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What Do You Wish You Had Known?

March 6th, 2021

I’m just completing my new book, Launching Right in Real Estate: What They Won’t Teach You in Pre-License School.

I started gathering information for this book as I interviewed dozens of would-be agents. They were hungry for information. I found they had lots of misinformation, too, from various sources. So, I started gathering reams of information to hand to them. Finally, one of my agents said, “You should put that in a book.” So, I did. I’ve just written a whole new version, with the most updated facts, figures, tech, and knowledge I can find.

Lots of Info on How to Become a Zillionaire Selling Real Estate, But…

There’s little or no comprehensive information on the decision to or steps to becoming a real estate agent. Or, as I read articles, they sound too good to be true (and they probably are). The real estate agents I talk to are quick to tell me what they wish they had known prior to getting into real estate. They tell me they weren’t told the whole story. So, this book is from the perspective of the would-be agent–not the agent already in business.

In this eBook:

Common myths about real estate as a career
How to tell if this is a career you’ll love—and whether you have the habits and skills to succeed
How much money you can make—and when and how you’ll get paid
What it costs to get started—and how to budget so your money doesn’t run out before your first commission
70+ areas to query your interviewer to assure you pick the right company, office, manager and team for you
The 5 most important interview questions to ask
The best first-year start-up plan to launch you right and get paid fast
30 actions to take during your pre-license training to hit the ground running after you’re licensed (great to help agents make money their first month in the business!)

Not a Pie in the Sky Viewpoint

I’ll warn you. This is not a sugar-coated, everyone should become a real estate salesperson eBook. Why? Because our industry is not doing itself any favors by inviting everybody and their brother into the business (which is what we do–sorry, but we do). This book has several self-analysis tools to help readers figure out if:

They will love selling real estate (several questionnaires)
They are ‘wired’ to accept the actions and responsibilities of selling real estate
They have the financial back-up to start the business

Can You Help Me Out Here? FREE book!

What do you find is a misconception you or any new agent carries into the interview process? What do you want me tell prospective agents as they prepare for a career? What advice to you want me to give them?

Tell me me in the comments here. I’ll send you complimentary copy of the eBook, out in mid-April. Thank you for your contributions to our industry!

Pre-order your copy of my new eBook here. It will be available mid-April.

Categories expectations, new agent interview, new agents make money, New Real Estate Agents, pre-license, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, recruiting, selection
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Give Advice to Would-be Agents

by Carla Cross

February 19th, 2021

What do you wish you’d known before entering real estate?

Give me your expert advice!

What are new agents doing that causes them to succeed–or fail?

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What should be in a start-up program that will help more new agents do well–and do it fast? What’s missing in the training and coaching programs you experienced?

I’m editing Up and Running in 30 Days, the new agent’s business start-up plan, for the 6th edition, due to be out in mid-2021. In it, I show the what, how, why, and how much of real estate activities needed to do well quickly. Up and Running is very specific, and is easy to use to coach new agents to productivity fast. It has the specific prioritized weekly schedule and activities that future-exceptional agents do to assure a sale fast.

Many updates: The 6th edition has lots of updates, including a new section on promoting yourself through social media, new tech new agents need, and alternative methods of lead generation.

In the next blog, I’ll share more of what I’m putting into this wildly-successful program and get your input, too.

I want to make this an honest, straightforward guide. Please help. Download the questionnaire to your computer, complete the questionnaire, save it, and email it to me at carla@carlacross.com. Here is the questionnaire. You will be assisting thousands of new agents as they begin their careers, and, I think you’ll find that being published will help your ‘street cred’ with your clients.

If I’m able to use your comments in my book, you will receive a complimentary copy of Up and Running, acknowledgment of your comments, AND lots of PR–to help you in your recruiting as an expert in helping new agents.

P. S. Please get your comments to me by Feb. 24, so I can meet the publisher’s deadline for submitting the edited book. Thank you!

