You’re a new agent. Or, perhaps you’re a seasoned agent who hasn’t had a sale for awhile. My question to you is: When do you need to make that sale?
For my book for would-be and new agents, (out soon–What They Don’t Teach You in Pre-License School), I did a survey of hundreds of new agents (less than 3 months in the business). In the survey, I asked them, “When do you intend to make your first sale?” The majority said, “In month one”. That’s great. You would think, then, that new agents would start the actions that lead to a sale.
But, no, au contraire. What do you think new agents do in that first month? (And seasoned agents, who aren’t making sales regularly!)
- Organize their desks
- Attend company orientation
- Go to training
- Inspect homes
- Attend public/broker open houses
- Learn the technology
The Business Starts When…..
Here’s the problem with the list above. NONE of it has anything to do with starting the process toward sales. In fact, as I say in Up and Running in 30 Days, all the work above is classified as “support work”. Yes, you need to be trained, you need to go to orientation, you need to learn the inventory. But, that’s all just background to actually
selling houses.
As you’ll learn in Up and Running, the business starts when you start talking to people–in a conversation that qualifies them as buyers or sellers.
Evaluating Your Priorities
Go through your appointment calendar for the last few weeks. Figure out the hours you spent in ‘support activities’ versus the hours you spend in business producing activities (lead generating, qualifying, selling). Ask yourself, “With the job description I’ve created for myself, what chance do I have for making a sale quickly?”
Give Yourself a ‘Successful Agent’ Job Description
To keep you on track, I’ve provided a ‘successful agent’ job description in Up and Running, along with the number of hours you should be spending in business producing and business supporting activities. Weighing your activities toward business producing ones assures you make a sale fast!
Get a Head Start on that Sale–Now
It’s one thing to read the blog above–even shake your head in agreement. But, it’s another thing to actually implement the right start-up plan that provides you a clear path of activities to that sale. Now, I’ve put the principles of Up and Running in 30 Days online. Up and Running in Real Estate is launching June 1. Check it out here.
