What Your Real Estate Career Looks Like the First Year

After completing your initial licensing course and passing your state and national exam, you are ready to begin your real estate career.  The first year can be trying and difficult, and not every two agents have the same experience. You want to be sure that you have picked the right brokerage that will help you grow to be successful.  To be ready to battle your first year, there are some things to know that will help you to prepare.

It’s Who You Know

When entering the world of real estate you are going to want to make connections.  This is where your clientele will come from.  Inform everyone you know that you are now listing and selling real estate.  They may have real estate needs you weren’t aware of.  It’s also time to get out there and start networking.  Get involved in your community in a volunteer role and attend community events.  The best way to get your name out there is to share your name and your business.

Learn, Learn, Learn

Yes, you just finished 100 hours of pre-licensing work, and probably many more hours studying for your exam.  Unfortunately, this is the bare bones of real estate, as being a real estate agent is about being a sales person—and honing those skills is what is going to make you successful.

It’s important that you have a mentor who has a successful career.  Shadow him/her in all aspects of the business.  This will help you learn the ins and outs that you didn’t learn in your initial course.  In addition, you should take every professional development offered, as you will have more time on your hands at the beginning of your career and it is wise to use that time wisely in training.

Surviving Financially

It’s a good idea to have a year’s worth of income saved up before launching a real estate career, because that first year can be like the Sahara Desert.  If you have already started and don’t have a padded bank account, you will want to take some steps to streamlining your spending.

You are considered self-employed, so you won’t have an employer taking out taxes and telling you what you can use as deductions.  Be sure you educate yourself about this.  Also, don’t spend a lot amount of money on marketing just yet.  You can start small and increase where you see the most success.

Starting a real estate career is difficult, but if you are hard-working and diligent, it can become a prosperous career for you.  Try not to get frustrated in the beginning and don’t be afraid to ask for help.  There’s not one real estate agent who started their career as a superstar.

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