Categories new agent business plan, new agents make money, New Real Estate Agents, onboarding, orientation, pre-license, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Training, Up and Running in 30 Days
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10 Newbie Mistakes: What Did I Miss?

by Carla Cross

January 26th, 2021

Within a couple of months, I’m publishing my new eBook: Launching Right in Real Estate: What They Won’t Teach You in Pre-License School. This book will tell it like it is for all those people thinking about real estate as a career. Different, yes?

So, I’ve been thinking about all the mistakes I made as a new agent–and all the mistakes I’ve seen new agents make. In this and my next blog, I’m going to be giving you those mistakes. Help me out here. What should go into my new book? What are the mistakes new agents make that put up barriers to their success? What should I caution would-be and new agents about?

The Frank Sinatra Syndrome: Doing it ‘My Way’

We all want success easily. We all want to ‘do it our way’. And, if we’re honest, in our quest for easy success, we’ll all done dumb things. That is, we realized they were dumb—after the fact. So, just because I’m picking on new agents here doesn’t mean I haven’t done many more than just ten dumb things! I’m listing these here, though, to help you avoid the mistakes I made as a new agent, and the mistakes I’ve observed thousands of new agents make over the years I’ve managed, trained and coached.

Some Mistakes Cost us All Lots of $$$$

Some dumb actions don’t cost us much, but, when an agent fails, it costs money to everyone—agents, offices, and consumers. It’s estimated that it costs a manager $15,000-30,000 for every agent hired who fails! So, that agent isn’t a profit-center, she’s a cost center! In addition,

an agent who fails spends at least $5000-15,000 just in ‘subsidized living’ and real estate expenses the first three months in the business.

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Finally, the consumer loses, because the agent is out of the business before serving the consumer.

Heads Up

New agents don’t come into the business to fail. But, they don’t realize the effort and skill it takes to succeed.* In addition, there are increasingly difficult challenges for new agents:

The gap between consumer expectations and agent performance is widening quickly and dramatically. New agents must have better training, coaching, and commitment from their brokers.
The market in most areas is very competitive, so new agents can’t get those ‘easy sales’.
The committed, career-oriented agent is taking much more of the market share.

It’s estimated that 50% of new agents fail and get out of the business in their first year, and 75% are out in two years. That seems to me a huge waste of resources—and a huge contributor to that expectations gap I listed above. We need to stop that attrition now. So, new agents, I’ve created a list of the ten dumbest things I’ve seen thousands do to fail themselves right out of the business. In this blog, we’ll investigate the first five:

Thinking that there are lots of ways to start the business. There aren’t. Real estate sales is sales, and sales is a numbers game. (Up and Running in Real Estate shows you exactly how to work those numbers to your benefit).
Thinking they don’t have to lead generate, because they’ll “do it differently.” Don’t talk to people consistently and in great numbers and you’ll be flipping burgers before you know it! (Not that there is anything wrong in flipping burgers, but you won’t be “selling real estate”.)
Thinking that their manager or office or the Internet will supply them leads. If that were the case, your commissions would be much smaller.
Thinking that this business is about tasks and technology. It’s not. It’s about people relationships.
Treating the business like a ‘next’ business. It’s not about finding and selling a customer. It’s about finding and keeping the customer for long-term referral business.

How many of these dumb things have you done? In truth, we learn from our mistakes. It’s not what we do wrong. It’s what we continue doing wrong. I’m writing Launching Right in Real Estate to prepare people for the career in a straightforward manner.

In my next blog, we’ll investigate the remaining mistakes. What did I miss?

*Launching Right in Real Estate helps would-be agents make best decisions and prepare to sell real estate. It includes:

What it costs to enter real estate
What it costs monthly to run a business
The behavioral profile that will love and thrive in the business–how to tell if you’ll love it
The 5 most important interview questions you need to ask
How to evaluate the office and manager as you interview

Want a complimentary copy when it’s ready? Email me with your advice to would-be agents and/or the mistakes you see would-be agents make as they come into the business: carla@carlacross.com. If your advice is included, I’ll send you the eBook. Thanks!

Categories expectations, Launching Right in Real Estate, new agent business plan, new agent interview, new agents make money, New Real Estate Agents, pre-license, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Budget, Real Estate Success, Training, Up and Running in Real Estate
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What Attributes Should a New Agent Have to Succeed?

by Carla Cross

October 28th, 2020

You’ve seen agents come and go. What are the attributes and behaviors agents need to succeed?

