How to Get Your Foot in the Door of a Real Estate Agency
Let’s say you’ve just graduated from college and finished your extra education to get your real estate license. Or maybe you’ve decided to change careers and you took the real estate courses at the local college at night. No matter how you got here, you are ready to get started. Wait, how do you get started? Let’s look at a few ways to kickstart your real estate career and get into an agency.
Talking to an existing real estate agent, perhaps an alumnus of your college, is a great way to get some insider information. He or she can tell you about local trends and what to expect in the business. You may also be able to do some networking through your college, and find a sponsor in an established agency that way.
Colleges will frequently have career centers that can provide you with some advice and referrals. Ones that specialize in real estate are committed to making sure you can get a job after you finish your classes. It makes no sense for them to train people who can’t get placed. Even if that happens due to a soft market, it reflects poorly on the school, so they will do their best for placement.
You can also think about the different kinds of Newport Residences real estate agencies there are out there. Some deal with commercial real estate, while others work with developers to sell brand new houses. Then of course there are the traditional firms where you work with people who are buying and selling homes.
By deciding what type of real estate you want to sell, you can narrow down your choices of where you should apply. Internships while you are still in school are fantastic ways to see what is available and what it required to do it. They aren’t glamorous, but you do get to participate in the process. You might do such things as inviting people to open houses, running the social media accounts for the agency, and prepping houses for visits. Being able to see the little tasks needed gives you the full picture of the job.
Another advantage you get from interning is you learn the basics of what happens in the agency. This can help shave time off of getting started once you do graduate. For many new agents, the first six months to a year are spent getting a client base and getting on track. This way, you can bypass that part and perhaps start earning commissions sooner.
If you don’t want to do an internship, consider looking at markets that are underserved. These are places where you can start much sooner and get to selling faster. They won’t be the fast pace of a city, but they can provide you with a great chance to learn. You’ll build a client base, and with little to no competition, do so more readily. It gives you the chance to see how to build the relationships you will need to be successful.