How to be a successful real estate agent in 9 steps

Real estate might look like an easy, glamorous, high-paying career on TV, but it’s a very challenging industry. Learning the business takes time, and finding clients isn’t as easy as it seems, but for those who are determined to put in the work and make real estate their career, it’s a fantastic industry.

The agents who make it past their first few years are much more likely to find success in real estate long-term. Increase your odds of being one of the top agents with these nine actionable tips on how to be a successful real estate agent.  

1. Create a business plan

Without a solid business plan, agents struggle with what activities to accomplish each day to find clients, and they lack a path to reach their financial goals. Your business plan should act as your roadmap throughout the year to guide you to your end destination – success!

Here’s how to create a business plan:

• Mission statement: Your mission statement is a succinct sentence or two that encompasses your business’s core intention. It serves as a guide when making decisions to make sure you stay on track with your intended mission.
• Identify target market: Determine who you’d love to serve and which geographic areas you want to target. Example: First-time buyers in Boston.
• SWOT analysis: SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It’s an overview of your business that allows you to anticipate and address potential issues down the road.
• SMART goals: A SMART goal is a goal that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (meaning it has a deadline). Example: Sell 20 houses in the next 12 months.
• Marketing plan: Your marketing plan is how you will brand yourself and get your name out there, so when people in your community think of real estate, they think of you. Example: Sponsoring a community sports league.
• Lead generation plan: Your lead generation plan is your plan of specific actions that will put you in front of potential buyers and sellers, such as hosting open houses.
• Financial goals: This one’s pretty straightforward; how much money do you want to make? Remember to keep this a SMART goal. Choose a realistic figure that’s achievable, and if you succeed beyond it, even better!
• Adjustments (as needed): Revisit your business plan every quarter and make any tweaks along the way.

2. Determine your daily schedule

Make sure your calendar supports your goals. If you determine you need to sell 20 homes to meet your financial goal, and you need to talk to 10 people per day to make that happen, create your daily work schedule to allow time for those 10 conversations. Time blocking your calendar is key here: determine, in advance, how you will spend your time during your work days, and stick to the schedule.

For example, reach out to new prospects from 9 am to 10 am, then follow up on existing leads each morning from 10 am to 11 am. Leave yourself white space and time to drive to and from your appointments. Also, schedule time to take a breather, have lunch and/or get to the gym.

Here’s additional advice for your daily schedule: 

• Start with positivity. Gratitude journaling, affirmations or even a nice long walk can be beneficial to starting your day on the right foot. 
• Study the market. Become the market expert by checking in on the new activity in your local market daily. This doesn’t need to be time-consuming, yet it’s a great way to create success in real estate.
• Generate leads. Prioritize your active clients, your lead follow-up and your lead generation above all the other activities in your calendar (installing a yard sign can be done by someone else, for example).
• Schedule days off. Once you find you’re becoming a successful real estate agent, it’s easy to burn out. Be sure to take time off to rest and recharge.

3. Follow up with every lead

Most real estate leads, especially those coming from online lead gen sources, are not ready to  make a move immediately. They require nurturing – building trust while keeping in touch so when they are ready, you’re the person they call.

It can feel awkward to consistently follow up with leads, but it’s a vital component of being a successful real estate agent. “The fortune is in the follow-up” is true. Here’s how to do it:

• Vary your follow-up methods. Rather than calling the same person all the time, mix it up with texts, emails, coffee meet-ups and snail mail.
• Don’t stop after two or three attempts, even if they do not respond. Keep following up until they tell you they’re ready to buy/sell or they request no more communication.
• Be careful not to violate any Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) laws. There are laws in place that prevent salespeople from calling anyone on the Do Not Call list, and violations of these laws can result in steep fines. Check with your broker for more info. 
• Use a CRM to keep track of your leads. To prevent leads from falling through the cracks, use a CRM (customer relationship management) system like Top Producer, CINC or Wise Agent.

4. Generate leads consistently

Lead generation is all about finding more people to help. The more people you help, the more success you’ll find as a real estate agent. Since there are so many different ways to find and connect with potential clients, though, here’s some advice for lead gen:

• Go all-in on three to five lead gen strategies for an entire year. Bouncing from one thing to the next without giving anything long enough will not show results. Examples: running social media ads, hosting open houses, throwing client events or starting your own community group on Facebook.
• Focus on the enjoyable strategies and avoid the ones that terrify you. This business is difficult enough; why make it harder than it needs to be? For me, I much prefer sending handwritten notes and expired letters over cold calling. I’d also rather attend a networking event than host an open house. Find what works for you!
• Start with your sphere of influence. Most agents’ business comes from people they already know, either directly or through referrals. I always recommend starting with your existing sphere of influence and expanding it further.
• Buying leads from a lead gen company can be a great time saver. In exchange for an upfront fee or a referral fee on the back end, there are companies that will provide you with leads. They do all the work to find the lead, and all you need to do is convert them to clients and help them buy or sell.

