Just Don't Quit!
Transparency Alert!! I will be sharing my experience from the beginning until where I am in my career now, apologies in advance if this isn't as glamorous as you thought.– I got my Real Estate license in 2020 at the start of the pandemic and like most agents, I entered into the game with nothing but pure optimism and the shirt on my back. I had no true knowledge of the industry, the climate of the market, the FMLS system, the commission splits, NOTHING.
I thought that learning the scripts alone was going to guarantee my success. I was so lost with no true mentorship, so I found myself doing lots of tasks, but none that created profit.-- I have been in sales for 10 years, (I've sold apartment units, upscale gym memberships, durable medical equipment, internet services, even microfiber bamboo pillows out of isle 16 at Kroger) I had already felt great exhaustion from harsh customers, so all of my efforts went into anything that avoided picking up the phone.
Of course with this type of mentality, I didn’t make any money. In my first year, I worked for a wholesale brokerage where the splits were very small starting off. So, although I ended up closing 2 properties I didn’t make any money. This was very disappointing because I thought it would be easier. I was desperate.
In the beginning I didn't care to know about the commission because I wanted so badly to learn the ropes. (Bless my poor little heart!) Which led me to a bad position. I really needed training. I ended up leaving after 6 months and joining a traditional brokerage which offered extensive training, scripts, in person meetings, lunches, you name it.
It was nice to be able to experience that environment, but even with all of the training that was offered, I didn’t learn how to sell a single home. I worked in an office with a bunch of heavy hitters. I reached out to everyone in the office asking for advice, help or anything. I would offer my assistance with open houses and showings but nothing.
No one had the time to help a new agent. (Which now I totally understand) So after about 7 months of idle business, I ended up grabbing a salaried position. I gave up real estate all together. I needed some money! This position was specific to another brokerage so I joined them; eXp Realty, my current brokerage. In working full time as an onboarding director, I was able to close one buyer transaction without even trying. (I wasn’t practicing real estate at all)
Keep in mind, eXp Realty is a cloud brokerage which basically means our brokerage office, resources, and access to brokers is all online and virtual. So I was able to close, ultimately from my computer. The education is there, the help is available and even better, agents are more willing to help others. But during my time as an onboarding director working directly for top agent Kati Spaniak, I learned that you have to quickly implement what you learn.
You learn, you do.
Admittedly, I am a very analytical person so I often found myself stuck, because I need things to be perfect. (If I got a dollar for how many times Kati said, “Done is better than perfect Brittany” I’d probably have about $7.) Seriously though, it needed to change. Thankfully, I was able to learn a wealth of information before my time was up. Here’s where starting over comes in.
We live in a time where our lives are expected to be broadcasted on social media, otherwise you have bad marketing, right? It’s a “necessity” to niche so it can feel impossible to start over without feeling like others will see you as a failure. Or perhaps you see yourself as a failure. Here’s the thing, so what!? Start over every single day if you need to, just never quit!
This was one of my concerns but the truth is, people want to see you thrive. And more importantly, YOU want to see YOU thrive. So make sure you allow yourself some grace, and keep your goal at the forefront of your mind to stay focused. It's all about mind-set.
In my process of starting over, I took some time to educate myself. I know enough now, to know what I didn’t know. I began to study top agents, their habits, and their certifications. You won’t hear anyone talk about it, but you need to always, always, always, be learning. Get certified in something new every year.
Start thinking of real estate as your career, your business. I was interested in creating a competitive edge, so I took a real estate negotiation course which is right up my alley. I also took a CMA course that hammered down on how to make price recommendations. I HIGHLY recommend this class for new agents. It’s vital.
And I’m not done yet. I am writing this in March, and I am just getting started. I took an effort to re-learn scripts and dialogues (also recommended) and I learned how to go deep on pulling expired listings and identifying why homes in my area did not sell. Practicing daily.
So, am I seeing results yet? It’s been one full week so far, and my major daily activities include:
Script Practice
Lead Generation (Pulling expired listings to call)
Lead Conversion (Calling the list of collected expired listings)
Process Review (Create processes for everything & study them)
Education (Learn something/get certified)
Social Media Engagement/Agent Attraction (post 3 days per week minimum)
15 minute read
Admin tasks (Put all notes in CRM, set all appointment reminders, send out necessary emails, etc.)
I performed these tasks for a week straight and from just putting myself out on social media, making the calls, and doing open houses I received two solid referrals and one CLIENT! So yes, I am seeing results and urge all new agents to bite the bullet and pick up the phone–do the work.
Trust me, you won’t die. Make sure you time block your core duties, do them every single day regardless of how you’re feeling and YOU WILL SEE RESULTS. I’ll keep you updated on what happens after a few months of consistency. Leave a comment if you have questions or feedback!
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