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New Agent Academy: The playbook for switching into real estate successfully
In real estate, whether new agents succeed or exit early is often decided within the first three months, depending on the speed at which they build the right habits, focus and momentum. Here’s how to ensure success from the get-go.
From the moment newcomers enter real estate, every decision influences their future success, requiring strong foundations to be built even before they step into an office.
According to Barry Plant franchise development manager Ben Burling and franchise performance manager Rayni Jerram, new agents must be prepared to bring the right attitude and perform to the best of their ability.
To last and be successful, the duo said that agents needed to choose an agency aligned with their values, pick a role that will pave the way to growth, and bring the right energy to impress their employers.
Jerram said delivering a high standard in the first 90 days was critical to building a strong career and making a positive impression, with employers often assessing performance before deciding whether to retain new agents beyond that period.
To set themselves up for success, Burling said new agents need to carefully research potential networks, choosing one that aligns with their values and desired workplace culture.
“It also shapes mentorship and the training that exists within the business, how well those mentors invest in you and invest in giving you the guidance and the time that you need to get started,” he said.
He added that each network can influence the resources available to agents, how they build their database, and how prospective clients initially perceive them.
“Having the support of a big brand behind you could just make each of those conversations so much easier.”
According to Jerram, in addition to choosing a tailored network, new agents should understand their own strengths and weaknesses, to identify which property professional role they would be best suited for.
“With the way that things have opened up within the real estate industry, there are so many different areas that you can move into,” she said.
While traditionally having only two streams, property management and sales, she said that many agencies now had at least four different sectors to work in, giving newcomers more options.
With some networks overseeing at least 50 to 100 people, Jerram said business and management expertise was now even more valuable, while administration also played a pivotal role in the industry.
“So you can really build a career in a whole different arm of real estate if you want to,” she said.
Thanks to the wide range of skills required across agencies, Jerram encouraged newcomers to put their own niche skills to use that may not have required professional training.
“Being young and just knowing how to use TikTok can be super important for a whole lot of agents who are 40-plus that have no idea how to use it,” she said.
After agents began their new role, Jerram said the key to making an impact was to hit the ground running, be bold and not waste time with meaningless tasks.
She said that some employers decided to hire multiple agents at once and see how they performed in their initial three months, before deciding who to let go.
“If you don’t have an impact on your employer at the beginning, then they may think, well, maybe they’re just not cut out for this,” she said.
To stand out in an agency, Jerram told agents to become well-versed in market data, product knowledge, and anything else that can add value to conversations with clients.
“So all of a sudden you can chime in on a conversation and actually have some really good input. It makes you really valuable to your employer,” she said.
According to Burling, productivity and persistence were also key, noting that many agents tended to fill their time with meaningless tasks such as getting coffee with colleagues and going to “useless meetings”.
“There’ll be all sorts of opportunities for you to go and waste time. The thing that makes you stand out in this industry is the people that do the hard stuff, and they do it really, really well,” he said.
Jerram said that ultimately, it was essential for agents to bring good energy, do their research, and ensure they were prepared for the job they were going to start.
“If you can do the things that they’re asking you to do and really buy into the process, it’s going to show that from the get-go you’ve actually got quite a lot of grit, and you’re ready to be involved and actually stay the distance,” Jerram concluded.
To secure your free tickets to the REB New Agent Academy, click here.
REB New Agent Academy next stop: Sydney – 12 June.
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