Though I’ve only had the pleasure to work with a dozen or so clients over the year, not only have they become clients for life, but all good friends. As I am about to hold my first Annual Client Appreciation BBQ I look forward to seeing and SERVING them all once again ….. not with closings this time, but with hamburgers ….. maybe next year with lobster and steak.

Serve your clients always above yourself and then fasten your seatbelt!

One thought that I haven’t seen in all of the great comments so far — use your “newness” to your advantage by focusing your marketing on first-time buyers. First-time buyers are new to the process too, and they’re much more likely to form a bond with you because of your eagerness and willingness to go the extra mile for them.

You have to expect in your first few years of business, that you’ll be on the buy side far more often than on the listing side anyway, simply because most people who are selling their home likely have an established relationship with the agent who sold them the home in the first place. Listing are really tough to get in an established market.

So sell your un-divided attention over the established agents experience to all of the new buyers that are coming on the market. And don’t forget, YOUR buyers today will be YOUR listings in a few years.

Good luck!

There were 36 responses:

Bob Faith said, “Whether you are a new agent or old. You work with what you’ve got to build your business.” Yesterday at 1:10pm

Colleen Wayman: August Oh people think that the new agents do not know what they are doing – they would be amazed at the service some new agents provide vs the seasoned ones lol – Ive seen agents with 40 listings that rarely speak to any clients. Many have the mentality to put up the sign and wait for the call – thats not marketing a property
Yesterday at 1:15pm

Claude Marcoux: Everyone has to start somewhere, When I started South East Home Inspections, in Orlando, I told them my background in contruction before home Inspection and how long I have been a home Inspector and they still called me and they very happy with my service.
Yesterday at 1:16pm

Daniel Haas: Most of the people that I came across wanted someone with more experiance for what ever reasons they had. I was never able to glean the inforation from them. So I figure that it was their loss. Now that I have found a better company I have learned what questions to ask and how to ask them. And now know what the problem was. That is why it is important to have designated agents to help and teach newer agents.
Yesterday at 1:20pm

Cat Connor Spradlin: finds it tough being a new agent in a very small town, especially in this market, so I appreciate the info!
Yesterday at 1:24pm

Phyllis Grubb: I wish people thought that way. I have noticed some agents that have been in the business a long time will not work as hard for their clients . Once listed they set back for someone else sell it .
I know one who even says they don’t answer thier phone. ThAt is so frustrating when you have a question
Newer agents will work harder for a client . I knowi will work 24/7 for my client. I want them to be able to recommend me to others
Yesterday at 1:24pm

Debbie Reid-Beckford: I believe that it depends on the type of deal, but generally your work ethics and professionalism goes a far way! I started out with family, friends and referrals. It worked out great because of the work I did, not the experience or lack of!
Yesterday at 1:25pm

Martha Lois McNeelis Bailey: We learn by doing, run small advertisements, attend networking opportunites, have a mentor agent to help you, develop a rapor with clients, let them know that you really care.
Yesterday at 1:31pm

David Sodemann: ain’t that the truth Colleen.. My clients love me because they know I’m willing to got the extra mile for them and be aggressive.. I honestly thing that what they pay me for.
Yesterday at 1:31pm

Retha J Arrabal: Debbie is right on… if your work ethic & professionalism is there, then it goes a long way. I knock myself out for my clients, and love every minute of it! (mostly)
Yesterday at 1:35pm

Chris Lewis: I agree with Colleen. Whether your a new or seasoned agent. It all comes down to correctly doing your job. There are just too many transactions where I have to not only take care of my clients but the other agents clients as well. If you are a new agent. Go with a Broker that is going to help you get established. Above all lean on your friends and family. They are going to make you successful the first couple of years.
Yesterday at 1:35pm

Rob Moxon: Service and commitment will set you apart from all others whether it’s good or bad. Ask lot’s of questions of the “senior” agents in your office and learn, learn, learn. Be confident but never cocky and you’ll be surprised how quickly you can be succesful. Good Luck!
Yesterday at 1:39pm

