Re: ‘Rookie Realtor doing ‘floor time” (July 6)
Dear Rookie:
I am a broker of the fastest-growing RE/MAX company in southeast Michigan. I have recruited mostly seasoned agents who have been attracted to me for my success as a longtime Realtor. I now have more than 60 agents and coach them, as well as service my existing client base with the help of my four-member team. I have been a broker/owner for three years but started as an agent at age 21 and am now 35 years old. I have not made less than $200,000 in commissions since I was 25 or 26 years old. I put a lot of hours in meeting the right people and attracting the rest. Enough said to build credibility for you…
ADVICE:
1. Treat this biz as a game.
2. Focus on the deals, properties and the people, and not the money.
3. REMEMBER: I have always said, “If you take care of enough people then you will be taken care of.” I have heard it similarly stated that if you give enough people what they want then you can get what you want.
4. Meet more people and earn more money. Plain and simple, keep meeting more people and adding them to your list of prospects.
I make new recruits and two have become rookies of the year at the local board of Realtors. Make 40 new contacts a day, five days a week. You don’t make money sitting in the office! Get out there and campaign! It is like you’re running for office…you shake a lot of hands and kiss a lot of babies, if you know what I mean. You attract more bees with honey!
Where do you meet them? EVERYWHERE!!! Put on your office name badge and wear it EVERYWHERE. I have an agent who does not leave the house unless he is wearing his shirt he had embroidered “John Quail, REALTOR.” This is just one thing he has done. He is one of my stars…almost $180,000 since the first of the year in comissions.
Go to Home Depot and help people. Go to the bank and strike up conversation. Eat at the same Cony for breakfast early in the morning and watch people pick up the homes magazines. Watch people pick them up at the grocery store and put your card in them. Leave your biz cards at the gas pumps and ATM machines in your sphere. SERIOUSLY knock on doors every Saturday morning and give them a list of homes for sale in their area, courtesy of you. Then invite them to your open house. Offer to help for free at the local garden centers loading people’s cars.
Collect those names and numbers and follow-up. Over time it will happen. There is no magic to this game, you just have to play it for a while. You will notice all these ideas do not cost money. You need to also offer all the agents you know a fat referral fee to handle their garbage leads. Show their houses for them for the leads they don’t have time for. Work their open houses for a small fee. I would much rather pay an agent $30-$50 for a four-hour sit in one of my listings instead of me doing it. The larger agents don’t have time but may have to keep the customer satisfied…and you can make a buck doing what you need to. MEET MORE PEOPLE…
I hope this can help.
Christopher Dishon
RE/MAX Encore
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Got tips, ideas or advice for the Rookie Realtor? Send them to Rookie@inman.com.
