, and keep in touch communications, they free up a lot of time for them to make connections, set up meetings, and sell more homes. This helpful list of marketing must-have’s explains more about how to automate your real estate marketing.
By automating your real estate marketing tasks, you’ll work more efficiently. Not only will automation save you time, but it will ensure that you don’t lose important leads by forgetting to keep in touch or misplacing a sticky note.
To get you off on the right foot, IXACT Contact has a special offer of 6 free months for agents in their first year. Start your trial today you’ll quickly see why so many rock star real estate rookies love IXACT Contact!
