Starting out as a North Carolina real estate broker can be intimidating. It might feel as if only the most experienced and savvy brokers are getting anywhere, and that there’s no room in this business for a newcomer. But don’t worry, every experienced broker you meet was once a newbie like you.
The key to making it as a real estate broker is to always keep the big picture in mind. Contrary to what you might believe, it’s not always about the hard sell, and there are tons of different skills you’ll need to be able to sell houses. The majority of your time will be spent marketing yourself, building contacts, and pursuing clients instead of actually selling houses—so be prepared!
To help you out, we’ve outlined four keys to success, specifically designed for new real estate professionals like you.
Think of yourself as a small business
Most North Carolina real estate brokers are self-employed—if that’s you, think of yourself as a small business instead of an individual trying to make it in this world. You need to invest time and energy in things like your own website, marketing, building connections, and even coming up with a long-term business plan.
If you manage to do this, you’ll be able to survive through the toughest times and make it through rough patches, unlike anyone who isn’t treating this business seriously.
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Develop soft skills
We mentioned earlier that being a real estate broker isn’t all about selling houses and earning your commissions. Sure, being a good salesperson is essential, but it won’t do you much good if you don’t have any soft skills like managing people, problem-solving, and strategic thinking.
Knowing the right people and making the right contacts is one of the best ways to make sure you’re at the right place at the right time to generate leads, win clients, and close deals.
Make a business plan
Unless you have solid goals and milestones in mind, your progress will go unnoticed and your growth will be slow. Developing a business plan isn’t hard; it can be as simple as deciding that you’ll sell two houses per month. However, you’ll get more benefit from a well-thought-out real estate business plan.
As with all plans and goals, make sure your business plan is realistic, and that you stick to it.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
If you want to make a living out of selling real estate, you need to avoid being dependent on a single source for all your North Carolina real estate leads. Sure, you’re happy you got listed on a certain website, but you don’t need to place all your bets with them. At the same time, have realistic expectations for your advertising.
Being new to anything is a challenge, and being a real estate broker is no different. If you want to make good money at it, there’s no shortcut or easy way out that you can take. Just put in the effort, be consistent, and be patient when things seem like they’re not working your way.
