1) No Business Plan or Business Strategy
So
many new agents put all their emphasis on which Real Estate Brokerage
they will join when their shiny new license comes in the mail. Why?
Because most new Real Estate Agents have never been in business for
themselves - they've only worked as employees. They, mistakenly,
believe that getting into the Real Estate business is "getting a new
job." What they're missing is that they're about to go into business
for themselves. If you've ever opened the doors to ANY business, you
know that one of the key ingredients is your business plan. Your
business plan helps you define where you're going, how you're getting
there, and what it's going to take for you to make your real estate
business a success. Here are the essentials of any good business plan:
A) Goals - What do you want? Make them clear, concise, measurable, and achievable.
B) Services You Provide
- you don't want to be the "jack of all trades & master of none" -
choose residential or commercial, buyers/sellers/renters, and what
area(s) you want to specialize in. New residential real estate agents
tend to have the most success with buyers/renters and then move on to
listing homes after they've completed a few transactions.
C) Market - who are you marketing yourself to?
D) Budget
- consider yourself "new real estate agent, inc." and write down EVERY
expense that you have - gas, groceries, cell phone, etc... Then write
down the new expenses you're taking on - board dues, increased gas,
increased cell usage, marketing (very important), etc...
E) Funding
- how are you going to pay for your budget w/ no income for the first
(at least) 60 days? With the goals you've set for yourself, when will
you break even?
F) Marketing Plan - how are you going to
get the word out about your services? The MOST effective way to market
yourself is to your own sphere of influence (people you know). Make sure
you do so effectively and systematically.
2) Not Using the Best Possible Closing Team
They
say the greatest businesspeople surround themselves with people that
are smarter than themselves. It takes a pretty big team to close a
transaction - Buyer's Agent, Listing Agent, Lender, Insurance Agent,
Title Officer, Inspector, Appraiser, and sometimes more! As a Real
Estate Agent, you are in the position to refer your client to whoever
you choose, and you should make sure that anyone you refer in will be an
asset to the transaction, not someone who will bring you more headache.
And the closing team you refer in, or "put your name to," are there to
make you shine! When they perform well, you get to take part of the
credit because you referred them into the transaction.
The
deadliest duo out there is the New Real Estate Agent & New Mortgage
Broker. They get together and decide that, through their combined
marketing efforts, they can take over the world! They're both focusing
on the right part of their business - marketing - but they're doing each
other no favors by choosing to give each other business. If you refer
in a bad insurance agent, it might cause a minor hiccup in the
transaction - you make a simple phone call and a new agent can bind the
property in less than an hour. However, because it typically takes at
least two weeks to close a loan, if you use an inexperienced lender, the
result can be disastrous! You may find yourself in a position of
"begging for a contract extension," or worse, being denied a contract
extension.
A good closing team will typically know more than their
role in the transaction. Due to this, you can turn to them with
questions, and they will step in (quietly) when they see a potential
mistake - because they want to help you, and in return receive more of
your business. Using good, experienced players for your closing team
will help you infinitely in conducting business worthy of MORE
business...and best of all, it's free!
3) Not Arming Themselves with the Necessary Tools
Getting
started as a Real Estate Agent is expensive. In Texas, the license
alone is an investment that will cost between $700 and $900 (not taking
into account the amount of time you'll invest.) However, you'll run
into even more expenses when you go to arm yourself with the necessary
tools of the trade. And don't fool yourself - they are necessary -
because your competitors are definitely using every tool to help THEM.
A) MLS Access
is probably the most expensive necessity you're going to run into.
Joining your local (and state & national, by default) Board of
Realtors will allow you to pay for MLS access, and in Austin, Texas,
will run around $1000. However, don't skimp in this area. Getting MLS
access is one of the most important things you can do. It's what
differentiates us from your average salesman - we don't sell homes, we
present any of the homes that we have available. With MLS Access, you
will have 99% of the homes for sale in your area available to present to
your clients.
B) Mobile Phone w/ a Beefy Plan - These
days, everyone has a cell phone. But not everyone has a plan that will
facilitate the level of use that Real Estate Agents need. Plan on
getting at least 2000 minutes per month. You want, and need, to be
available to your clients 24/7 - not just nights and weekends.
C) Computer (Preferably a Laptop)
- There's no way around it, you have to have a computer & be savvy
enough to use email. You would be wise to invest in some business
management software, as well. If you'd like to save some money (and who
wouldn't) then you can get the client & email management software
Thunderbird from
http://www.mozilla.com and you can get a free office suite from
http://www.openoffice.org
The only downside to these programs is that they do not sync with your
PDA or Smart Phone. A Laptop is a BIG plus because you'll be able to
work from home or on the go. New Real Estate Agents are often surprised
by just how much time they spend AWAY from the office, and a laptop
helps you stay on top of your work while on the go.