What are behaviors that #successful agents exhibit? What are the #attributes of successful real estate agents?

Make your list here. Now, compare it to the behaviors I listed in my book I wrote to educate prospective real estate agents.

What They May Exhibit that will Assure Failure

It may be easier to make a list of the behaviors that assure someone won’t make money fast enough in our competitive, self-starting business:

Never had a job until mid-twenties.
Still lives at home.
Doesn’t have to make a living.
Has never taken initiative to try something new.
Hates having to reach out to talk to people.
Loves technology; fears people.
Has had 7 jobs in 7 years.
Doesn’t believe in having to learn from someone or be led.
Gives up easily.

What should I add to that list?

How to Use this Information in the # Real Estate Interview Process

If you have a team, you’ll find this very helpful. Or, if you’re working in a company that rewards you for referring good agents to the company, you’ll also want to use this information.

Are you familiar with behavior-based questions? They are questions that ask a person about his past behavior. Why? Because past behavior determines future behavior. (Not always, just 95% of the time. Do you like those odds?) I don’t mean that what someone does specifically determines she will do that again. This is what I mean:

As you listen to a person tell a story about his past, listen for themes that run through the story. For example: One of the behaviors good agents exhibit is tenacity. They just don’t give up. They accept rejection and keep going. If someone or something is difficult, they wade through it.

The question: Think of a time in your life when you thought of giving up–a time when you really wanted something, but getting it seemed difficult or out of reach. Describe what happened.

Don’t interrupt. Don’t ask another question. Just hum, agree, or probe. Find out all you can about that story. As you listen, ask yourself:

Does that person have enough ________________ to be a success in real estate?

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Your turn. Look at my list of behaviors. What should I add?

I’m updating my book for prospective agents. Please help me create a book that’s different, insightful, and helpful to both the prospective agent and the manager/interviewer. Thank you!

Categories building team, expectations, Interviewing, manager, new agent interview, New Real Estate Agents, pre-license, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, real estate team, selectcion, selection
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In Pre-License? Hit the Ground Running–Now!

by Carla Cross

March 12th, 2020

Are you thinking of going into real estate, or in pre-license study now? Here’s how to assure you start making money fast–unlike MOST new agents!

In pre-license? Here’s how to hit the ground running!

If you’re like most new agents, you wait to start training until AFTER you join an office. Why? Unfortunately, 99% of agents do just that AND don’t sell anything for months!

Think how much faster you could go if you had lots of the organization and training under your belt prior to your first day in the business? Okay. I know. Until you are licensed, you can’t do the things licensed agents can do. But, you can do many things. And all those things get you ready to hit the ground running. At the end of this blog, I’m providing you my great checklist, 30 Things to Do Right Now While in In Pre-License School to Hit the Ground Running. (from my eBook, What They Don’t Teach You in Pre-License School).

New Agents Lose Lots of Time Because They are Not Prepared to Start the Business

New agents generally spend the first 1-4 weeks getting ‘orientated’. Brokers have checklists to assure they get their keys, join the Realtor association, etc., etc., etc. How long do you estimate it takes the new agent just to get those orientation checklists finished? 2-4 weeks? In some cases, they never finish them!!!!! Not only that, they probably think that finishing those checklists assures they are going to be successful agents. Ha!

When Do You Plan to Start Lead Generating?

My studies show that new agents want to make a sale their first month in the business.

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That means you need to start lead generating your first WEEK in the business! From hiring and training hundreds of new agents, I’ve observed they put off the inevitable as long as possible, hoping ‘there’s another way!’ In fact, the more ‘get ready to get ready’ work new agents doing, the worse their habits become and the less money they make!

