5 Mistakes I Made My First Year as a Real Estate Agent

Real estate is a tough business. There's a lot of paperwork, a lot of number crunching, and a lot of late nights spent working. It can be easy to make mistakes, especially when you're first starting out.

Here are five mistakes I made my first year as a real estate agent, and what I learned from them.

THE PAPERWORK

First of all, I didn't realize how important it was to keep up with paperwork. I would often find myself behind on filing, and it caused a lot of problems down the line.

I've since learned that staying on top of paperwork is crucial in real estate.

NOT MARKETING ENOUGH/PROPERLY

Secondly, I underestimated the importance of marketing. I thought that as long as I did a good job, clients would come to me.

But in reality, marketing is what brings in the business. I've learned that it's important to invest time and money into marketing my business.

Most importantly I learned that a great product with bad marketing would always sell less than a mediocre product with great marketing.

NOT FOLLOWING UP

Thirdly, I didn't always follow up with leads. I would get a lead, but then I wouldn't follow through and contact them.

I've learned that it's important to follow up with every lead, because you never know where it might go and if you don't follow up fast enough, then your chances of closing the deal are probably gone.

NOT ASKING FOR HELP

Fourth, I was too afraid to ask for help. I thought that asking for help meant that I wasn't good enough at my job.

But I've since learned that everyone needs help from time to time, and that there's no shame in asking for it.

NOT STAYING ORGANIZED

Finally, I didn't always stay organized. I would often lose track of deadlines, or appointments, and it caused a lot of problems.

I've learned that staying organized is crucial in real estate, because there's so much to keep track of.

Overall, I've learned a lot from my first year as a real estate agent. These are just a few of the mistakes I made, but I'm grateful for them because they've taught me so much. If you're thinking about becoming a real estate agent, or if you're already one, avoid making these same mistakes and you'll be sure to have a successful career.