Writing from Australia

[SteveG]

Hi all, I'm writing from Sydney, in Australia and looking for some helpful tips and suggestions. I joined the real estate industry some three months ago, having been in recruitment for over 10 year prior. I'm not sure about USA, but I can say that here in Australia, there doesn't appear to be any training for new real estate agents. For this reason, I was hoping for some tips and suggestions on getting listings.

[naplesrealestate]

Hi Steve,

Welcome to the forum.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Do a press release announcing that you joined a real estate brokerage firm.

Start a list of everyone you know - sphere of influence. (Your holiday card list is a great place to start.)

Write to the sphere and let them know you have made a career change. Be sure to include 2 business cards with the letter. Be sure to ask them if they know anyone that might be thinking about a real estate sale or purchase.

Pass out your business cards to everyone you meet.

If you are creative - do a brochure on yourself and see if you can put the brochure in the local chamber of commerce.

Just some things to get you started.

[SteveG]

Hello Glenn,

Thanks for your prompt response. I had a look at your website and I have to say that it was very impressive indeed. Thank you also for your suggestions, I will definately try them all.

[Andrea Messenger]

Hi Steve-
Welcome to our forum. Or, should I say G'day.

Glenn offered some excellent suggestions. In addition, there are many real estate trainers and programs here in the US to fit just about any budget and personality.

If you are looking to obtain listings in a pretty short time frame, you might check into the Mike Ferry or Todd Bates systems. Some great books to read would be List More, Sell More by Jerry Bresser and The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller.

[SteveG]

G'day Andrea,

Thanks for those reading suggestions; I'll have to get a copy. To date, I have read three books, one of which was written by Tom Hopkins "Mastering the Art of Selling Real Estate". It was quite a good book, but it didn't go deep into the nitty gritty of prospecting

[Homer4Bama]

Steve,
Welcome to the forum!

Looks like you have found a great resource here to learn more about prospecting!

I read a book, the author's name escapes me but the title was something like...

"Selling isn't telling. It's asking questions..."

If you understand what the potential client desires in an agent, or in the sale of their home, you will be able to answer their questions, settle any reservations, and explain how and why your services can meet their needs.

[SteveG]

Hi Ed,

I couldn't agree more. I have been in sales for 11 years now and as such, I always read one new sales book every year (so I'm accumulating a nice little library now). I have also been trying to introduce my consultative sales principles into real estate, but I have to say, it has been challenging. For some reason, my employer has never felt the need to qualify potential buyers, or find out how those buyers learnt about our organisation and stock (so I have started to create my own systems, which strangely enough, the organisation is now starting to adopt - the M.D has had his own real estate business for over 20 years!?).

I have continued to persevere over my first three months in real estate and as a result, I have sold six homes and listed two properties, but being in a buyers' market it can be difficult at times (property values have dropped by over 10% in Sydney - we're in a real slump I've been told)

[kensmith]

Originally Posted by SteveG we're in a real slump I've been told)

Rule one in real estate, stay away from the negative agents. They can suck the life out of you. Excuses and more excuses is all you will hear out of them. The market is slow, the market is to hot (yes I have heard this more then a few times), blah blah blah...the truth is they just suck. Sorry to be so blunt, but no nice way to say it IMO.

If you have 6 sales in 3 months you are doing something right. Keep up the activities that are producing the most leads. Remove the activities that aren't producing leads. Then try other ideas with the free time created by removing the activities that aren't working.

Personally when I started in this business I read at least one book per month and went to at least 4 major seminars per year. Now I only read a couple books a year and will go to 2 major seminars a year. Have to keep learning and networking. Even a bad seminar or book will give you a couple good ideas, the trick is knowing what is the good info.

[SteveG]

Originally Posted by kensmith Rule one in real estate, stay away from the negative agents. They can suck the life out of you. Excuses and more excuses is all you will hear out of them. The market is slow, the market is to hot (yes I have heard this more then a few times), blah blah blah...the truth is they just suck. Sorry to be so blunt, but no nice way to say it IMO. If you have 6 sales in 3 months you are doing something right. Keep up the activities that are producing the most leads. Remove the activities that aren't producing leads. Then try other ideas with the free time created by removing the activities that aren't working. Personally when I started in this business I read at least one book per month and went to at least 4 major seminars per year. Now I only read a couple books a year and will go to 2 major seminars a year. Have to keep learning and networking. Even a bad seminar or book will give you a couple good ideas, the trick is knowing what is the good info.

Hi Ken,

Thanks for the feedback; strangely enough, I'm not sure what I'm doing right or wrong. Having said that, I have just created a series of four different letterbox flyers which I will deliver each month until I exhaust the series and then repeat.

You're definately right about the negative and lazy sales people in the industry. What is also frustrating me is the fact that I want to do between six to eight hours of prospecting every week; but my manager doesn't want me doing any more than three hours per week. As a former sales manager, I am finding this extremely frustrating.

If anyone has any more tips or suggestions for prospecting, I'd love to hear them

[kensmith]

Originally Posted by SteveG Hi Ken, What is also frustrating me is the fact that I want to do between six to eight hours of prospecting every week; but my manager doesn't want me doing any more than three hours per week. As a former sales manager, I am finding this extremely frustrating.

That is the stupidest thing, or at least close to it, that I have ever heard a manager say. You should be spending at least 25% of you day prospecting as a new agent and if you have slow times it could be as much as 100%.

There was a period just before my daughter was born when we found out that the insurance didn't cover the pregnancy that I went on a little push. I prospected non stop for 4 days and then wrote 9 contracts in the next 20 days from the leads I generated. That was a good 40 hours of prospecting, but I made about $40k from it after my split.

If your manager really is taking a position that you should not generate leads then you might want to look for a new office. There is nothing that should hold you to a brokerage if they are costing you money. If nothing else sit down with the broker and tell him that you will be doing more prospecting and if he doesn't like it that you will start looking for a new office. That alone will shut up most brokers as that is money out of their pocket if you leave.