RealTown's RealTalk

I have been asked by my branch manager to create a guide or Blog for new real estate agents. I have been a Realtor for 6 years and have been successful (whatever that means), so her thought was that I have been through what they are dealing with. There are so many products and opportunities that compete for an agent's time, attention and money. If you could give new agents two pieces of advice - what would you tell them? I am looking for thoughts on time management, business planning, technology, education, marketing, etc. So, any area of expertise that you want to contribute to would be a huge help. I would like to post the thoughts in a Blog for the benefit of others. Would you help me with this?

Victor,

My 2 pieces of advice may be a little different than someone who has been in the business for many years. I still consider myself a newbie, having been licensed just over 3 years, and a full time Realtor® for just over 2 years.

• Get all the training you possibly can- take your CE, attend your monthly board meetings/breakfasts of knowledge, read some of the really great books out there, find a mentor, take online classes (e-Pro is a great place to start) etc. Knowledge is power, and especially when you are a new agent. Having good, professional knowledge helps when you don't have experience to fall back on.
• Treat your real estate business as the business it is. So many people fall into the trap of it's not a 9-5 job, no regular hours so they can do what ever they want, when they want. An agent will get back from their business what they put into it. Treat it as a "real job" and your will be rewarded handsomely. Treat it as a casual when I feel like job and that is the income you will get from it.

As I stated some of you more experienced agents may have other suggestions. There is so much to learn when you first enter this business, it can really be overwhelming. It really is a matter of tackling one concept at a time, then move onto the next. Something like the how do you eat an elephant, one bite at a time. Don't look at the whole elephant, only the 1 bite you are currently working on.

Kris Coutant, e-Pro
Associate Broker
The Ultimate Team
Keller Williams Realty Distinctive Properties

Serving Warren, Washington
and Saratoga Counties
Cell: 518 361 5250
Office: 518 798 0040
KrisCoutant@roadrunner.com