How To Stand Out When You’re New To The Real Estate Industry

When you’re starting out in the real estate industry, it can be difficult to stand out from established agents and your peers both within the agency and community. Luckily, there is a way, in fact there are many! If you want to be known when you’re new to the industry, follow these five tips to build your agent profile and stand out in your market area.

1. Build Your Digital Profile

In today’s online world, it’s crucial that you build your digital profile from the get-go. If your prospects cannot find you on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, or a website, then you do not exist in your market area.

New agents that want to go one step further should start a blog, and why not add in some video blogs too which provide helpful information about the property market and tips to buy and sell property. You can easily set up a blog supporting videos via WordPress, Weebly, Medium, or Posthaven.

Having a digital profile helps you build authority as an agent. If you’re not online you can’t be found, so the more active channel you exist on, the more credibility you build.

2. Find Your Niche

Rather than being a generalist, be a specialist real estate agent. If you want to stand out as a new agent, you must own a niche in your market area. For example, you could specialise in a particular type of client, such as first home buyers or renovators. You could specialise in a particular property type, such as apartments or defence housing. Or, you could specialise in a certain suburb that you particularly favour and have a passion for. Whatever your chosen niche, make sure it is something you are extremely knowledgeable on so that you become known as the go-to agent for that speciality.

If you don’t know what niche you want to work in, look for specialists within your agency and ask if you can shadow them to obtain a true experience of that niche and determine whether it is right for you. If you do something you enjoy and are passionate about, this will resonate through to your clients and you’ll become more successful.

3. Be An Integral Part Of Your Community

As a new agent, it’s important that you get to know your local community, since this is where most of your business will come from. Create flyers promoting you and your services, and go door-knocking in your market area. Introduce yourself to the residents and ask if they are considering buying or selling, or know someone who is. Make sure you do your market research first as you may have residents asking what the area is doing at present. If residents aren’t home, pop your flyer in their letterbox.

Introduce yourself to local businesses, get to know the business owners in person, and discuss opportunities how you can start promoting each other. Why not ask if you can leave flyers at their business and in return you create a regular community newsletter with market updates and local business promotions.

Another good strategy to make yourself stand out is to hold a free community event. For example, if your target market is young families, why not host a picnic so you can get to know your prospects, and they can get to know you on both a personal and professional level. Find a local charity, not-for-profit or even sporting group to get behind. Become a sponsor and get involved.

Being part of your community will build trust for your personal brand. If you are an active community participant, the community will in turn want to support and rally behind you and your success.

4. Build And Manage Your Database

When you start with an agency, chances are they will already have a database, whether it be cold or warm leads. But, this won’t get you very far on its own. You must actively build your database by networking, networking, networking!

Whether it be via community engagement or networking with industry peers and groups, wherever you go and whatever you do, building a database should be your number one priority. What’s more, it’s simple to do! When you meet people, mention that, “By the way, did you know I am a real estate agent or in property?” Don’t be scared, be prepared! You’ll be surprised who has a story to tell (good or bad) and how it opens up discussion.

Once you have your database established, managing it is the key to success. Create a rotation roster of target and existing contacts to call. Since cold calling can be a little disheartening, make sure you mix it up with people you don’t yet have a relationship with and people you already know to help keep you motivated.

Offer your database something when you call them. Why not invite them to an event, or ask them if they want you to do a free property valuation for them. Keep track of personal details in your database too; perhaps it is their birthday soon or school holidays if they have children. This way you have an ice-breaker to your conversations.

Maintaining contact with your database is what keeps you top-of-mind with your customers. It is you who they will call when they are ready to rent, buy or sell a property, and this leads to success.

5. Find A Mentor

Finding a mentor is important if you want to stand out when you’re new to the real estate industry. Attending networking events and connecting with colleagues online are great ways to find a mentor that’s right for you. Why not attend REIQ events, industry conferences, or join social networking groups through, for example, LinkedIn or Meetup.

If you have a successful agent you admire, take the plunge and connect with them in person, via the phone, or social media, and ask them if they could mentor you or refer you to someone who could. Remember, to stand out from the crowd you need to do something different. So, don’t be shy- you have nothing to lose. If you don’t know anyone, try looking at the REB Top Agent Listings or ask your agency’s Principal for recommendations.

What should you look for in a mentor? A good mentor listens, asks challenging questions, provides constructive criticism, offers their expertise, pushes you to achieve results, and helps you step outside your comfort zone. Finding a mentor who you respect and admire is a sure path to building a successful mentor-mentee relationship.

Agents who have mentors always surpass their competition. As a matter of fact, most successful people have mentors! Why not find one now so you can be miles ahead of your peers who are also new to the industry.

If you’re new to the industry and want to stand out from the get-go, use these helpful tips today. And, if you’re looking to become qualified in the real estate industry or upskill your real estate qualifications, call Validum Institute TODAY on (07) 3193 5270 to find out more about our fresh new blended approach to learning.

We’d love to know how our tips help you stand out in the real estate industry. Email me your thoughts at victor.james@validumgroup.com.au.