For young people who enjoy working with others and are looking to get into real estate, becoming a real estate agent can be a great real estate career option. One great perk of becoming a real estate agent is the fact that virtually anyone can do it. While you typically have to be at least 18 years old to get a real estate license, becoming an agent can be a simple matter of signing up for a short course and taking a licensing exam. However, most teens and people in their early twenties think that finding success as a young real estate agent is tough and never take the leap. They wonder if potential clients will take them seriously and if they really have what it takes to succeed.
While being a young real estate agent has its challenges, you should not let your youth deter you from achieving your dreams. Instead, you should use it to your advantage. What you need to keep in mind is that simply taking classes and getting a practicing license is not enough to ensure success in the real estate business especially if you are quite young. Read on to learn some of the top tips on how to be a young successful real estate agent.
1. Choose the Right Brokerage
Once you’ve acquired your real estate license, you’ll need to work under a broker. As a new real estate agent, picking the right brokerage is key to your success. You shouldn’t pick a broker just because they offer the highest commission split. Look for a brokerage that has a good reputation and offers continuous training. Picking the wrong brokerage can limit your career growth.
2. Keep Learning
Education and training are key foundations of success for young agents. However, too many young real estate agents think that passing their exams means that they are well-informed. They forget that some of the important stuff is never taught in school.
To be the best at what you do, you have to understand your craft inside and out. Therefore, as a young real estate agent, it’s crucial that you stay on top of your game. A major benefit of being young is that you typically have fewer responsibilities. This means that you have more time to soak up as much information as you can.
You should know that, as a young real estate agent, people will often try to test you to see if you have the chops to be their agent. By continually improving your knowledge, you’ll be able to overcome doubts about what you bring to the table. You should be able to walk clients through real estate transactions with confidence and not be stumped by questions. If you are able to answer their questions right off the bat, you’ll gain their trust.
Read books and real estate agent blogs, watch YouTube videos, attend seminars and workshops, etc. Try to become an expert in your local housing market and stay on top of industry trends. This way, you will be a valuable resource for your clients.
Related: 12 Best Books for Real Estate Agents
3. Find a Mentor
Too many young agents think that they can do everything by themselves and don’t need insight on how to be successful in real estate from someone else. Unfortunately, this mentality has hindered the potential of many young real estate agents.
The best way to shorten the learning curve and be more successful much sooner is to work closely with people who have been there and done it successfully. It’s great to have an experienced agent who can teach you something new and guide you through your journey as a young real estate agent.
Don’t be afraid to ask them questions about how they have succeeded in different aspects of the business. You will be able to get a first-hand look at what it takes to succeed in the real estate business. You can start by asking for some recommendations from your broker. Ask to meet them for coffee or lunch and request to be mentored by them.
4. Always Portray Self-Confidence
If there’s one thing that’s vital for the success of a young real estate agent, it’s self-confidence. While there could be a few clients who will be concerned about an agent’s age, the majority won’t pass you up just because you are young. However, if you seem incompetent and unsure of yourself, they are surely going to reject you. You have to portray self-confidence when around your clients for them to feel comfortable around you and with the quality of your work.
Related: 7 Characteristics of the Most Successful Real Estate Agents
While you should work to develop real confidence, it may take time. Nevertheless, you still want to make a great first impression when you meet your real estate clients. When you are starting out, it’s crucial to cultivate an appearance of self-confidence, even if it means faking it for a while. First impressions are mostly based on your outward appearances and body language. People usually make snap judgments about your competence and confidence level based on your outward appearance and body language. If you come off as nervous or unsure of yourself, you can severely damage your chances of winning a client.
Here are some tips to help new real estate agents appear more self-assured and competent:
- Dress neatly and professionally
- Practice proper grooming
- Assume a power posture. Stand up straight and keep your shoulders back.
- Keep your head up and look straight ahead.
- Don’t fidget
- Smile more
- Give a firm handshake
- Maintain eye contact
- Speak slowly
- Be slower and more purposeful in your movements
5. Harness the Power of Technology
Real estate lead generation is key to making money as a real estate agent. However, if you are just getting started and have only a few deals under your belt, you may not be able to take advantage of past business and personal referrals. It can even take you several years to gather them. So, how can a young real estate agent with a small network compete with agents who have been in the business for years?
The best way to beat the odds is to use technology. One advantage of being a young real estate agent is that the youth are generally perceived to be better with technology. As such, some clients may actually prefer young real estate agents because they feel that they have a better grasp of the latest technology and marketing trends.
Young real estate agents can also take advantage of technology to boost their real estate marketing efforts and service delivery. Here are some of the best ways you can use technology to grow your business.
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Social Media Marketing
Make sure you are active on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Social media real estate marketing can be a low-cost and effective way for young agents to connect with potential clients.
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Online Reputation Management
Young agents can also use the internet to boost their marketing efforts through online reputation management. Now, more than ever, online real estate agent reviews play a big role in real estate lead generation. Therefore, it’s important to have a professional website and maintain a favorable online reputation.
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Predictive Analytics
One of the must-have tools for real estate agents is Mashboard. This advanced tool uses big data and predictive analytics to help agents to instantly and accurately qualify leads without asking questions. By taking the guessing out of qualifying real estate leads, you won’t waste your time on deals that aren’t ready to buy properties now.
Moreover, you can use the Property Recommender to find the ideal investment properties for your clients and close even faster. You can also access up-to-date homeowner data (names, addresses, emails, and numbers) for all US locations and accurately find off-market opportunities for your clients. Finally, you can download professional property analysis reports and share them with your clients through the dashboard.
For more details on how Mashboard helps real estate agents, click here.
Related: 3 Ways This Real Estate Agent Tool Conquers Competition
The Bottom Line
One of the mistakes that young real estate agents make is to think that their youth is a problem. With this mindset, you will simply be setting yourself up for failure. However, if you believe in yourself and focus on the right things, real estate leads and clients will often overlook the age factor. When it comes to success, age is just a number and not an indicator of potential. You can achieve your real estate dreams at any age.