A Better Method to Get a Check Fast

Instead of waiting until you are licensed, why not get prepared to sell real estate while you are in pre-license school? You can do things like

Decide on the database/CRM you want to use and learn how to use it
Populate your databases with 100-300 potential clients
Prepare an email/hard copy note/letter to all those in your database saying you’ve joined_____________ real estate company

30 Things to Do While in Pre-License School

In fact, as I was writing my eBook, What They Don’t Teach You in Pre-License School, I started thinking about how we could really prepare agents to sell real estate–lots of real estate. That’s how I came up with this checklist. Click here to get it.

By the way, I have used this method to prepare agents to sell real estate as they were in pre-license school. Result: They all started fast and made sales fast.

You Need This! Prepare to Sell Real Estate Fast and Well

This 280+ page eBook is packed with questionnaires, advice, processes, and systems to prepare pre-licensees (and new agents!) for the real world of real estate. I have interviewed thousands of would-be agents, and I know the questions–and dis-information they get! This book gives you the straight scoop!

‘See What They Don’t Teach You in Pre-License School. Only $14.95, and immediately downloadable. Now, a Kindle version, too.

Categories expectations, Interviewing, lead generation, new agent business plan, New Real Estate Agents, onboarding, orientation, pre-license, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Training, Up and Running in Real Estate, What They Don't Teach You in PreLicense School
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What Your Title on your Business Card Says about You

by Carla Cross

September 20th, 2019

You probably never thought about it, but your title on your business card tells a lot about you. It tells us what you think of your business.

If you’re a newer agent, you’ve probably struggled about what to put on those business cards. Maybe you have shied away from putting ‘salesperson’. I know.

To some, the word ‘salesperson’ has a negative meaning.

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It did to me as a new agent. I came from the world of music, where there was no ‘sales resistance’ and everyone respected me because I was a college music teacher.

The Value of Being a Salesperson

I learned the value of becoming a salesperson–a really, really good salesperson, because I learned I could help people do what they wanted to do–and just needed someone to facilitate that.

If There Were No Salespeople

Where would we be without sales skills and salespeople? Here are some of the notable people today that you don’t think are in sales–but who have really, really good sales skills (and have to have, to get us to embrace their ideas):

Madonna (she may not be the best singer, but, boy, does she know how to sell herself)

President Obama (he must be able to sell himself and his programs)

Warren Buffet (help people embrace his investment ideas)

Bill Gates (Sell Microsoft and its products)

What Salespeople Do–and Why You Should Be Proud to Call Yourself a ‘Salesperson

As my first ‘boss’ in real estate said, ” If there were no salespeople, few/no goods would be bought” (except those that are absolutely needed). In fact, as my manager pointed out, the economy would come to a grinding halt. When the economy is going great in real estate, salespeople aren’t considered as important. But, wait–when the market slows, salespeople will become fewer–and more valuable to the public.

Sales Skills are Artistic and Not So Easy to Master

Now, there is a movement against using anything with the connotation of ‘sales’. Yet, there is nothing wrong–and everything right–about the art of sales. Using properly, sales helps people see the benefits of buying whatever they are considering.

Poor Sales Hurts the Consumer–Really Hurts!

As a long-time real estate salesperson, I saw buyers and sellers actually stopped from purchasing or selling because their salesperson was so inept. That meant the customer lost hundreds of thousands of dollars down the road! In fact, 99% of the mistakes agents I observed salespeople make were not in forcing, manipulating, or lying their way into getting someone to do something not in their best interest but rather

stopping a buyer or seller from doing what’s best for him/her because the salesperson had such lousy skills

Become a Blazingly Good Salesperson

If you have some reticence at the word ‘salesperson’, tackle that reticence right now. You aren’t just a licensee; you aren’t just an agent; you are a sales professional. You discover prospects (lead generation). You uncover prospects’ needs; you help prospects investigate new possibilities; you help prospects prioritize information and properties; you negotiate on their behalf. Those are all sales not agent skills. Agency is just a license. Sales is a skill and an art. Become an artist of what you do!

Question: What do you see agents putting on their business cards? What does it tell you?

Categories 5th Edition Up and Running in 30 Days, Branding, Buyers, Coaching, Marketing, New Real Estate Agents, Personal promotion, pre-license, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Up and Running in 30 Days
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Going into Real Estate? How to Find the Best Circumstance for You

by Carla Cross

April 11th, 2019

Going into real estate: How to find the best circumstance for you.

