Consider all of the following…

Who:

-Can you talk to people? When retaining clients, the first impression and how you make them feel while making a huge purchase/sale will deem whether you will be successful or not, it is a people business.

-Are you honest? Any bit of dishonestly in this business can land you in a legal battle.

-Solid foundation of computer skills including navigating the internet, using Microsoft word and excel, using email on your smart phone.

-Timeliness, eagerness to learn, professionalism

-Resourcefulness… can you come up with ideas on your own? This is what will set you apart.

-Instruction…can you take feedback and adjust how you operate? Do you absorb information?

-Common sense

How to start:

-Take a NYS certified RE licensing 75 hour course (can be online)

-Take the course exam

-Take the NYS exam (should schedule this ahead of time so that you don’t wait)

-Pass the exam (see results online)

-Chose the brokerage you want to work for (you will need to do this PRIOR to applying for your license online)

-Apply for your license online (need broker’s license # in order to apply)

Then what:

-Receive license # from state online

-Set up company email/web

-Register with the MLS and pay prorated dues for the year

-Get log in to MLS and other important subscriptions like Showingtime and Zipforms

-Take professional photo/order business cards

-Create social media business pages

-Accompany broker on showings/listings

-Practice answering lead calls (like Zillow)

-Master navigating the MLS database

-Set up Zillow, Realtor.com, etc pages

-Complete any in house training sessions required by broker

-Change voicemail recording on phone to professional “this is ___ with ____”

How long does it take?

-The course can be completed as quickly as you get through the 75 hours if you take it online

-You can take your course exam as soon as you complete the course

-You can take the state exam at any time

-Results from the state exam depend on how backed up the state is but assume 2 weeks

-Once you pass, you can apply for your license online immediately with your broker’s license #, this typically comes back within 24 hours

What you should do on your own:

-Research ways the RE agents are successful

-Advertise on social media

-Take certification/designation courses to grow your knowledge

-Shadow other experienced agents in office

-Read motivational books RE related or not

-Stay current and research your current market conditions 

-Network with other industry professionals

-Refer to social media pages with successful agents across the country to check out what other agents are doing that works for them (keep in mind different markets will yield different results)

Things to consider when choosing your brokerage:

-Commission split

-Training

-Do they provide leads?

-Office fees

-What is provided

-Office space

-Office/broker success

-Provided marketing for listings

-Alignment on goals

What Selling ADK Provides to agents:

-1 on 1 training to jump start career

-Great office environment

-Weekly whole office training/idea sessions

-Your own Selling ADK email

-Initial batch of business cards

-Appealing office setting in an ideal location

-Sign hardware/lockboxes

What you need:

-Operable car

-Smart phone

-Laptop

-Internet access at home and capable service for calls

-Flexible hours (you cannot be successful in real estate with a 9-5 job as you will need to conduct business during those times as well, a bartending side job can be great)

Initial Investment:

-Prorated annual Board/MLS fees depending on how much of the year is left, generally less than $1000

-License fee is less than $200 initially, and then $75 to renew every 2 years for salesperson

-Course and exam fees, generally less than $500

-Plan to invest at least $100 into marketing each month (these are tax write-offs!)

Why a career in RE?

-Create your own hours/days

-Flexible schedule

-No limit on financial earnings, you get what you put in (in theory!)

-Interesting work day, no two days alike

-“Work from home”

-Be on the go

-Hub for creativity in your career

What to expect:

-Real Estate income is solely based on commissions, there is no steady paycheck unless you work to make it a steady income. Your brokerage does not pay you hourly as an employee, you are a general contractor

-You will spend money before you make money

-Most transactions take an average of 6-8 weeks to close, you do not get a paycheck until a deal closes successfully

-Most agents can take up to 6 months or more to see a deal close

-Momentum takes time, it is gradual, and it builds as you work on it

-Successful agents have tenacity, it is a frustrating business if you allow it to be

-I suggest preparing to step away from your full time job as you take the licensing course and adjusting to part time hours or a part time job to keep some income while you first begin (bartending/waiting tables is a great side job for agents!), real estate needs a lot of effort dumped into it to get started and grow and it will NOT grow with a full 9-5 M-F job

How much time do you put into Real Estate daily…. Consider this:

-You should consider RE a full time job, no questions asked

-You need to be available to show a house everyday at a reasonable hour (between 8am-7pm), you might show 3 houses one day, and then not again for a week… some days you might show all day… but you need to flexibility when someone calls you to be able to say “Great! I’m available this afternoon, tomorrow morning, or the next day at 5”, or something like that or they will find someone else that IS in real estate full time

-You will need to spend time prospecting leads DAILY… that means emailing/texting/calling people (will get more into this in training) to turn them into clients or retain clients. If you do not speak to them, they will not speak to you and they will call someone else. I do this at various times of the day sometimes 7am for an hour, sometimes all day, sometimes later when I finally get home

-It is not a 9-5 job which is good and bad, allows for opportunity to have a side job ONLY if that side job has flexible hours (for example not every single day 2-9pm where you would never be available for evening showings with clients that work a 9-5pm) to keep a paycheck coming in until you are established, but you also might need to work on your computer/phone from 8pm-10pm or 7am or all day some days