There’s one question I get a lot from newly minted real estate agents: How can I stand out? Think about it. There are 1.3 million agents in the United States right now, and according to stats, about 80 percent of new agents leave the industry within their first two years.
It doesn’t matter what age you are, there are a few things you can do to stand out from the crowd. Here are my top three tips.
1. Create an online presence
For most of us, if we’re going to be starting out brand new in the industry, we don’t really have too much money to spend on marketing, magazines, newspapers and ads. So, what do we do instead?
Well, the first thing you should do as a new real estate agent is take advantage of free items that can help promote you to the masses — like social media. First and foremost, what I would do is use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. All four of those platforms are absolutely free for you to use.
So, build out a profile. Have a group of your friends take a look and dissect your profile. What’s missing? Is the photo relevant and current? Does the information on there reveal who you are as a human and how great of an agent you can be to your future clients?
Have someone assess all of your social platforms. Once you’re done, you’ll have a solid online presence. Most of us won’t be able to build a brand new website right out of the gate, but you can still have an online presence with social media.
2. Look the part
This could easily be the first thing on the list. As a new real estate agent, you need to look the part. You need to dress the part, and you need to act the part — act as if you’re that real estate agent that you’ve envisioned yourself to be.
Where do you see yourself taking your real estate career a few years down the road? In the morning, channel that energy, find your zen, and dress just like the professional you want to be. You’ll start becoming that person you’ve envisioned yourself to be five years from now.
3. Don’t reinvent the wheel
Now that you have a great social presence and a great physical presence, the third thing that’s really going to tie this all together is this — do not reinvent the wheel. Real estate has been real estate for a very long time now. You don’t need to reinvent things.
See what other agents — those who are very successful in your market, across the nation and even internationally — are doing. Use those people as your mentors. Start reading what they’re writing on their blogs. Take a look at what their websites look like.
See how they’re writing the copy on their listings. What does their copy look like? Ask yourself why your copy might be not so well-received, while theirs reads like a novel. Start following what they’re doing. Practice anything that you feel you can be consistent with and apply in your life and business.
So, in summary, if you’re a new agent, start by building your web presence — because that’s free. That’s how you can promote yourself to your sphere and to anyone who doesn’t know you as an agent.
Don’t be a secret agent. Scream it from the rooftops so people know that you can call you, ask you questions and get references from you. Next, you act the part and take advantage of your real estate mentors. If you could do all of those things together, which are not that difficult, you’re going to kill it in your career.
Roh Habibi starred in Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing San Francisco,” which garnered 25 million viewers in 100 different countries. He has $200-plus million in closed sales under his belt and aspires to hit the $500 million mark in the next few years. Follow Roh on Twitter and on Facebook.