New or prospective agents: What kind of office do you prefer?

You’re getting ready to go into the interview. Do you know what you’re looking for? Use this checklist to decide what kind of company, office, and atmosphere you’ll feel most comfortable in.

Big caveat: Today, more than ever, companies with gazillions of dollars to spend to procure agents seem to be willing to tell them whatever agents want to hear. Unfortunately, it’s seldom such a rosy picture. Do your ‘due diligence’ and act like a sleuth! It’s your life you’re ‘loaning’ to whatever company you join.

These preferences are excerpted from my ebook, What They Don’t Teach You in Pre-License School.

Interview tip: List your preferences to yourself prior to the interview. Listen carefully in the interview to see how the manager answers your questions on preferences. Is he/she attaching benefits?

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Selling vs non-selling manager

You prefer a manager who doesn’t sell real estate.(non-competing)

You prefer a manager who sells real estate (may provide a good role model).

Training

You prefer a formalized training program.

You prefer to ‘go it on your own’, with the manager available to answer questions.

Large/Small Office

You prefer a large, busy office.

You prefer a small, more laid-back atmosphere.

Large/Small Company

You like the idea of a large company behind your efforts.

You like the idea of a boutique, specialty company.

Many/Few New Agents

You want to be around other new agents like you, so you prefer an office with lots of new agents.

You want to be with seasoned agents, and would rather be among the few new agents in the office.

Top Producer Assignment

You want to be assigned to a top producer to find out how that top producer works, and perhaps do work for that top producer.

You want to become an above-average producer fast, and don’t want to be in the shadows of anyone else.

Age of Agents

You want to be around people your age.

You want to be around people of a wide range of ages and interests.

Work from Office/Work from Home

You want to work from the office, and have a desk at the office.

You want to work from home.

No Supervision/Management

You prefer little or no ‘supervision’. You’ll go at your own speed.

You want and expect leadership and guidance as you start your career.

Coach/No Coach

You want a coach dedicated to your success.

You prefer to go it alone and operate independently.

Mentor/Manager

You want a mentor—someone you can go to ask questions at any time.

You want to go to your manager as your trusted adviser.

Did You Change Your Mind after the Interview?

I hope you kept an open mind. Sometimes our views change when we hear benefits that make sense to us. Be sure you’re choosing a manager, office, and company that reflect your values, culture, and preferences.

In the book below, I offer the pros and cons of the questions above. Look past the easy, attractive answers and treat this like the business it is!

Want the Straight Scoop on Real Estate Sales?

From interviewing thousands of prospective agents, I’ve learned their concerns. Here’s the unvarnished truth–along with the facts–about selling real estate. You’ll be armed and dangerous (!) in the best sense of the word–going into the interview with this invaluable information.

Check out my eBook: What They Don’t Teach You in Pre-License School.

Categories Coaching, expectations, goals, manager, mentor, New Real Estate Agents, pre-license, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, real estate team, recruiting, selection, team, Training
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What If You Knew How to Sell Real Estate BEFORE You were Licensed?

by Carla Cross

June 14th, 2018

What if you knew how to sell real estate before you were licensed?

This month is ‘training’ month. So, I’m writing blogs to help you get more from your training–whether you’re in pre-license or a seasoned pro. In this blog, we’ll focus on pre-license (pass this on to someone who’s in pre-license right now).

Why Not Work on Selling Real Estate While You’re in Pre-License School?

I know. Until you are licensed,you can’t do the things licensed agents can do. But, you can do many things. And all those things get you ready to hit the ground running. At the end of this blog, I’m providing you my great checklist, 30 Things to Do Right (In Pre-License School) Now to Hit the Ground Running.

What The RE Schools Say about Preparing Agents to Sell Real Estate

Dearborn Real Estate Publishing has published my books for a long time. They work with real estate schools, and publish many books to help pre-license students pass the licensing tests. They just started doing a survey with real estate schools. The 2018-19 survey just came out.

