While some people are born real estate agents, most must learn how to be one. Becoming licensed as a real estate agent is not easy, nor does it typically come with a large salary or title. However, if you want to make money off of your talent for describing houses and giving good market reviews, this service profession can be made available to you!
There are many ways to become an agent, but the two most popular routes are through schools that offer broker’s licenses or via the direct seller route. The former requires more training, so they are usually costlier, which may deter individuals who are in need of immediate income. The latter also costs less due to there being no formal classroom settings, just online courses and tutorials.
This article will discuss what it takes to become a real estate agent, both through school and directly via the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). There are several groups and organizations out there that help facilitate professional development for aspiring brokers, so do not hesitate to look into those!
Reminder: This article assumes you have done your research on why becoming a real estate agent is important and/or needed.
Build your business plan
So you have decided that real estate is the career path for you, and now you are ready to start doing it! Becoming a real estate agent comes with its own set of rules and regulations, but there’s one thing you can be sure of — if you aren’t prepared for the challenge, you won’t succeed.
As hard as it may seem, becoming a real estate agent requires more than just wanting to be a professional seller or buyer. It will take lots of work and dedication to achieve your goal.
That means preparing early! Starting at least six months before you expect to receive your license, you should do some research and preparation. You want to make sure you know what products and services you will need to survive, how much money you will require to run your business, and what licenses you will need.
Fund your business
As with any career, being a real estate agent is not easy unless you are willing to put in some effort. Starting your own real estate company requires money to invest in the process.
You will need to have a good working knowledge of the property market and how businesses work so that when you spend cash buying a house, you know what you’re doing!
Running a real estate agency takes time so be aware of this and save enough funds for initial costs and potential running expenses.
There are many ways to fund your business including through personal loans or savings, selling assets like cars or houses, or by giving up more expensive daily treats (like drinks or snacks) – trust us, we understand!
We recommend speaking to several lenders and entrepreneurs to get an idea of the best way to approach investing in your new business.
Pick your location
Choosing where to begin as a real estate agent is an important decision. You want to make sure that you have enough resources to be successful, so choose a region that fits your budget and has adequate supplies of re-selling homes or buying new ones!
If you are more experienced, then choosing somewhere with less competition can help you build up momentum. Either way, don’t pick locations that require too much effort – you will become discouraged quickly!
Finding the right balance between being competitive and having time to spend with family is very important. What we recommend is just like any other job — find a place that gives you energy and doesn’t drain you.
It’s also worth considering whether it’s better to start working for yourself or get employed by someone else. Both options offer similar benefits but one may feel more supportive at this stage in your career.
Choose a marketing strategy
As with any career, becoming an real estate agent is not easy for someone who does not have experience in it. Just because you can’t find many job advertisements that don’t require at least two years of sales experience doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to become an agent!
There are several ways to get into the business of selling houses including being hired as an agent by a firm or individual, owning your own franchise, or becoming a direct seller.
The last option is what most people consider becoming an agent, but it requires extensive preparation before you even approach potential clients about buying a house from you. This includes things like getting certification, developing your professional image, and learning how to sell a home.
However, before you start trying to talk people into investing in a house, you should first check out if they are qualified to do so.
Choose your marketing materials
Choosing your business name is one of the most important things you will do as a real estate agent. You can spend hours searching for that perfect name, but if you pick a boring or clichéd name, then there’s no way people will come across it.
When picking your business name, think about what kind of Realtor you want to be.
Create your website
Finding a career in real estate requires you have an idea of what kind of Realtor you want to be. This will determine how you approach business and marketing strategies for yourself as well as if you are willing to take on more responsibility with clients or buyers.
Realtor positions vary widely depending on whether you would like to work mostly from a computer screen, meeting with potential customers in person, or both!
Most agents start out working exclusively online before moving into the field. Becoming an agent that works face-to-face takes longer than going full force digital. These days though, even experienced realtors make almost all of their money through technology!
There are many ways to become a real estate agent. Some people start off doing broker tours where they get training from professionals and then launch their own agency. Others pick one area of the market (such as residential sales) and go from there.
Whatever route you choose, do not underestimate the importance of educating yourself about the industry first! Being familiar with the basics gives you a headstart over others who may not be as informed.
The next step is creating your personalised unique selling proposition (USP). This is what sets you apart from other real estate agents and makes you stand out from the crowd. Your USP should be clear and bold and focus on benefits for the customer rather than features of you as an individual.
Create your social media profiles
After you have gathered all of your documents, determined how much money you have to invest in business materials and gear, and are confident that you will be able to survive without any extra income for at least six months, it is time to actually begin the process of becoming a real estate agent.
The first thing you will need to do is create your social media accounts!
You can use sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to help get your real estate career off the ground. On these sites, you will need to create profile pages using you as the-self (no last name or anything else that could indicate who you are).
It is very important that you use your actual name when creating this account so that people can connect with you. You should now know yours!
Once your account is created, you must take some time to establish yourself as an individual worthy of their trust. Make sure to update your bio, add lots of pictures, and include personal details such as where you went to school and what you love doing.
By establishing yourself, others will feel more comfortable interacting with you and thus may be willing to provide you with employment.
Start advertising
Advertising as a real estate agent is not like selling products online, where you can pick any platform and promote away! There are several ways to become an agent, but you will need to choose which one of those strategies is right for you before starting to advertise.
Some routes require more formal education or training, whereas others do not. Some pay much better than the other ones, while others don’t.
The best way to know if marketing to be a realtor is for you is to try it out. Many people who start as agents earn enough money to live comfortably, so why not give it a shot?
However, just because someone else made the effort doesn’t mean that it’s the most effective use of their time. What works for one person may not work for you, even though you think they would.
That being said, there are some great resources available to help you get started as a real estate professional. You can visit sites and learn how to do it yourself, or you can hire a professional to begin promoting for you.
