Being a real estate agent can be a challenging but rewarding career. The plus side of earning a commission on every sale is that your income is only limited by the number of sales you can make, but the downside is that if you do not make enough sales, you probably will not have your job very long. These five tips can help you make more sales, increase your income and grow your career.
Get Your Broker’s License
Most real estate agents work for someone else, which means part of the money you bring in through sales is going to your boss. One way to boost your income is to obtain a broker license. Becoming a broker will allow you to work as an independent agent or hire other agents to make sales for you.
Read on:
Expanding your options opens up more opportunities to make sales and allows you to keep a bigger chunk of the income brought in with those sales.
Do Not Oversell
Many buyers are turned off by sales agents who try too hard to sell them something. A real estate purchase is a major investment and your buyers need to feel like they can trust the information that you are giving them. If you push too hard to make a sale, your buyers may feel like you may distort the truth to make the sale. Focus your efforts on being a good source of information about the property and matching your buyers with the right property for their needs and budget.
Offer Virtual Tours
You and your clients have limited time and neither of you wants to waste time driving around to see properties that will not be of interest. Offering a virtual tour can allow your client to get a better feel for how a property fits what he is looking for before either of you make the effort to drive out and look in person. This can be a particularly useful tool for clients who are making a long-distance move or buying a second home out of state, who do not want to spend several hours driving or hop on a plane just to find out they are not that interested in the property they are viewing.
Manage Your Time
Working in a mostly self-directed profession, such as a real estate agent, has a lot of perks, but distractions can throw you off track and cost you sales. It is important to manage your time well so that you are promptly returning calls, texts and e-mails from clients, staying on top of your appointments, getting your critical marketing tasks completed and finishing all of the other important objectives you have to set yourself up to be able to close sales. Online time management tools can help you keep yourself organized and many are available for use both on your laptop or smartphone, so you can update them while you are on the go.
Turn Client Communication Into a Marketing Tool
Any time you are communicating with a client, you should be including some form of marketing material that drives your brand. Close your e-mails with a link to your website and social media accounts. Consider featuring one or two “hot” properties that the client may want to look at. Whenever you talk to a client on the phone, direct them to visit your website for more information or mention a property you think they might be interested in. Make sure your recorded voicemail greeting directs clients to your website and social media. Whenever you post anything on social media, include a link to a useful post on your blog or relevant information on your website.
The real estate field is exciting, competitive and offers the chance for tremendous upward mobility for those who succeed. These five tips can help you increase your sales and advance in your career as a real estate professional.