Here’s what the schools said in the Dearborn survey:

While 90% of respondents feel they are informing students well on the topics required by the State Real Estate Commission, and 88% of schools feel they are doing a good job preparing students for the exam, only 71% feel they are preparing students for a successful real estate career.

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You know that being in pre-license class! In fact, I think we managers and new agents would say that pre-license courses do little to prepare people to sell real estate. And, in truth, that’s not the job the Departments of Licensing expect them to do.

When Should You Start Lead Generating?

My studies show that new agents want to make a sale their first month in the business. But, when do you new agents actually start lead generating? Do you know? I believe they put off the inevitable as long as possible, hoping ‘there’s another way!’ In fact, the more ‘get ready to get ready’ work you have them doing as licensees, the worse their habits become and the less money they make!

A Different Method to Get Them a Check Fast

Instead of waiting until they are licensed, why not get prepared to sell real estate while you are in pre-license school? You can do things like

Decide on the database/CRM they want to use and learn how to use it
Populate your databases with 100-300 potential clients
Prepare an email/hard copy note/letter to all those in their database saying you’ve joined_____________ real estate company

30 Things to Do While in Pre-License School

I’m Taking It a Step Further

In the next few weeks, I’ll be launching a pilot program to train would-be agents in the basics and get them ready to sell real estate. I’ll be telling you more about it soon. Wouldn’t it be great if each new agent was prepared to work to create a successful real estate career?

Save Time! Get the ‘Scoop’ on Successful Real Estate Sales Here

Would-be agents have a million questions (!) and can take many hours to get answers. Save time and get the real scoop. Grab this eBook. Check out What They Don’t Teach You in Pre-License School, now in its 2nd edition. Includes tips on how to get real answers in the interview, how to choose the best company for you, and guidance in how to launch your career to success.

Categories database, expectations, Interviewing, New Real Estate Agents, onboarding, pre-license, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, retention, What They Don't Teach You in PreLicense School
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New Agents: Do You Need a Coach? What Type?

by Carla Cross

April 19th, 2018

New agents: Do you need a coach? What type?

This blog is excerpted from my ebook, What They Don’t Teach You in Pre-License School.

I wrote this eBook to save prospective agents and managers time during the interview/selecction process. Here’s an excerpt from the eBook, discussing whether agents should get a coach, mentor, or…..:

New Agents A Looking for Support–Sometimes in the Wrong Places

As you’re interviewing {this is from the new agent’s perspecive}, you may be offered these things:

An accountability coach (the manager or a professional coach affiliated with that office)
A peer coach
Become a team member
Become an assistant

Which of these are good for you? Here’s my advice on coaches. Watch for future blogs on enlisting a mentor, joining a team, or becoming an assistant.

The Coach

I hope your manager will become your accountability coach. But, many managers promise to ‘coach you’. However, that quickly becomes a ‘got a minute’ answer man function instead of a focused, linear, goal-oriented action coaching. You don’t need a coach just for answers. You need a coach to hold you accountable to your goals and action plan.

Choosing a Coach

Here are three important points you should consider as you search for a coach:

The specific program should be highly organized and precisely outlined with checklists and systems. Ask, “What system are you going to use to coach me?” You need a specific game plan, because you are new. You have no history..
The specific program should be related to a “game plan”—a business start-up plan. Ask, “What game plan are you going to use?”
The coaches should be trained and coached themselves. Ask, “What’s your coaching background, and what sales principles do you believe in?” For example, each of our coaches in the Carla Cross Coaching program has been trained by me and coached regularly by me.

Positives: Having a coach keeps you on track, motivated, and, ideally, inspired to reach your goals.

Watch out for: Your coach is trained and dedicated to your success, and is following a proven game plan (otherwise you’ll be paying just to talk to someone every once in a while).

Types of Coaches

Professional coach: Someone trained to coach, who uses a specific program and who is paid to be your coach. If you’re considering a professional coach, find out the specific program the coach will use to coach you. Get expectations in writing, and give your expectations in writing. You should expect to sign a 3-12 month contract.

