The Ultimate New Real Estate Agent Checklist

As a new real estate agent, you have a lot of work ahead of you. You need to focus on building your brand, identifying lead generation strategies, and formulating a business plan that will put you at the top of the local realtor pool. 

But finding your footing as a realtor takes a lot of time, effort, and knowledge. 

You may feel overwhelmed just deciding what your first step should be. It’s important to prioritize what’s most important and take small steps towards your goals. 

A new real estate agent checklist is exactly what you need to start your journey towards being a successful local real estate agent. 

Embarking on Your Real Estate Journey: The Ultimate New Realtor Checklist

Embarking on a new career as a real estate agent can be both thrilling and daunting. To navigate the exciting journey ahead and set yourself up for success, it's crucial to have a comprehensive checklist in place. In this guide, we'll unveil the ultimate new real estate agent checklist, packed with essential steps to help you thrive in your career. From crafting a marketing strategy to optimizing your online presence, each item on this checklist is designed to propel your success as a new realtor.

10 Essential Steps in Your New Real Estate Agent Checklist

The real estate market ebbs and flows, meaning you have to be ready for anything at any time. And if you are just getting started, 

The best way to get started on your journey to being a successful realtor is to use a checklist created by experienced realtors who know exactly how you are feeling. 

Whether you just got licensed or are looking for more ways to establish yourself as a realtor, this checklist will help you snag your next client and be ready to make the sale.  

1- Create A Marketing Strategy With A Realistic Budget...And Stick To It

Promoting yourself or your next open house is a pivotal part of any real estate marketing plan. 

One of the most common mistakes for new real estate agents is blowing their marketing budget. You’ll need to divide your marketing strategies into different categories, such as print and online sources, to prevent overspending. Set a budget for each and track your spending. 

Here are some ways to amp up your marketing strategy without breaking the bank. 

• Partner With Local Businesses
• Use Sales Technology To Drive Lead Generation
• Run An Instagram Promotion 
• Create A Zillow Or Realtor.Com Profile 
• Make Your Own Promotional Video With Testimonials

Whichever marketing strategies you choose, remember to set a budget and stick to it. 

2- Optimize Your Facebook Business Page 

Facebook Business Pages allows you to harness the power of the social media giant in a way that will shine a spotlight on your business. 

But to leverage Facebook Business Pages, you’ll first need to optimize your page. Here are the steps you can take to make your profile attractive and practical. 

• Keep Your Page Active: Consider posting daily blog posts, motivational quotes, and real estate updates. Also, be sure to use Facebook’s Call To Action, or CTA, features. 
• Rewrite Your Bios: Revise both your long and short bios to include local SEO keywords that will flag in your desired area. 
• Choose An Eye-Catching Cover Photo: Consider changing this photo seasonally. Use an image of a house you sold or a skyline picture of your city.
• Use A Professional Profile Picture: Make your business page more personal by putting your face front and center. 
• Get Verified: Verify your contact information, like your address and phone number, with Facebook to build credibility. 

Keep a close eye on your Facebook Business Page and always follow up with anyone who interacts with your page. 

3- Ask Friends And Family For Referrals

Networking events aren’t the only place you can work the room to gain referrals and leads.

Reach out to your friends and family to let them know that you are just getting started as a real estate professional and how they can help you build your business. 

Be specific and assertive. Ask if they know anyone planning to buy or sell a home in the next three months. Don’t be afraid to ask again if they aren’t sure at the moment. 

Most importantly, make sure you have shown yourself to be valuable to them in the past. If you’ve helped them with their own business or projects in the past, family and friends will be better prepared to offer a referral. 

4- Put Together A Tool Kit For Home Buyers In Your Area

Whether you are helping a homeowner sell or working through the process with first-time home buyers, the process of buying and selling real estate is overwhelming. 

Use your knowledge to create checklists and resources for your customers. This will improve your content strategy and prove your expertise in the field. 

Here are some examples of tool kit guides you can create and include information to best serve your clients. 

Home Buyers’ Guide 

• A breakdown of the buying process
• Lender recommendations 
• Home inspection process 
• Home buying checklist 
• What to expect when making an offer

Sellers’ Listing Checklist 

• Room staging tips 
• Commission split breakdown 
• Inexpensive ways to improve their real estate listing 
• Local sales tips that work in your area

You can also consider recording podcasts with this information and posting them to your social media pages and website. 

