But one characteristic many outstanding professionals share is knowing what things successful real estate agents never do..
The list is long, and a lot of it is common sense: adhere to the golden rule, don’t think you know everything, accept and know when to ask for help, etc.
There are many pitfalls to avoid no matter where you are in your career, because successful real estate agents never do these things:
1. Expect Immediate Results
When you’re a new agent first starting out, it’s understandable to be excited and ready to set the real estate world on fire by securing and selling listing after listing.
Unfortunately, that isn’t how it works.
Be patient. Find a mentor, or several of them. Network at industry events. Read everything you can on the industry, both nationally and locally. Soak in everything.
If you work hard, learn, show off your skills and be patient, good things will happen.
2. Waste Time on Things They Can’t Control
You’re not going to get every listing you hope for. It might be because it’s in an area you’re not quite familiar with or the sellers felt a better connection with a different agent.
Sometimes a home might sell for less than you initially predicted. Maybe there was something you overlooked. Maybe the perfect buyer wasn’t out there. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.
When something doesn’t go as you hoped or expected, you should definitely step back and assess what didn’t work so you can prevent it from happening again.
That said, don’t beat yourself up over it. It’s done and in the past. Don’t dwell; chalk it up as a lesson and take the steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
3. Skimp on Marketing
Marketing is pivotal in real estate.
Having a modern website, active social media presence, a professional-looking head shot and other high-quality marketing materials such as fliers and business cards all help you make a good first impression with prospective clients.
Quality can be expensive, but it’s an investment in yourself and your business.
4. Let Technology Pass Them By
Technology continues to evolve and become more and more a part of our daily lives, both personally and professionally.
You don’t have to be on every new social media platform or have the latest phone to be a successful realtor, but keeping up with trends and thinking about how (or if) they apply to the real estate industry can help you stay ahead of the curve.
Technology isn’t only about new, fancy gadgets either. Invest in tools that can help you grow your business by working smarter, such as CRM (customer relationship management), front-desk software or an appointment center service.
5. Make the Property Difficult to Show
What’s one of the most important aspects in listing a property? Getting buyers through the door to see it.
ShowingTime products and services help make the scheduling process simple, easy and customizable by handling showing request calls, defining different appointment types and granting access to sellers (when authorized by their agent) to confirm or decline appointments.
All of those features are aimed at the same goal: make showings simpler.
6. Forget to Do a Final Walk-Through
While it’s true most of the responsibility to tidy up falls on the homeowner, real estate agents shouldn’t automatically assume a property is ready to show.
There isn’t much you can do before a regular showing — especially if you’re managing several listings — but for bigger events like open houses there’s no excuse not to arrive early to make sure the property is ready to be seen by prospective buyers.
7. Miss Out on Learning Opportunities
We hinted at this in the first section, but it rings true for agents of all experience levels.
Never turn down a chance to interact with fellow real estate professionals to swap stories, network or discuss the past, present and future of the industry.
Are you looking for tools and technology to grow your real estate business? Contact us today to learn more about how ShowingTime products and services can help.
