Confidence and determination are keys to success in any career. There’s probably nothing you can’t accomplish if you believe in yourself and work hard to achieve your goals. You might have more aptitude toward one type of career over than another. If you’ve been thinking about enrolling in classes to earn a license as a real estate agent, there are several issues to consider to help determine if you’re well-suited to this career.

If you don’t feel like you align with every characteristic described in this post, it doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t become a real estate agent. If, however, you feel a personal connection with the attributes that many successful agents have in common, then a career in real estate might be something you'll want to explore further.

A profitable real estate agent is typically an enthusiastic people-person

While it might not be impossible to succeed in real estate if you don’t like being around people, it’s logical to assume that your chances for success are greater if you consider yourself a “people-person.” As a real estate agent, you’ll be interacting with people on a daily basis. That interaction occurs on a very personal level, as you’ll be helping people sell their home or find a new home that fits their budget, lifestyle and needs.

Would you describe yourself (or would others describe you) as energetic and enthusiastic? If you enjoy meeting new people and hearing about their lives and their dreams, a career as a real estate agent might be something you’d want to consider.

Self-motivation and willingness to work hard are keys to real estate success

When you set a goal in life or at work, do you get excited about it and work hard to accomplish it? Even if you sign on with a supportive brokerage that actively participates in providing encouragement and assistance in your work, when it comes right down to it, self-motivation is a key to your own success.

If you want to sell houses, you must be willing to put in the time and effort it takes to generate leads and turn offers into closings. That doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of skills that others have to offer to help you create a successful real estate business. In fact, the most profitable agents understand the importance of networking. It does mean, however, that a strong work ethic is a positive attribute when your goal is to become a profitable sales agent.

Adaptability is a must in real estate

While you obtain the pre-license education required to sit for your real estate license exam,you’ll want to think ahead to prepare for your new career and lifestyle. Being a real estate agent might be different from other jobs you’ve had, especially because there isn’t a set schedule, nor is there anyone looking over your shoulder on a daily basis to make sure you carry out the tasks at hand.

Many real estate agents find it liberating to go into business for themselves. If you easily adapt to changes in your schedule and to unexpected circumstances (which are common in real estate), then real estate sales might be a great career choice for you.

A new career on the horizon

Schedule adaptability is one of the benefits of enrolling in real estate school. You can continue to work another job while studying for your license exam. If you get excited when you think about being a salesperson, you might be a good fit for the real estate industry.

Developing good habits to begin each day helps achieve your full potential. Just as science tells us that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, bad habits oppose good habits, which not only makes your morning routine a disaster but can also prevent career success.

By the time you reach the end of this post, you’ll have learned five ways to make the most of your mornings, which, in turn, helps to achieve success.

Morning routine success begins the night before

When studying, you need to be alert and able to focus on the material. If you’re meeting clients, showing homes or attending a closing (hopefully, lots of them!) you must also be alert, energetic and well-prepared. Mornings will run more smoothly if you take time each evening to prepare for the next day.

From setting your coffee pot timer to laying out your clothes, writing a list of goals for the following day and making sure you get enough sleep, the way you spend your evenings has a significant impact on your morning routine.

Don’t stay in bed until the last minute

If you have a 9 a.m. class or appointment, the last thing you want to do is roll out of bed at 8:30 a.m., then rush out the door. A secret to a helpful morning routine is to awaken at least 15 minutes to a half hour earlier than necessary. Make good use of the time.

Begin each and every day with a drink of water and a healthy breakfast

Sleeping is a restorative process. A lot takes place in your brain and body while you sleep, which is necessary to good health. One thing you’re not doing while you’re sleeping, however, is drinking water. Adequate hydration is a key factor to good health and business success. Never underestimate the value of staying properly hydrated.

Begin each day by drinking at least eight ounces of water. This process jump starts your brain and body, as it literally “wakes up” all of the systems that you need in order to function.

It’s also important to eat healthy food at the start of the day. Whether you choose to do that at the same time you drink your water or after you head outdoors (which you’ll read more about in the next section) is up to you. Just make sure you eat healthy food, such as avocado and egg on toast or yogurt with fresh berries and nuts, as opposed to a donut or sugary, boxed cereals.

Head outdoors for fresh air, morning light and quiet thoughts

Get outdoors and breathe in the fresh, morning air, taking time to clear your thoughts. Take a brisk walk or do some whole-body stretches. Even if you don’t go to the gym or have a home gym available, just making sure you get your body moving and enjoy fresh air and morning light sets the tone for a productive day.