The more you can show your worth, the most likely you will generate leads and improve your bottom line. 

5- Create A Virtual Business Card Template

Business cards are a staple in any real estate agent’s tool kit. They offer an easy way to share your contact information. 

Because many realtors leave their paper business cards at the listings they show, you will still need to carry some in your bag. However, there may be a time where you forget your business cards at home. 

Designing a virtual business card is a great way to ensure you can easily share your contact information with potential clients and networking contacts. 

These sharable files hold much more information than a traditional business card, meaning you can include links to your websites, podcasts, and other valuable resources along. Plus, when hosting an event or promoting a listing, you can pair your virtual business card with an open house flyer to provide a complete set of details in a professional and accessible way.

Because it’s a digital file, virtual business cards can be updated any time and stored on a device, rather than forgotten in a drawer or pocket. 

6- Research And Review Ten Local Businesses 

When establishing yourself as a leading real estate agent, you need to show that you are an expert in the area. Increasing your knowledge of local businesses will improve your credibility with potential clients.  It can also boost your own site’s SEO if done correctly. 

You can do this one of two ways: 

1. Post Reviews On Sites Like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Parkbench, Or Google Reviews. 
2. Write Original Reviews On Local Businesses And Post Them To Your Website

Not only will you be able to use this original content in your content marketing strategy, but you may be able to partner with these local businesses, which can offer essential referrals to their customers. 

7- Frequent Local Business Meetups 

When you’re just starting as a realtor, your primary focus should be growing your network and sphere of influence. This means mastering the art of the business networking meetup. 

To improve your business, you’ll need to get comfortable by getting uncomfortable. Meeting different people from various backgrounds will allow you to cast a wider net for lead generation. 

Choose meetups strategically depending on your business goals. For example, if you are prospecting home sellers with expensive properties, visiting a fitness club or high-end boating meetup will help you find your target audience. 

8- Optimize Local SEO On Your LinkedIn Profile 

With over 450 million daily users, LinkedIn is a great place to establish a presence. 

You can help your LinkedIn page rank well on search engine results by amping up the local SEO keywords you use within your profile.

Revisit your LinkedIn profile and take advantage of the tools it offers to boost your SEO performance and assist people in contacting you through your page. 

Don’t forget to add resources from your content marketing strategy to establish your credibility. 

9- Partner With Busy Real Estate Professionals To Host Open Houses 

Many of the top realtors in your area are responsible for multiple open houses a week. This means they are often scrambling to be two places at once. 

When building your business, look for opportunities to host an open house for one of these successful real estate agents. Here are some tips. 

• Only Take On Open Houses For Properties You Know Will Sell
• Promote The Listing Through Your Social Media And Online Marketing Channels
• Focus On Converting Open House Guests Into Clients

Not only will you gain valuable experience by hosting an open house for a busy realtor, but you have the opportunity to network with interested home buyers and potentially gain new business and referrals. 

10- Create And Maintain A CRM

A CRM system, or Customer Relationship Management System, is a way to keep everything you need to know about current or potential clients in one place. 

It doesn’t need to be a fancy, expensive program. A Google Sheets or Excel spreadsheet works well. You can use a CRM to funnel names into your email marketing campaign as your marketing strategy generates leads. 

You can also use it to set follow-up reminders, set contact intervals to increase conversion rates, and maintain the valuable relationships that help your real estate business thrive. 

Attract Your Ideal Real Estate Lead To Build Your Business 

Mastering the essential steps outlined in our new real estate agent checklist is key to building a successful career in the industry. Building a business takes considerable time and effort. Don’t let setbacks get you down. Use them as opportunities to tweak your strategies and learn new techniques. 

By using this new real estate agent checklist, you’ll be setting yourself up for success as you learn to navigate the waters of the real estate industry.  The best marketing strategy will be one that plays to your strengths and unique personality. Once you find the approach that works best for you, keep moving forward with it. 

Soon, you’ll see real estate clients coming to you rather than you chasing them. 

FAQs

As a realtor, what should I bring to my next networking event? 

Bring business cards, a way to take notes, and a positive attitude to your next networking event. 

How can I network when I don’t know anyone at the meet-up? 

Lose the awkwardness when networking in a new place by setting goals, preparing icebreakers, and knowing when it’s time to exit the conversation. 

Why do some new realtors fail? 

Many new realtors fail because they do not understand how to create action plans and set goals appropriate for their brand’s growth.