February 23, 2022

March 2, 2022

New Real Estate Agent Checklist: 8 Things to Do

What are the first steps once you become a real estate agent? Here's your to-do list.

A lot of hard work and dedication is involved in being a new real estate agent. While you may have attended your classes, passed all the tests, and acquired your license, you still need to work on finding leads and landing clients. Use this new real estate agent checklist to jumpstart a successful career as a real estate agent in Las Vegas.

Your New Real Estate Agent Checklist: 8 Items to Complete

1. Find the Right Brokerage

When looking for a brokerage, many choose the cheapest available or the one that offers the best commission split. However, there’s a lot more that you should consider.

Look into its reputation and clientele. Learn about the company’s culture, employee turnover rate, work-life balance, and training and development program for beginners. Ask if they will provide leads, cover additional costs, or offer more services. All these will help determine if it’s the right fit for you. 

Remember, you’ll want to be with a brokerage for the long haul.

2. Create Your Business Plan

An important step on your new real estate agent checklist is to create a business plan. While there are many different templates online that you can use as a guide, your business plan should generally include:

  • Areas and type of real estate to cover.
  • Budgets and other financial considerations.
  • Marketing channels .
  • Number of listings to maintain.
  • Primary and secondary target market.
  • Operational considerations (devices, supplies, etc.).
  • Time commitment and work location.

Remember, your real estate career is like a new business. And to run it smoothly, you need a solid business plan.

to-do sticky note

3. Develop Your Marketing Strategy

Marketing yourself and getting your name out there is another important part of your new real estate agent checklist. Be mindful that you’re promoting the genuine, personal side of your brand as well.

Here are some ideas on how to market yourself as a real estate agent:

  • Create and share valuable content. 
  • Develop a well-optimized website that promotes your story.
  • Invest in email marketing to connect with leads and clients. 
  • Partner with local businesses. 
  • Seek and publish customers’ reviews. 
  • Set up your social media channels relevant to your target audience.

Doing these will help you stand out from the competition and position yourself as an industry expert.

4. Utilize Your Community, Networks, and Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Forming and maintaining relationships with people from your current networks or local community can help you succeed in the industry.

Ask your family and friends to recommend you if they know of contacts seeking to buy or sell their property. You can also attend seminars, go to local meet-ups, or join relevant business groups. It helps to participate in networking functions or to volunteer in charity programs in your area.

Similarly, people value word-of-mouth information. When you’re a rookie in the business, part of your new real estate agent checklist should be to collect reviews and testimonials. These can be from colleagues, satisfied clients, or people who know your work ethic. Once you have these, include them on your website, social media channels, and other marketing materials.

community meetup

Do note, though, that it’s crucial to stay authentic, genuine, and factual with this step.

5. Set Up Your Business Accounts

Focusing your website and social media channels, it’s crucial that you set these up in a way that makes people understand who you are, what you do, and how they can benefit from your offerings. That’s why it helps when you curate this in a legitimate, professional way.

If you want your name out there, creating a profile on real estate platforms should be part of your new real estate agent checklist. These sites include Redfin, Realtor.com, Trulia, and Zillow, where many prospective sellers and buyers are looking to connect with agents.

Some other tips to consider when setting up your accounts:

  • Add your professional details on your broker’s website. 
  • Link your business pages to your website and social media accounts. 
  • Publish high-quality, professional photos
  • Set up a business email and voicemail.
  • Write a compelling bio.

6. Invest in Tools for Your Real Estate Business

Being a new real estate agent can be tedious and time-consuming, given all the things you have to put in place. As such, it’s helpful to utilize tools that will help automate some of the processes so you can focus on landing clients and scaling your business.

Your new real estate agent checklist should include tools for:

  • Coordinating and managing transactions.
  • Creating documents, generating agreements, and writing purchase contracts.
  • CRM to organize contacts and follow-ups. 
  • Listing appointment schedules.
  • Project management (like Asana, Trello, or Monday.com).
Trello laptop cover

7. Collaborate with Other Real Estate Professionals

A big misconception is that real estate agents directly compete with each other. But really, they help open up more opportunities and expand your horizons when you work with them.

That’s why it’s beneficial to connect and collaborate with other agents and real estate professionals. They’ll help you through advice, connections, and other resources. They may even be able to send referrals your way down the line.

One of the best ways to nurture your collaboration is to hold open houses. Beyond showcasing and potentially selling a property, open houses are great for meeting prospective buyers to see if they’re a great fit. You potentially gain new business and referrals.

8. Continue to Learn About Your Market and Industry

One of the most important things to tick off your new real estate agent checklist is to constantly learn about the field.

Continued education is essential to maintain your license. Conferences and training programs are available to help you learn about the developments in the industry. It also helps to attend online courses, listen to podcasts, read books, subscribe to newsletters, or even watch the news.

More importantly, try to find an industry mentor early on who can guide you on the ins and outs of the industry. Their knowledge and experience as a real estate professional will be invaluable in building a successful career.

Being a real estate agent can be challenging, especially when you’re still new and learning the ropes of the market and industry. With this new real estate agent checklist, you’ll be setting yourself up for success as you learn to navigate the exciting world of real estate.

Ready to join a real estate team in Las Vegas? The Brendan King Group is a group of real estate professionals and local Sin City experts. We thrive on good client relationships, making sure they are happy and satisfied with our services. And we are always on the hunt for the next real estate superstar.‍

If you’re looking to be part of our team, contact us today to learn more!