Allow yourself time for distractions in the morning

During the day, distractions can be a real thorn in your side. If you’re supposed to be studying or filing paperwork but are scrolling through social media instead, it’s counterproductive. Why not allow yourself time in the morning to visit your favorite sites, read the news or chat with friends? Once your work day or classes begin, it’ll be easier to avoid distractions.

Developing a consistent, healthy and productive morning routine lays the groundwork for a successful career in real estate.

Once you’ve hustled and bustled your way through real estate school, it’s time to hustle and bustle your way to profitability. The process of selling homes in 2022 looks a lot different than it did 100 years ago. To be successful in the industry today, you must establish a strong online presence. This involves much more than simply launching a website that shares your contact information.

If your website doesn’t have more to offer, you’re not likely to develop a following. On the other hand, there are several things you can start doing today to help you strengthen your online presence, which can turn a casual first-time visitor into a loyal client.

It’s all about the Search Engine Results Page (SERP)

Quality content that is fresh, relevant and updated is a top priority issue to establishing online presence and gaining traffic to your website. If your pages are not informative or interesting to your target audience, your chances of landing a top position on a SERP are little to none.

However, if your website is well-designed and maintained, then people who enter search phrases regarding real estate are bound to find you online. There isn’t one specific thing that will make your pages rank better; instead, there are many ranking factors. From strategic use of SEO to establishing yourself as a go-to for information, you will become memorable to your audience and links to your pages will be at the top of a SERP.

User experience matters a lot

It’s possible to be memorable in a bad way. You don't want to come to mind when people are discussing “worst real estate websites ever” or other negative topics. Strengthen your online presence through quality user experience on your website. You’re not just providing information; you’re sharing time with your visitors.

Just as you would want people to enjoy a visit to your home, you want them to have a pleasant experience while visiting your website. If they like what they see, they’ll stay longer. They associate you with your site, so a pleasant user experience on your website helps you establish a strong presence online. People will start to remember you because they remember your site.

Use branding to develop your online presence

Never underestimate the power of branding in real estate. Pay close attention to everything, from the color scheme you use in a logo or on your business cards to your social media profiles and more. Be consistent.

If you have a different profile image on every one of your social media platforms, your brand and your online presence will be less memorable. Even the longest of journeys begins with a single step. You can’t build a strong online presence overnight, but you can take small steps each day that will make your website visible and will help you establish yourself as a successful real estate agent in your community.

When you’re striving to become a profitable real estate agent, it’s a good idea to take advantage of the benefits advanced technology has to offer to help you achieve your goals. Building and maintaining a website (with or without an attached blog) is the cornerstone of establishing the foundation of a strong, online presence.

 It’s also wise to maintain several social media accounts or to hire someone to do that for you if you don’t feel equipped to do it yourself. Strategic use of SEO will help your web pages gain visibility and a higher-ranking position on a search engine results page (SERP). If reading the last couple of sentences registers like a foreign language in your brain, don’t worry. By the end of this post, you’ll gain a basic understanding of these important topics that can help you boost your business success.

What does the acronym SEO stand for, and what is it?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s basically a process of various tasks and strategies that form the backbone of a successful online marketing campaign. These tasks are designed to help your website (or blog, or both) gain visibility and, therefore, attract new traffic. Within a skilled application of the SEO process, your web pages are also likely to appear closer to the top of the page in a search result.

You can use certain keywords, links, URLs and, most importantly, fresh, relevant content to get noticed by “web crawlers,” which are bots that search engines use to scan pages and produce results when someone enters a search online. For instance, using keywords such as “curb appeal” or “selling a house” might get your real estate site noticed (by the bots) when a person enters “Ways to boost curb appeal when selling a house” into a search bar.

Social media activity indirectly affects SEO

A spider bot isn’t going to be crawling your social media accounts. However, the metrics of human interaction on your accounts, such as likes, dislikes, comments, and shares indirectly has an effect when you have synced your social media pages to your website or blog. Consider Twitter, for instance. If someone views your timeline then retweets your post, it works sort of like a backlink.

If someone retweets your post, it then shows up on that person’s timeline and is visible to all of his or her followers who view the post. If one of those followers retweets (shares) the post, it becomes a lot like a prolific link. As a real estate agent, you might also find that prospective clients prefer to communicate on a digital forum rather than by phone or in person, at least to start.