D) Real Estate Friendly Car
- You don't have to have a Lexus, but your Miata won't do the trick.
Make sure that you have a 4 door car or SUV that is comfortable and
presentable. Keep it clean, and for God's sake, don't smoke in it!
You're going to spend a LOT of time in your car, and put a lot of miles
on it, so if it's fuel efficient, it's a BIG plus. If you're driving a
sporty convertible, or still have your KILLER Jeep from college, it's
time to trade it in.
4) Lack of Proper Funding
If
you've taken the time to create your business plan, than you should
definitely have your budget, but I can't stress enough the importance of
having and following your budget. However, the budget alone doesn't
address the important aspect of funding. 90% of all small businesses
fail due to lack of funding. Typically, new agents will want to have 3
months of reserves in savings before taking the leap into full time
agency. However, money in the bank isn't the only way to answer the
question of funding. Maybe your partner can support you for a certain
period of time. You can keep a part-time job that won't interfere with
your business as a Real Estate Agent. Many successful waiters make the
transition to successful real estate agents with no money in the bank.
When you start your new business, don't expect to earn any income for,
at the least, 60 days.
5) Refusing to Spend Money on Marketing
Most
new Real Estate Agents don't realize that the hardest part of the
business is finding the business. Furthermore, they've just shelled out
around $2000 for their license and board dues, so the LAST thing they
want to do is to spend more money! Again, the problem lies in the lack
of understanding that you've just jumped into the Real Estate Business,
you haven't taken a new job. And any good businessperson will tell you
that how much business you GET is directly correlative to how much you
SPEND on marketing. If you choose the right brokerage, then you will
get some good inbound leads. However, don't neglect a good, personal
marketing campaign from the beginning to get your own name out as the
Real Estate Agent to go to.
6) Not Focusing Their Marketing Efforts in the Most Effective Areas
One
reason why many new Real Estate Agents who do begin spending money on
personal marketing stop is because they spend it in the wrong place.
The easiest place, and where conventional Real Estate tells you to spend
your money, is in conventional print marketing - the newspaper, real
estate magazines, etc... This is the most visible place to see real
estate advertising, it's where large offices spend a good part of their
money, and so many new agents mistakenly spend their money here. This
becomes very frustrating to new agents because of its low return. Large
brokerages can afford to spend their money here because they're filling
two needs - they're marketing their own properties for sale while
creating new buyer traffic for their buyer's agents. New Real Estate
Agents should look to their own sphere of influence and referral
marketing to see the most effective return on their investment. An
agent can spend as little as $100/month marketing to their family,
friends, and colleagues and see an incredible return. There are many
great referral systems around that all focus on the same premise - that
if you consistently market yourself to your sphere of influence as the
Real Estate Agent to go to - then you will get more business. The key
is to pick a system and to follow that system. You will see results.
7) Choosing the Wrong Brokerage for the Wrong Reasons
New
Real Estate Agents choose their new broker for a variety of reasons -
they have a good reputation, they offer the most competitive split, the
office is close to their house, etc... While these alone aren't bad
reasons to choose a broker, they aren't going to do a lot to help you in
your success. The #1 reason to choose a broker, and the question to
ask is, "What do you offer your new agents." If the answer is, "The
most competitive split in town" you should definitely keep looking.
Remember, 100% of $0 is still $0. If you're leaning towards the largest
broker in town, who has a great reputation, remember this: You're
starting a BUSINESS not a JOB. While it might be fantastic to brag to
your friends about landing a job at a prestigious company, it's no
accomplishment to hang your license on the same wall in the same office
as other successful agents.
Your #1 concern when interviewing new
Brokers is what they offer you as a new agent. Do they have incoming
leads? What does their training program consist of? What's their
retention level? What's their average sales price? Do they encourage
their agents to promote themselves? A Broker's purpose is to help new
agents start successful careers and to help established Agents progress
their careers to the next level. As a new agent, concern yourself less
with commission split or agency name and more with specific programs and
agency standards.
A new career in Real Estate is very exciting.
Starting a Real Estate business provides the new Agent with
opportunities for limitless potential and freedom. New Agents have a
notoriously high failure rate, however, so a new Real Estate career can
also be a very scary prospect. However, if you avoid the 7 Top Mistakes
Rookie Real Estate Agents Make, then you'll be far ahead of the
competition!
Eric Bramlett is the Broker and co-owner of One Source Realty in
Austin Texas. He has seen considerable success in real estate, and
looks forward to many more years in the business. Eric currently
invests, renovates, and develops real estate in the Greater Austin Texas
Market. He spends his time working with select clients, helps his new
agents get started in their real estate careers, helps his experienced
agents progress their careers to the next level, & when he has
time
he takes his dogs to the lake. Visit Erics Austin Texas Real Estate Guide & visit his Austin Texas Real Estate companys website. Austin Condos