How to Stand Out As an Agent in a Competitive Market

As a real estate agent, you want to create an image of yourself and your capabilities that is more than a name and a photo on a business card, right? Ideally, you want to brand yourself as a real estate agent who gets things done, a person who has built a successful business in a fast-paced field, with a reputation for successful transactions and a waiting list of clients.

Here's how to do it right, even if you're just starting out. 

Align Yourself with a Trusted Brokerage

The old adage that "success breeds success" is accurate. If you want to rise to the top in your chosen field as a real estate professional, surround yourself with others who are serious, knowledgeable, and goal-oriented. The best real estate agents are team players. Seek out more experienced agents who are willing to share their insights and expertise, and who are available to mentor newly-licensed agents. Don't hesitate to ask for counsel and advice, but also be willing to trust your instincts and demonstrate your individuality when dealing with clients. 

Hang your license with a broker that has a track record of success. That's not necessarily the broker with the largest volume, the highest number of agents, or the most memorable physical location or upscale building. It is always the broker, however, that is known for honesty, integrity, service, and "going the extra mile" to ensure that buyers and sellers are satisfied and that transactions are closed successfully.

Take Advantage of Technology

It may have once been true that all you needed was a large, comfortable vehicle and "local knowledge" of neighborhoods and directions. That time -- if it ever really existed -- is long gone. Today, technology reigns. At the very least, you'll need a great cell phone and a reliable vehicle navigation system. But that's not all!

If you plan to succeed in the competitive world of real estate, you must become familiar not only with the business and marketing tools that exist to help you with lead generation, scheduling, record-keeping, and follow-up. You also need the tools and the know-how to perform property searches, identify real estate trends on local, regional and national levels, and the communication skills to interact successfully with the people you meet. You need to understand the complexities of financing options, interest rates, accounting principles, and tax law. And all that, actually, is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Because you're likely to spend minimal time sitting behind a desk, it's important that your digital universe is powerful as well as portable, adaptable, and shareable, so that you are always up-to-date with the latest data.  You and your digital universe must be adaptable to many different situations. Surround yourself with the best hardware and software that's available, and make certain it's all compatible with programs used by your broker and local real estate listing service.  

The old adage that "success breeds success" is accurate. If you want to rise to the top in your chosen field as a real estate professional, surround yourself with others who are serious, knowledgeable, and goal-oriented. The best real estate agents are team players. Seek out more experienced agents who are willing to share their insights and expertise, and who are available to mentor newly-licensed agents. Don't hesitate to ask for counsel and advice, but also be willing to trust your instincts and demonstrate your individuality when dealing with clients. 

Hang your license with a broker that has a track record of success. That's not necessarily the broker with the largest volume, the highest number of agents, or the most memorable physical location or upscale building. It is always the broker, however, that is known for honesty, integrity, service, and "going the extra mile" to ensure that buyers and sellers are satisfied and that transactions are closed successfully.

Display Your Personality

Remember that your career choice is not your entire life. Continue to develop your personal interests, hobbies, and lifestyle. Become involved in professional and service organizations and community affairs, but don't let yourself become overextended with "causes" or business affairs. Continue to interact with family, friends, and neighbors. Take advantage of the ripples that radiate outward from the daily activities of your life. You never know where your next clients will find you. Give freely of your time and energy to the activities and events that you enjoy and support; corresponding benefits will accrue to your business. 

Always remember that real estate is a people-oriented business. As important as the "real" structures and procedures may be, your goal is to fulfill the needs of the people who put their trust in you to sell their property or to find the "perfect" home to buy. The qualities that are always most important to success remain the same: honesty, integrity, knowledge, experience, fairness, and attention to detail. Master those, and you are sure to stand out in any market!