Market Leader dashboard and mobile notifications (Source: Market Leader)

One of the best lead source companies out there is Market Leader. They not only provide leads to you, but they also have a CRM to help you follow up consistently and close more of your leads. The CRM is robust and includes automated follow-up, lead sorting and email campaigns to ensure you’re on top of all prospective clients.

5. Tell everyone you’re a real estate agent

It’s easy to keep quiet about what you do for a living, since it can feel salesy to start talking real estate with everyone you meet. Yet, that’s exactly what top agents do! You never know who you’re going to meet and what real estate help they may need. Here are our tips for avoiding sounding salesy and starting conversations more naturally:

• Casually drop real estate terms into the conversation. Example: “Sorry, I was late; I just came from an open house and it was packed!” Keep it truthful, of course.
• Wear swag. A hat or jacket with your company logo on it can spark conversation, no matter where you are. I’ve even seen it happen in line at the grocery store.
• When you meet someone new, ask them what they do for work. They’ll answer and likely ask you the same question. Now you have permission to talk about real estate.

6. Build your marketing plan

Part of your business plan should always be your marketing plan. This is how you’ll showcase yourself to the world and spread the word about your success stories in real estate. How to go about building a marketing plan?

• Start with your personality. People respond to marketing that feels authentic. For example, an agent in my market is very funny, so he uses a lot of gritty humor in his marketing.
• Choose your marketing outlets. Website, email campaigns and social media platforms are popular. This is how you’re reaching your customers and sphere. Prioritize the communication methods your potential clients will be using (maybe they aren’t on TikTok, but they are on Facebook). A comprehensive marketing plan will include a variety of outlets and how you’ll be using them to generate leads.
• Decide what messaging you want to use. Market stats? Local business spotlights? Client testimonials? Crazy things you see in houses? This is what you’re saying to people when you reach them. Keep the messaging informative, educational, entertaining or a combination of these; this will keep people engaged and interested longer.
• Consider leveraging some of your marketing through an all-in-one company. If you have the budget for it, this will save you a lot of time by creating marketing materials for you.

Example content guide (Source: Coffee and Contracts)

Coffee and Contracts is one of our favorite all-in-one marketing companies. They create beautiful designs and easy-to-use templates specifically designed for real estate agents by real estate agents. Simply start your account, log in, customize your posts, campaigns or lead magnets and start posting – it’s that easy!

7. Find your support system

If you’re a solo real estate agent who’s not on a team, it can be a lonely business. Keep in mind that no one succeeds alone. You will find more success in real estate by surrounding yourself with other agents who want to see you win. These relationships will keep you motivated when you’re feeling discouraged and can serve as your cheerleading squad when you’re winning. Here are some examples:

• An accountability partner in your office
• A real estate coach or mentor
• An online community of agents, such as Pivot: Shift Ahead or Introverts in Real Estate
• An AI role-playing partner like Shilo AI

8. Go above and beyond for your clients

Once you’ve done the hard work of signing a new client, make the most of the opportunity by providing fantastic service. The better the experience for the client, the more repeat and referral business you’ll receive. And over time, when you have hundreds of happy past clients, that will make your lead gen easier. Here are some ways you can go above and beyond: 

• Be the first to communicate. A client should never wonder what’s going on; when you tell them in advance what the next steps are, they feel a lot more comfortable.
• Find solutions to the problems that arise. Be proactive whenever possible in preventing issues in the first place.
• Connect clients with resources. Refer stellar vendors and help coordinate appointments with them, when appropriate.
• Think one step ahead. Throughout the transaction, ask yourself, “How can I make this easier for my client? What can I take off their plate?”
• Check in consistently. Check in with every client at least once a week, even if there are no earth-shattering updates to share.

9. Be flexible as the industry changes

While you may have your preferred ways of doing business, there are some changes we just can’t avoid or ignore (commissions, for example). Be flexible. Learn what has changed and how you can best serve your clients. Some actionable advice: 

• Attend CEs and classes in your brokerage
• Stay curious and learn as much as you can
• Be ahead of the other agents in your market by being the first to start talking about whatever new change there is, and debunking myths the public may have heard

Looking for online CEs you can watch from the comfort of your home? Check out The CE Shop. Their comprehensive professional development options for real estate agents are a fantastic option to continue honing your skills.

The full picture

If you’re wondering how to be a successful real estate agent, start with these basics and check out all the other valuable articles here at Vetted by HousingWire. Remember: it’s a relationship business based on helping enough people reach their real estate goals. Keep that in mind, and you’ll find success in real estate.

About Ashley Harwood

Ashley Harwood began her real estate career in 2013 and built a six-figure business as a solo agent before launching Move Over Extroverts in 2018. She developed training materials, classes, and coaching programs for her fellow introverts. Beginning in 2020, Ashley served as Director of Agent Growth for three Keller Williams offices in the Boston metro area. She’s now the Lead Listing agent for the Fleet Homes team in Massachusetts and a regular contributor to Vetted by HousingWire. She created The Quiet Success curriculum and has taught thousands of real estate agents nationwide. She has also been a guest speaker at top industry events and has been named a leading real estate coach by prominent industry publications.

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