There is literally an endless supply of lists of things every real estate agent “must do” to crush it in 2018.
At last count, there were about 27,000 “must do’s”, including writing business plans, reading more books, negotiating better, finding your niche, eating frogs, meditating, etc.
Fortunately for everyone, we have read all 27,000 “must do’s” and have boiled them down to “The Five Most Important Things Every Real Estate Agent Must Do to Crush It In 2018”
I might add that this is also based on our experience from working with thousands of successful agents over the years.
The Five Most Important Things Every Real Estate Agent Must Do to Crush It In 2018!
1. Hire an Assistant
Assistants pay for themselves, when leveraged well: My own fear of fixed overhead held me back from hiring an assistant for far too long, and my business suffered for it severely.
Hire someone full-time: We strongly suggest hiring someone full-time because you will attract better candidates.
Who to hire: We like focusing on young whiz kids (often right out of college) as they are trainable, they have no bad habits, and academic skill often comes in handy for “assisting.”
How to hire: Post ads! Craigslist, Indeed, College Boards, etc. It is not free, but it is the best way to attract the most talent.
How to train: This is easier than most people think.
Training books: There are thousands of books on Amazon alone, and it is valuable to have your assistant familiar with all aspects of the business and the psychology behind real estate. Have your assistant read and write short summaries to help them retain and apply what they learned.
Here are a few of our favorites:
• Mario Jannatpour’s The Honest Real Estate Agent (a great overview and primer for everyone new to real estate)
• Katie Lance’s Get Social Smart (today’s go-to real estate social networking guide)
• Bob Burg’s Endless Referrals (the essentials for setting up and cultivating a network for referrals)
• Daniel H. Pink’s To Sell Is Human (an entirely new way to view sales; it is about helping and sharing information; sales is not manipulating; great book assistants who hate selling).
State Licensing Courses: Licensing is another way to ensure industry specific knowledge and it allows your assistant to help in all functions of your business. Investing in your assistant’s education will pay off greatly.
Shadowing: Walk them through everything you do, so they are aware of the thousand moving pieces that play together to close a deal. It is time consuming at first, but drastically time saving in the long run.
Brokerage Office Training: Many large brokerages have very good training programs. There may be more options than you realize in the form of webinars, seminars and on-site training.
How to retain – share the wealth and culture: This is a concern we hear often, as agents are afraid their new talent will leave once they learn the ropes. We used to have that fear too, but we don’t now as we retain by sharing the wealth (profit sharing) and by maintaining an awesome culture.
Keep your assistant productive: See items 2, 3, 4 and 5 below.
Need additional tips? Contact Nicholas Saenz at (925) 331-8227 and he will connect you with our hiring manager, who will be more than happy to share our many successful hiring tips.
2. Learn to Delegate
This is an absolute necessity for every agent, and every professional, for that matter, especially after you hire your assistant.
When you delegate you keep your assistant productive, avoid becoming overwhelmed, grow your business and finally have time to focus on what you do best!
Here is an excellent article about learning to delegate effectively.
3. Update Your Sphere and Database
We understand it can be time-consuming and daunting to set up and maintain a CRM. This can be task #1 for your new assistant.
The best way to effectively market and grow is through a constantly updated database.
We love the saying, “the best CRM is the one that you use.” Don’t overthink it.
Because so many agents aren’t exceptional with database management, this is an easy way to separate yourself from the pack.
There are numerous CRMs available today, and we have a CRM expert her in our office who would be happy to discuss them with you.
Feel free to contact Jonathan McGowan at (925) 395-4994 if you have CRM questions.
4. Clean Up or Establish Your Reputation
Your online reputation can make or break your business. According to Forbes, 90% of consumers read online reviews before working with you.
Google yourself regularly to make sure there is nothing you don’t want public online, and that your reviews are thriving. And if you haven’t already, set up your Google My Business profile – it’s free!
Also, make sure your Zillow, Realtor.com and Yelp profiles are fantastic by ensuring your professional information is up to date and your contact information matches across all platforms.
There are several services to help you scrub the bad reviews, and enhance the good. Here are a few services worth considering:
• Reach150
• Testimonial Tree
• BirdEye
Check out JVM’s Yelp and Reach150 pages as an example.
Reputation enhancement alone is something that can more than justify and pay for a full-time assistant.
5. Become a Social Media Marketing Expert
This task will also keep your new assistant very busy.
It’s 2018. Digital is the most efficient and cost-effective way to market by a long shot, but only if done effectively.
This is because you are fighting for eyeballs on an extremely crowded internet. Forbes wrote a helpful article recently that called out seven areas to focus on:
1. Post photos on Instagram to generate leads
2. Have a presence on Facebook
3. Tweet to promote listings
4. Make your mark on LinkedIn
5. Be hands-on in your management of social media accounts
6. Use more videos and photos
7. Measure social media metrics
Check out the full article to read through the details. Happy you have that new assistant yet?
Jay Voorhees
Founder/Broker | JVM Lending
(855) 855-4491 | DRE# 1197176, NMLS# 310167
