Building Your Career as a New Real Estate Agent
It’s no secret that 2020 was a tough year for many. At the end of last year, 12.6 million Americans were out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving folks to wonder how they’d pay the monthly mortgage and other essential bills. The financial uncertainty has pushed many toward a career change, and since people will always need a roof over their heads, real estate has become the place to be.
“There are only three real necessities: food, shelter and clothing,” says Brian Buffini, founder and chairman of Buffini & Company, a real estate training and coaching company. “We’re in the shelter business, and it’s not going anywhere.”
Yet as many agents quickly learn, carving a successful path in this industry isn’t always easy. Data from the National Association of REALTORS® shows agents are earning less than $10,000 in their first two years on the job.
Why is it so difficult for new agents to stick with the business? Buffini says most of it comes down to a lack of training.
“People get into this business with hopes and dreams of serving, and they just get blistered,” says Buffini. “New agents must take a deep dive in the fundamentals of real estate early on in order to establish a system for ongoing success.”
This is why Brian Buffini developed the innovative real estate training program for new agents called 100 Days to Greatness® and released it in collaboration with the National Association of REALTORS®. While Buffini released a program of the same name several years ago, the content of this latest training solution is completely different. As one of the most comprehensive training programs on the market for licensees, 100 Days to Greatness® breaks down the skills agents need to be successful in their first few months on the job.
According to the 100 Days to Greatness® training program, an agent needs to accomplish several things early on. The first is building a thriving database using people in your sphere of influence: friends, business owners, social groups, etc. Once these folks are inputted into a real estate CRM, agents must implement a proven system for quality lead generation. Buffini says first-time agents should treat their database as relationships and serve those folks at the highest level to generate referral business.
“If you didn’t generate a lead, you didn’t go to work,” says Buffini. “That was my philosophy as an agent, and it’s still true to this day.”
A few other activities on the new agent to-do list: Master the basics of working with buyers and sellers in a professional manner. Your clients need to know that you have the skills they require to get the job done right. Additionally, agents should adopt an exceptional time management strategy and stay on top of their finances.