Ginger Slocum Gausman: I never hid from my clients that I was a new Realtor. I just let them know I am strong in Customer Service and will take care of them through the process and if I don’t know something, I will get the answer quickly from my broker for them! I put “It begins with trust” on my business cards and I truly meant it…I need to trust them as much as they need to trust me!!
Yesterday at 1:41pm

Dale Louderback: hard work overomes everything
Yesterday at 1:42pm

Cindy Beasley Grosskopf: I think it is harder for older agents to grab on to the new technologies that are needed in today’s business. I feel that many times good companies overlook new agents because they don’t have the training systems in place that most new agents want or need.
Yesterday at 1:45pm

Krysti Zulpo: Does not matter if you are new or old in the Business… You should give the same service to all clients no matter if you are one day new or been 40 years into the business… You can ask all the right questions and get all the answers that you want, but if you dont know what to do for your clients, if you dont know how to gain their trust… Then you have nothing… Most of my clients tell me that they get all kinds of fake promise from agents, what they want is results… So you work to the extreme to make it happen, and remember, its NEVER about YOU… But its all about the clients! I will never forget when I was NEW… I felt like a little fish in a big shark tank… But I wanted to be good at this, and I would offer what other agents lacked, and it was personal service to the clients… Letting them feel apart of what was happening, letting them feel as if they had some control over the deal… I made them feel like real people with a mission that was all about them.. It so worked for me.. I droped the stiff look, and made them feel warm…. I worked off referrals with just months in the business, and never had to farm, unless I wanted to door knock… and the bonus is, I moved from the southern states to Orange County, Cali to do just Real Estate… I knew NO one, and made it work.. Big place, and lots of people, but I found a way to stand out from the rest, and that is the key to being an agent, you have to stand out from the other agents. I have never took NO for an answer! I find away to make things happen.. You have to work for your clients! I am always available to my clients, be one or all 30 listings… They know you can call me any given time, and they feel as if they are the only client I have… its called keys to customer service with a twist of caring, understanding, and making them feel as if they matter…. People just want to know you care, and its NEVER about the money… I see many agents put the money in front of the client, but what good is the money, if you never close the deal… You got to put the focus on who gets you there, and that is the client.. the money is just the icing on the cake!! Keep it focused!! Yes, it makes a difference… Remember a good agent is one that is referrable!! So new or not.. You want to treat all clients to the level you would want, and I promise you that you will have a business out of this world!! Your name will spread like wild fire, and phone will ring like crazy!! Be someone that they are excited to refer to those they know! Trust me, before long being “new” will no longer matter..
Yesterday at 1:50pm

Juan L Bassett: If you are in service to your clients and represent their best interest… new or old doesn’t matter..
Yesterday at 1:54pm

Pat Drelling Smith: Unless you work in a 1 person office, a new agent should surround themselves with a “team”….their broker, a trainer, a mortgage rep, a title rep, an inspector, etc. That way you build on the experience of everyone and you’re not “new” anymore.
Yesterday at 2:00pm

Rebecca Seibold: You definately need the help of a team to learn as much as you can and help to reduce the mistakes many of us rookies make. Especially have a good mortgage person to help you, title company and inspection and appraiser. You can learn a tremendous amount…Just be honest and don’t exagerate or tell the client you will deliver if you cant
Yesterday at 2:09pm