To recap, the following list shows three actions you can take to increase leads, engage your target audience and establish a strong online presence to help boost your real estate business success:

• Develop and maintain a website and blog with fresh, updated and relevant content.
• Be active on the most popular social media sites, including Twitter and Instagram.
• Use SEO to your advantage to gain organic traffic to your website and improve your SERP ranking, which increases visibility for your web pages.

Becoming a profitable real estate salesperson involves much more than scheduling appointments to show homes to prospective buyers. Your online presence and interaction with others (networking) are also key factors to your business success.

After working for some time as a license real estate agent, many people decide to take their career to the next level by studying to become a licensed broker. In South Carolina, you must hold a real estate sales license in this state for three consecutive years before pursuing a broker’s license.

The state requires 150 hours of pre-license education to sit for the broker’s exam. The 90 hours of education you obtained in order to earn a sales license counts toward the total hours needed to become a broker. The other 60 hours are typically gained through two, 30-hour courses that provide instruction on numerous topics, such as federal housing laws, contracts, appraisals, licensing laws, risk reduction, ethics, marketing and more.

Brokers basically do four things

While there’s no “typical” day in the life of a broker, there are four main categories of service within which brokers function. They are as follows: running a business, expanding a business, providing support to buyers, and providing support to sellers. A broker does not necessarily do all four things each and every day; however, it is possible that a single day’s schedule might include tasks within each of these categories.

Running a business as a broker includes these duties

A licensed broker or Broker in Charge may secure real estate transactions independently and may also provide daily support to real estate agents acting under the brokerage in question. Running a brokerage business includes clerical duties, such as responding to emails, text messages and phone calls. In an average day of work, a broker might also process paperwork and file documents or schedule appointments for client meetings, home showings, etc.

There are several ways a broker can help expand the business

A major percentage of clients come to agents and brokers through referrals. This means that successful brokers are always working to expand their firms. A top priority is to generate leads, which typically occur through networking and building relationships within the niche, such as mortgage lenders, bankers, accountants, local business people, news reporters and more.

Brokers also use radio, television, billboards, social media, flyers and in-person encounters to market their businesses.

How brokers provide support to buyers and sellers

As a licensed broker, you might assist a seller by helping to establish a list price by researching comparable property sales in the local region. If you are a skilled photographer, you might provide support to sellers by taking photos of homes for advertising purposes. You can also help stage a home for an open house or showing.

To provide buyer support, a broker might meet with buyers to identify their specific needs and desires in order to streamline their purchasing experience. A broker may also provide direct support on a buyer’s behalf to make an offer or negotiate a sale.

Continuing education is always a plus

There are certain benefits to obtaining a broker’s license, such as the potential for more income, which is generated through higher commissions. Studying for a broker’s license is a form of continued education that is valuable in the real estate industry. There’s no such thing as “too much learning.” Any new material learned can be an asset to your real estate career.

As a seller’s agent, your clients rely on you for recommendations to help increase their chances of receiving offers from prospective buyers. Scheduling showings is an integral part of the selling process. Unfortunately, many sellers make the same mistakes before showings, which not only make it less likely to receive an offer but may even turn people away before they’ve toured an entire house.

Help your clients avoid these mistakes by explaining why preparation is a key factor to success for home showings. You can’t force a client to take your advice; however, you wouldn’t be providing top quality service if you fail to mention these topics, knowing how important they are to helping your clients sell their home.

Avoid the mistake of poor-quality curb appeal

One of the most common mistakes sellers make is to focus energy on making the interior of a home look nice while neglecting the outside appearance of the home. Most prospective buyers will first view a listed home online. After scheduling a showing, it’s important for your seller to understand that the home tour starts at the curb.

If a buyer arrives to find an unkept landscape, garbage or debris scattered around the property or chipping paint, a damaged roof or a driveway that needs repair, he or she might decide to leave without even going inside. To increase the chances of getting an offer, make sure your client understands the importance of boosting curb appeal.

Failing to minimize interior décor can be a big mistake for a seller

Your client is likely to have many personal items and decorations on display throughout the house. It’s best to pack these things away before scheduling. A buyer who is touring a home must be able to imagine himself or herself living there. That’s difficult to do if, everywhere he or she turns, the seller’s personal items are on display. Avoiding this mistake increases the likelihood of getting offers. The best recommendation you can give your clients is to minimize décor and simplify surroundings so that it’s easy for visitors to imagine their own belongings on the walls, countertops, etc.

Failing to leave the house during showings

Being present during a showing is one of the biggest mistakes your client can make when selling a home. Again, the goal is to make a buyer feel as comfortable as possible so that he or she wants to live there. If a seller is present, a prospective buyer might not feel comfortable asking certain questions or taking as thorough a tour as he or she might do if the seller were not present.