Manager coach or in-office coach: Someone who may be trained as a coach, who has agreed to coach you. May be paid from your commissions or from a combination of office/your commissions. May be paid on an hourly based by the agent. Be sure this coach is prepared to be your accountability coach, has a specific schedule with you, and a specific start-up plan to coach you. Otherwise, you’re just getting an ‘advice session’.

Peer coach: Someone in the office, an agent, who has agreed to be your coach. However, this could be anything from

Answer questions
Let you ‘shadow them’ (see how they do a listing/buyer presentation or offer presentation)
Be your accountability coach

Most peer coaches don’t have a coaching program to coach to, and haven’t been trained. They are also at a loss with what to do if the agent refuses to do the work.

In my experience, the new agent has the highest hopes that the peer coach will fulfill his dreams of whatever coaching is to him. The peer coach is hoping the agent just doesn’t ask too many questions! Unfortunately, neither party has defined exactly what the peer coach does.

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If you’re going to work with a peer coach, get in writing exactly what that peer coach is willing to do with and for you. Bad peer coaching can turn into a nightmare—for both parties.

Agents’ advice: Dozens of experienced agents have told me they wish they had started with a professional coach. If you can find one to trust—and to follow—you’ll shorten your learning curve dramatically and easily pay for the coaching fee. Plus, you’ll establish a successful long-term career.

In the next blogs, we’ll discuss three ‘safety-nets’ that some new agents consider—because they’re afraid they will not be able to generate enough commissions by relying solely on their own work.

Have All the Answers You Need to Make the Best Business Decision for You?

If you’re interviewing tons of prospective agents, you’re spending lots of time at it. Why not let Carla answer some of the most important new agent questions–and free you up to do a real interview? Check out my ebook, What They Don’t Teach You in Pre-License School.

You’ll save lots of interview time and help the winners choose you!

Categories Coaching, expectations, manager, mentor, New Real Estate Agents, pre-license, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, recruiting, team, What They Don't Teach You in PreLicense School
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New or Prospective Agents: What Kind of Office Do You Prefer?

by Carla Cross

April 12th, 2018

New or prospective agents: What kind of office do you prefer?

You’re getting ready to go into the interview. Do you know what you’re looking for? Use this checklist to decide what kind of company, office, and atmosphere you’ll feel most comfortable in.

These preferences are excerpted from my ebook, What They Don’t Teach You in Pre-License School.

Interview tip: List your preferences to yourself prior to the interview. Listen carefully in the interview to see how the manager answers your questions on preferences. Is he/she attaching benefits?

Click To Tweet

Selling vs non-selling manager

You prefer a manager who doesn’t sell real estate.(non-competing)

You prefer a manager who sells real estate (may provide a good role model).

Training

You prefer a formalized training program.

You prefer to ‘go it on your own’, with the manager available to answer questions.

Large/Small Office

You prefer a large, busy office.

You prefer a small, more laid-back atmosphere.

Large/Small Company

You like the idea of a large company behind your efforts.

You like the idea of a boutique, specialty company.

Many/Few New Agents

You want to be around other new agents like you, so you prefer an office with lots of new agents.

You want to be with seasoned agents, and would rather be among the few new agents in the office.

Top Producer Assignment

You want to be assigned to a top producer to find out how that top producer works, and perhaps do work for that top producer.

You want to become an above-average producer fast, and don’t want to be in the shadows of anyone else.

Age of Agents

You want to be around people your age.

You want to be around people of a wide range of ages and interests.

Work from Office/Work from Home

You want to work from the office, and have a desk at the office.

You want to work from home.

No Supervision/Management

You prefer little or no ‘supervision’. You’ll go at your own speed.

You want and expect leadership and guidance as you start your career.

oach/No Coach

You want a coach dedicated to your success.

You prefer to go it alone and operate independently.

Mentor/Manager

You want a mentor—someone you can go to ask questions at any time.

You want to go to your manager as your trusted adviser.

Did You Change Your Mind after the Interview?

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Categories Coaching, expectations, Interviewing, manager, mentor, New Real Estate Agents, onboarding, orientation, pre-license, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, recruiting, selectcion, What They Don't Teach You in PreLicense School
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