Karen Murphy: I have been licensed since 2003 and a full time REALTOR since 2007. In my office that is still fairly new. I found my 1st clients doubted what I was telling and showing them about the market changes. I was unable to get price reductions or when presented with an decent offer they countered so high the buyer went away. I listed homes for what the sellers wanted instead of what the market said they would sell for. Three of those listings are still owned by those same people today. They wish they could get close to the price I quoted them back in 2007. The one that did sell listed with another agent at the price I suggested and sold in less than 30 days.
Today, I do not take over priced listings. My business is much better. The best advise I would give any agent new or experienced, is do not take over priced listings. You cannot do enough marketing to overcome a listing that never sales and sits in MLS having a birthday. If you didn’t sell it, then the neighbors nor any freinds will use you to sell theirs. The buyer calls you get from an over priced listing, don’t think you know what you are doing either. The REALTOR is always to blame when it doesn’t sell.
When the sign goes up and comes down in a reasonable time frame, areas, and prices vary. You are GOLDEN and get the referrals.
Yesterday at 2:10pm

Ozzie Ramirez: No matter how seasoned you are, you have to do whatever it takes to be educated if you want to be successful or beat any stigma. I started part time in 2005 and went full time in mid 2006. In the last qtr of 2006 I won HAR Top Producer award. I chose to educate myself on everything my audience wanted me to know. I never worked for a big firm or had a mentor, I used what I knew the best and that was the internet. All of the start-up education you need is at the tip of your fingertipsand the rest will come with experience. I took every free HAR class and attended every First Time Home Buyer Pogram I could find. I even went even further and taught myself how to repair credit. Real Estate is a battle, will you have a knife or will you choose to drive a tank. Knowledge is your weapon.
Marketing Philosophy: You can spend thousands of dollars on post cards, billboards, magazine ads, etc, but if your service s crappy, then all you are doing is paying to tell people: “Hey, my service is crappy.” Focus on your knowledge and customer service and create raving fans.
A must read for real estate agents: “Raving Fans.” by Kenneth Blanchard.
At whatever stage in your career you are in, use what works best for you. When I was a rookie, my edge was that I was extremely technology saavy and I would hustle hard and let my cliets know that there was no one out there that would out work me because nobody was more driven. I would call FSBO’s and ask them to let me have an open house in their house. No commssion and no commitment unless I brought them a buyer(just 3% if I brought them a buyer). That’s how I go my foot in the door, then eventually, if I did not sell it, I would build a relationship and let them know that we would have a bigger audience if they let me list it on the internet as their agent. It worked like a charm.
Now that I am almost 30 and have been in for more than 5 years, I do not have to market because my referral base takes care of that for me.
Yesterday at 2:50pm

Ronda Osborne Courtney: The market is so hard right now. Joining a team is something I just did again. What a relief!
Yesterday at 2:58pm

Tom Seddon: Education is everything and staying up on all the changes that seem to happen almost daily anymore. I have been a full time Realtor in Virginia and North Carolina since 1979.To say there have been changes is an understatement.
For new agents try and get a seasoned top producer to be your mentor if you need help.I was helped in the beginning and I help now without expecting compensation…Tom Seddon, Coldwell Banker Professional
Yesterday at 3:06pm

Bonnie Bodnar: Congratulations Ozzie! That’s the way to do it. Knowledge and excellent customer service.
Yesterday at 3:16pm

Bill Weeda: We have the best of both worlds, my wife Patty has 22 years and I just got licenced last month. Serving as her assistant while I learn the ropes, it’s awesome.
Yesterday at 4:16pm

Patti Baker: Sell yourself, give professional advice and service. Sometimes it is the smallest things that steer a client to you.
Being new in a small town is probably the hardest due to the “old boy network” send out flyers hang out at the grocery store, wear your name badge. When I first strted no one had name badges so I had one made for myself and I got business from wearing it. 28 years later I am still going strong and I am up on all the new technologies…..
Yesterday at 4:22pm

Michael Bertoldi: Wow. I appreciate all the comments and responses you all have provided here. While it would be hard to reply to everyone, thank you all for commenting. Keep in mind, you’re not only helping me, but any other new agent who reads the post. Thank you all again. I’ve read these comments and there are some nuggets of information in this thread that are definitely worth remembering.

