Starting one's career as a real estate agent can be overwhelming. We again collaborated with agent Leah Azizian, Head of Business Development of New Developments at LG Fairmont, to hear her thoughts on how to support agents that are just starting out.
Beginning any new field can be a stretch, especially the field of real estate which is based on lead generation and a strong client base. New agents can have it tough with beginning to build these foundations but we've got some tips to share that should ease the transition.
There Isn't a Solution for Everything - and that's OK
Not just new agents, but all agents can benefit from being aware that solutions don't need to exist for everything. Azizian notes, she sees "this mostly amongst starting agents who feel that they need to know precisely how to handle things in the moment and 5 steps ahead of time if things are to arise. It's important to take a step back and acknowledge that you won't always have a response to a client or broker in the moment, and that's OK."
A new agent might be asking how is this okay, though? Well, besides all of the other pressures new agents may have - they don't need to feel the pressure to know everything. Real estate is a field where fires may need to be put out daily and so solutions are great but they don't always come right away.
Being five steps ahead is amazing in theory - but especially starting out, just try to be one step ahead. Clients and other professionals feed off genuine work ethic and doing one's best, so start there. If something comes up that throws a new agent - it's best to take a step back as Azizian says. Instead, tell the client, broker, etc. that you'll get back to them shortly and then take a minute to figure out options. This is far better than giving a frenzied response that might not actually be the best one.
Work on Anything and Everything
The beginning of one's career is not the time to be choosy. In any field, it's important to work on anything and everything in order to find what works and what doesn't. This is also a great opportunity to identify personal strengths and weaknesses that will help guide agents through professional development.
"Take the time to learn" everything in order to find your "niche or specialty". Finding a niche can't really happen until new agents explore and "gain experience with different situations and deal types" (Azizian). Real estate has many different types of deals and scenarios. Agents should try to experience everything they can while starting out. This ensures a well rounded agent which feeds into the above tip as well.
Experience is the name of the game when it comes to the real estate industry. Getting one's feet wet with every opportunity possible will help them serve clients in any and every situation. Since every deal is personalized to the client and their home choices - it's important for an agent to be well versed with a myriad of different situations.
Create a System
This is a big one. Jumping into a field that isn't structured around a 9-5 workday can be jarring. Azizian noted that new agents sometimes "have trouble adjusting to the work/life schedule and demands of the real estate field." This makes perfect sense as real estate is infamous for being a 24/7 career. New agents can get stuck in this cycle and quickly burn out if they aren't careful.
Creating a system for themselves is a great way to get organized. Azizian recommends a system that addresses the following:
- The way agents service their clients
- Maintaining business
- Generating new business
These systems are sure to propel an agent forward in a way that is lasting.
Hold the Criticism
It is key to be able to objectively look at one's shortcomings and mistakes. Inevitably, we all make them and being aware is what helps us grow. Learning from mistakes made with clients or during transactions is imperative to becoming a better real estate agent. But, this is a fine line. Being overly critical "to a point where" agents are "double or triple" checking themselves can be detrimental (Azizian). Overthinking can cause analysis paralysis and create a slow, nervous agent who is actually less of an asset to their clients because of it.
A good agent will surely learn from their mistakes. Azizian points out an important differentiation between being analytical and being strategic and reminds agents to "keep [themselves] in motion and not be too hard" on themselves as they are learning the ropes.
New agents should trust their intuition, ask for guidance, and follow these tips and in no time they'll be more comfortable as agents.
Leah Azizian LinkedIn
Leah Azizian LG Fairmont Profile
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