Helping your clients avoid these three mistakes make it more likely that their homes will spend less time on the market than sellers who disregard these issues. The better prepared your clients are for selling, the more profitable you can be when you become a South Carolina real estate salesperson.

Some people think that the key to success is to never stop working. There is strong evidence, however, that “all work and no play” is a detriment to one’s overall health. Not only is it a good idea to take time to rest, it’s essential if your goal is to achieve your full potential as a profitable real estate agent in South Carolina.

In reality, it’s impossible to be productive and effective in your career if you never take time to relax and rest. Sundays are a good day for rest, and there are four ways to ensure you make the most of your Sundays – to make Sundays a “rest” day, not a “stress” day.

Careful planning throughout the week leaves room for Sunday rest

In short, you might say that plans for Sunday’s rest begin on the previous Monday morning. If your work week isn’t carefully planned and executed, you’re liable to wind up doing all the catch-up work on Sunday, leaving little to no time for rest and relaxation.

By writing out a plan for Monday through Saturday, including tasks pertaining to business, school and personal life, you set the stage for productivity. Always address your priorities before moving on to non-essentials. Determine what type of schedule and routine you need in order to accomplish your weekly goals within six days.

Plan your Sunday rest day

When you leave your rest day to chance, chances are you won’t do much resting. Too many other things will pop into your mind – things you’ve “been meaning to take care of.” If you’re serious about taking a day of rest, incorporate your plans for Sunday into your weekly schedule.

What types of things would you like to do this coming Sunday to rest? Make sure ahead of time, you have what you’ll need on hand to avoid last minute rushing around. For instance, if you know you want to enjoy a glass of wine and a good book, don’t wait until the eleventh hour to buy the wine or find the book you want to read. Plan ahead!

Spending time in nature helps create a restful feeling

Fresh air and sunlight are keys to good health. Whether you work from home or in a brick-and-mortar building, it’s a good idea to spend time outdoors on a daily basis. Making it one of your goals to, at least, spend time in nature on Sundays helps you gain a change of scenery from work-week surroundings.

Resting doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t be active. In fact, taking a long walk, going for a swim or playing sports for fun with family and friends also helps rejuvenate your body after a busy work week.

Treat yourself to whatever helps you feel relaxed

Whether you have a special meal, take a luxury bath or watch a favorite movie, treating yourself to small pleasures on a Sunday creates a restful atmosphere. It’s important to remember that self-care is not selfish. In fact, it’s imperative to good health as well as to productivity in the workplace and to help you achieve your career goals, especially if you’re going to school to become a licensed real estate agent.

One of the most important things you’ll do as a buyer’s agent is protect your client’s interests throughout the home search and purchase process. In fact, you may have wanted to become a buyer’s agent because you get a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment out of helping other people accomplish their goals. In this case, your client’s ultimate goal is to get the best deal possible on a home of choice.

The real estate market fluctuates and goes through cycles that are influenced by various factors, including the economy. For instance, right now, there’s a lack of inventory, meaning that there are more people looking to buy a home than there are people who have listed homes for sale. This makes for a competitive buyer’s market, and you must be prepared to help your client win a bidding war if multiple offers are made on the home that he or she wants to purchase.

Of course, the best way to become a successful buyer’s agent is to lay a solid foundation of knowledge, mentorship and practice from the start. It’s wise to  make good use of your time in real estate school, speaking with experienced agents and instructors and using roleplay and other practice tools to get used to interacting with clients. Once you’re ready to get your feet wet, there are a few things to keep in mind when your client’s offer isn’t the only one on the table.

Set the bar from the start regarding price

If your client plans to make an offer on a house that multiple other prospective buyers are putting bids on, you’ll want to begin by having a thorough discussion about price. The seller, of course, has listed the house for a certain price; however, most sellers understand the importance of being willing to negotiate if a solid offer is made that happens to be less than the asking price of the home.

It’s logical to assume that a seller is going to want to make as much profit as possible on the transaction. While you can’t say with 100% certainty that the highest bid is going to win the deal, it’s important for your client to submit a credible offer. It helps to discuss ahead of time what the highest price is that he or she is willing pay. From there, you can talk about whether to offer that price right off the bat or to start lower and raise it as necessary.

Why would a seller accept a lower offer?

The primary issue in buying and selling homes is, of course, money. As mentioned earlier, however, there’s no guarantee that your client will win a bidding war simply by making the highest offer. This is because other factors often come into play, such as contingencies.