You guys rock!
Yesterday at 4:54pm

Jim Steele: I will ALWAYS be new, even after 20 years!
Yesterday at 5:57pm

Theresa Rock: Me to after 27 years:-)
Yesterday at 6:55pm

Jlo Loperaberrio: I’M NEW” This has def. been tough for a broker I personally know. He started this business for someone he knows who had experience in a big real estate company and still no clients. I’m beginning to believe that being new is not a good thing….people don’t believe in you, nor do they give you the opportunity. If they only knew! Abbey Road has everything they need, mtg brokers, exterminator, appraiser (if it’s FHA, because of the new rules), etc…and even attorney referrals (the owner is an attorney with over 20 years experience and hundreds of residential and many commerical closings- so you know he knows the business!). So it doesn’t matter I guess….people don’t give new business’s a chance.
Yesterday at 8:57pm

Cherie Smith Zurek: I have been in the business for 24 years…I answer my phone and return calls within two hours…my office phone goes to my cell telephone…but I agree that the new agents might be more internet savvy wthout trying because the new young agents ..it is in their blood when they are born..like my kids who are 30′s…I have to really try hard …keep up on my Facebook page…putting my listings on Utube…I carry a Iphone so I can text my young buyers and sellers.so they think I hip..my listing can be Texted off the sign and the virutal tour sent to their Smart phone right then….I am the # 1 in my marketplace and plan to keep it that way until I retire. I am open to giving tips to new agents…if you want to email me at ******@aol.com
Yesterday at 9:43pm

Linda Denton Smith: as a new agent, I let my clients know that if I don’t know the answer to a question, I have my broker on speed dial! I assure them that we will walk hand in hand through the entire process. I have an agent in my office that I refer to as my mentor and she is the best! I always make sure I get voicemails answered and return calls within 1 hr of when I get them even if it’s only to tell them I’m working on their question. Love it, love it, love it!!
Yesterday at 10:01pm

Patty Weeda: I’m the “Patty” that is attached to Bill Weeda’s comment, Thank you, honey…..however, I agree with Jim Steele…”I’ll always be NEW!”
Yesterday at 11:26pm

Maria Santiago Kadau: I’m new and my biggest takeaway has been that what I lack in actual experience, I certainly make up for in creativity, drive and determination. I’ve chosen to learn from the agents who have positive attitudes, great customer service, willingness to embrace new ideas, and a constant desire to better themselves. The agent-helping-agent concept is so beneficial when you’re new.
14 hours ago

Mary Oglesby Rhem: I came into this business determined to define my success. I don’t focus or promote the number of years of doing my business. I focus on results. Every transaction is different and I work each one differently. I tell my clients what I can offer which hasnt change from day 1, 20, and 1974, that is, providing exceptional service! Yes, “customers” like to focus on titles and adjectives such as “new” or “experience.” If my short number of years don’t get me that client, then it’s their loss. When they come back because the 10, 20, 40+ agent drops the ball, then it’s my gain. Hence, it hasn’t hurt me yet.

All fellow agents preceding my comments have said some great things. We should all be able to go after new business now not being intimidated by our senior colleagues.
13 hours ago

Colleen Dermody Sample: good luck newbies. do all the training you can, webinars,speakers, programs that your board of Realtors gives…volunteer..hit the ground running and always see the glass half full!
8 hours ago

This is a good thing Michael. Most real estate agents, I mean those who are Realtors, do not realize misrepresenting experience is against the code of ethics. I’m very keen on this, as I want to venture into commercial real estate and it’s just my wife Colleen and I. We have our own company but neither has commercial experience. So, to avoid ethics issues, which in turn a violation thereof could result in a lawsuit, I will need to divulge my lack of experience. I kinda wonder how much business I will lose as a result. I guess we will see. Fortunately, I can afford to loss some clients in the interim as we are busy and have kept ourselves out of debt, so we do not need much to survive.

Anyway, it’s good (and necessary) to make your clients aware of your experience. I think most folks will appreciate your transparency Michael.