Selling Soulfully with Jennifer Allan

Last week, we did the first 2011 Rookie-to-Rookie show in the SWS Virtual Studio - that is - we brought in a few newly-non-rookies (agents in their 2nd and 3rd years) to share their secrets of success with the audience, which was mostly comprised of first year agents. We talked non-stop for 90 minutes and could have gone on at least another 90, but alas... had to sign off and return to work. So, I promised to post a blog this week with the questions we didn't get to, and I almost always keep my promises ;-]

But besides the questions we didn't get to, I'm also going to "ask" the ones we did address, but seemed to be of great interest to the crowd... so if you didn't make it to the show... you're in luck!

My guests on the show were Bob Sooy, of Realty Executives in Pottsville, PA, and Steve Ashby, of Royal LePage Meadowtowne in the Toronto area. We had a third speaker scheduled, but he had to bail at the last minute, which turned out fine since Bob and Steve had plenty to say.

Bob and Steve assured me they'd come onto my blog and answer these questions as soon as they can, and of course, if YOU have thoughts to add - PLEASE DO! (just copy and paste the questions below into your comment)

So, without further adoooooo.... here we go!

1. Where did your first prospects come from and how long before you HAD bona-fide prospects?

2. How did you balance your time in your first few months between LEARNING the business and LOOKING for business?

3. Did you get any pressure to use prospecting methods you weren't comfortable with, and if so, how did you handle that pressure? Any tips for others in a similar situation?

4. How did you respond when someone asked you how long you'd been in business or how many houses you'd sold? Any tips for warding off that question all together?

5. In your early marketing (websites, listing presentation, etc.) how did you address your lack of experience - that is - what sorts of things DID you include in your marketing since you really didn't have any success stories to speak of?

6. How did you approach your sphere of influence with your venture into real estate?

7. Both of you had successful careers prior to real estate - did the shock of going from a career where you felt confident to a career where you might have struggled impact your family dynamic? (Okay, that's kinda personal, but I'd LOVE to hear the answer!)

8. Related to #7, did you ever doubt your ability to survive your first year? If so, how did you get past those moments and find the motivation to keep pushing?

Whew - that's probably enough! Again, I'll ask Bob and Steve to come on and respond, but I'd love to hear from other first year survivors as well. I'll start!

Whether or not one can succeed/survive in this industry doing it part-time is always a good topic for debate. Emotions run high, tempers flare, feelings get hurt. Bummer.

But it really is an important question, especially TO those considering entering the field.

I've been thinking about it a lot, so I'll take one for the team and open up that can of worms yet again.

For the record, I've always been of the seemingly obvious opinion that if you're going to do something, do it 100%. And in an industry where far more practitioners fail than succeed, it only makes sense that the ones who devote themselves wholeheartedly to their career have a better chance of being one of the ones who don't fail... right?

Well, in the last few years, our industry has changed (really, Jennifer, y'think?) and it's not uncommon for a new real estate agent (or any real estate agent, frankly) to go months and months without a paycheck. And that's a tough situation to volunteer for.

So, new real estate agents approach their careers a little more circumspectly. They keep their day job (or night job as the case may be) and only stick their toe in the water... okay, maybe they wade in up their knees or even their waist. But they don't jump in. They don't fully commit. And they tell themselves that they're being practical, logical and responsible.

I get that. I really do. In a business where new practitioners might go a year before seeing their first payday, it's a tough sell to convince them to leave their regular paycheck and benefits behind.

But... practicality and responsibility aside... it still doesn't work. I know a lot of first-year agents and they run the gamut from having zero business to having more business than they can handle... and without exception, it's the part-time agents who are at the zero end... and the full-time agents who are at the more-than-they-can-handle end. (Of course, there are plenty of full-timers who are failing, but I don't know any part-timers who are succeeding).

The thing is - to succeed in a new business, you have to immerse yourself in it. Every day. All day. With all your passion, all your energy, all your resources. Sorry, but that's a fact whether or not you want to or can afford to. New agents who are succeeding are giving this career their full attention... not just sticking their toe in the water.

What's the punch line? If you can't afford to immerse yourself in your new real estate career, maybe now is not the time to begin your new real estate career.

p.s. please note that I am speaking primarily to new agents and pre-licensees here. Experienced agents with established lead generation and administrative systems can often make it working part-time. But rookies?  Sorry...

RELATED BLOGS
Aspiring Agents - Can't Go Full Time? Consider this...
Can a New Agent Make it in Today's Market?