If your client’s offer is less than several others who have submitted bids but has zero contingencies, the seller might decide to go with your client to save himself or herself a hassle. In other words, if a lower offer is more of a stress-free offer because there are no contingencies, it might wind up being the most attractive offer in the seller’s eyes.

Make sure your client gets pre-approved for a mortgage loan

As a buyer’s agent, you want to help your client have the smoothest home-purchase experience possible. In all cases, but especially in a bidding war, prospective buyers who are pre-approved for a mortgage loan have an edge over those who have not secured approval.

If a seller receives numerous offers, one of the first things he or she is likely to note is whether any of the prospective buyers are pre-approved for a mortgage. If your buyer acts on your recommendation to get pre-approved and submits a credible offer keeping the other pertinent issues in mind, there’s a good chance that he or she will come out on top.

It has been a stressful time for property owners with tougher government regulations, staff shortages and COVID protocols. Much of the burden of these and other challenges has fallen on the shoulders of property managers. If you are a property manager, you can vouch for the fact that the industry is changing rapidly, and the coming year promises to bring some necessary adaptations.

Property management is no longer simply about collecting rent checks and changing furnace filters. Your job is highly skilled and demands that you remain open to change and willing to continue learning and improving. Keeping your finger on the pulse of current trends in property management can help you to be proactive in addressing those needs and expectations your clients and residents may have.

Do I have what it takes?

Qualifying for a mortgage is more difficult than ever, and many, including those with children, are postponing their plans to purchase a home or deciding that renting is the better option for them. Because of this, rental property owners are dealing with a growing number of applicants, including families who are interested in renting single-family properties. Even those entering retirement are choosing to rent rather than buy when they downsize.

How does this affect you as a property manager? Some analysts see this trend driving real estate investors to purchase more rental units, creating a demand for experienced and skilled property managers. Property owners will want managers with the following qualities:

• An ability to understand and adapt to rapidly changing government restrictions and protocols to minimize the risk for both residents and property owners
• A calm disposition when dealing with anxiety over health and safety concerns
• The ability to advise property owners about ways to improve the overall operations of rental properties for maximum profit at minimum expense
• Knowledge and resources to provide an effective screening process to attract and retain valuable, long-term tenants
• Excellent communication skills when dealing with residents and mediating between tenants and property owners
• An ability to quickly and effectively resolve an increasing number of requests from tenants, many of whom are now working from home
• Dedication to maintaining a personal touch with residents and owners while utilizing the most efficient technology available

Whether you are already a property manager or you are considering making a career change, if you have these characteristics, you are much in demand. Obtaining your license will give you the credentials that could make you even more attractive to property owners and give you the confidence that will lead you into a successful career.

In any job that involves sales, rejection is common, and real estate is no exception. In fact, it is likely that you will handle rejection on a regular basis, perhaps even daily. This includes those prospective clients you spend a long time wooing who stand you up at a showing or long-time clients who suddenly decided to go with another agent. It can be heartbreaking.

Aside from the frustration of having lost a potential sale, you will certainly feel the rejection personally. After a while, you may even start to second-guess yourself. Many agents reach a point where the rejection is too much to handle, and they look for a career in another field. But this doesn’t have to be you. Learning ways to manage the disappointment of rejection can help you overcome it and keep you moving forward toward success.

Coming back from a rejection

Unquestionably, client rejection can be hurtful. The trick is to learn not to be afraid of it or to allow fear of rejection to paralyze your ability to be a great real estate agent. Rejection in this industry is rarely personal no matter how personal it may seem. More often, clients have their own reasons for going with another agent. Nevertheless, you might find yourself listening to the negative thoughts that say you are a failure or second-guessing your abilities. To overcome your fear, try the following:

• Recognize that rejection is just part of your job.
• Keep track of your successes and rejections so you know how many rejections you can expect before getting a yes.
• Refute those negative thoughts using positive statements.
• Review your accomplishments and successes at the end of each day.
• Acknowledge when a rejection makes you feel sad or discouraged, but don’t dwell on the negative emotions.
• Figure out what you can learn from the rejection, including asking the client what you could have done differently.
• Schedule your time with a routine that keeps you moving toward the next success instead of wallowing in rejection.

One thing that can prevent you from allowing rejection to lead to failure is to remind yourself frequently why you chose to be a real estate agent. Make a list and keep it where you can see it so you will always have your goals and your purpose in front of you. This way, when rejection comes along, you will have immediate inspiration that will help you rebuild your confidence.