I imagine that being a new realtor is similar to being a new mom.
Unfortunately for new mothers, everyone has an opinion on how to raise your baby. You’ve just been thrust into the world of motherhood, you’re worried about keeping your child alive and healthy, and everyone and their brother has something to say about how to do it.
“Don’t let them sleep in the bed with you” vs. “Keep them close by”
“If you don’t nurse your baby, they won’t have enough essential nutrients as bottle fed kids”
“You have to let them cry it out or they’ll never learn” vs “If you don’t pick them up when they cry, they’ll have attachment issues”
And the unwarranted advice goes on and on.
Now, I’m not a mother, just a dedicated auntie, but I’ve seen firsthand how new parents are bombarded with advice. I may not be a mom, but I was, however, a realtor, and I can relate to how when you start out in the business, the same sort of phenomenon happens.
When you start out in the world of real estate, everyone has something to tell you about what you should and shouldn’t do. It can be overwhelming. It may be awhile before you get a paycheck, so you want to make sure that you’re doing all “the right things.”
All “the right things.” What could that be? There are so many things you can do when you start out as a realtor!
Wake up at 5am, start cold calling, door knocking, scripting, hand write letters, mailers, online leads, script some more, get a mentor, pay for coaching, read this book, watch this video, attend this class, network here, meet with contractors, post online, wear this kind of clothing, drive this kind of car, say this, do that, on and on and on.
It’s maddening. There are a million different things you can do and it can become paralyzing as you start out. Mostly, the advice comes from a good place. The real estate industry can be a very collaborative space and everyone wants to see each other succeed. People share with you how they found success, but you’ll find that everyone does it differently.
So what do a lot of people do? Well, they try a little bit of everything, but as they say “a jack of all trades, master of none.”
Which brings me to my advice for new agents. Like the mom who gets to decide how to raise her baby, raise your business in your own way. Do what works for you.
I urge new realtors to look to their strengths, their personality, and interests to decide how to conduct their business.
When you’re starting out in real estate, you might feel like you’re putting a lot of pressure on yourself to sell. You may feel like you’re coming off as disingenuous or “salesy” because you’re doing things that someone else said you should do.
Once you stop doing those things, and play to your strengths and interests, you will find that you connect with people more easily and more readily when you are your authentic self.
Don’t forget, this is your business now. You get to decide how you show up to your clients and build your community.
What does showing up as yourself look like? It can mean so many different things! For example, if you hate cold calling, don’t just sit on the phones all day. However, if you have a knack for writing, maybe you should start a blog!
There are so many ways to run your business and engage your community. If you are a big supporter of local business, find out how to collaborate with the chamber of commerce. If your passion is exercising, combine that with business and set up a free, fun workout class for like-minded folks. If you prefer being behind a screen all day, double down on your social media efforts.
Once you look inward at your strengths and realize what they are, conducting your business will become a lot more energizing and less draining (as it often is when you’re starting out!). Combine your passions and hobbies with work. It will draw in people who are similar to you! Those are the best kinds of people to work with! You’ll start to enjoy what you do and you’ll attract the kinds of people you want to be around.
Now that we are nearing the end of this blog post, I just want to say, I’m not telling you not to take advice from others. It’s absolutely imperative to have someone you can look up to and ask questions. It would be difficult to survive in the real estate industry without mentorship and help from others. I’ll tell you what my real estate mentor once told me, “only take advice from people who I respect and want to emulate.”
At the end of the day, your real estate business is your business. You get to run it how you want to! Be yourself, have fun with it, and the sales will come.
