Professional Development

6 Productivity Tips for New Realtors®

You have your license and you’ve signed on with a broker. Congratulations! But now what?

It can feel as though there is an empty void in front of you when you first start out. You may not have many (or any) clients yet. But the truth is that this is the perfect time to get solid productivity habits in place. Once you get busy, it’s hard to find time to make changes. Here are a few tips to get your business operating like a well-oiled machine. Goals. If you don’t know where you’re headed, it’s hard to know if you are on track! Create a business plan and figure out what you hope to accomplish in your first year of business. There are several templates available for creating a business plan, or your broker may have some in place for new agents. Be specific. Rather than stating that you want to sell as many homes as possible, state exactly how many you want to sell. How many will you list? What amount of money you will take in? Track your efforts. They say that what you track grows! Figure out the most important metrics. The number of open houses per month, contacts in your CRM, number of clients, phone calling efforts or thank you notes are some things you might want to track. Watch your numbers increase. Get a mentor. Having a mentor or an accountability group can make a huge difference in how quickly you grow your business. It’s important to talk to successful agents and find out what they did that worked. You’ll find that most of them are willing to help newcomers. Some newbies get together regularly with other new agents to share ideas and to cheer each other on. Real estate can be a lonely business, so it’s very helpful to connect with others. Create a routine. One of the first things to do, after establishing your goals, is to make a schedule. When will you do open houses or write a blog and post on social media? On what day will you focus on updating your CRM? Yes, once you’ve got clients asking to see houses, you’ll have to adjust, but having a baseline schedule is key. Technology. There are seemingly endless systems and apps for streamlining your work and tracking important numbers. There are apps for gathering email addresses at open houses, scheduling social media posts, and logging mileage for tax purposes. Don’t forget about tools that you can use to help your future clients, such as mortgage calculators or square footage calculators. You might also consider tools for your personal life, such as shopping list apps or to-do lists so that your free time is really free! Self-care. We’ve put this at the end of the list, but it’s the most important item! You can’t be your best working self if you haven’t had enough rest or exercise. Make sure you put good fuel into your body by eating nutritiously. Think about keeping healthy snacks and beverages in your car for the times you’re on the go. And spending time with family and friends, or on hobbies, can go a long way toward maintaining mental health. Real estate can be a very fulfilling career, but the first months often feel daunting. Maximize your potential by starting out with your best foot forward!

Is What You Don’t Know Holding You Back?

NAR’s C2EX program helps Realtors® build knowledge, ethics, and professionalism

In the real estate business, knowledge is a Realtor’s® primary asset. From staging and marketing homes to negotiating offers, clients depend on their agents’ wideranging expertise. And because tools, trends, technology, and laws are always evolving, Realtors® must constantly learn through continuing education, and expand their capabilities with designations. Of course, many journeys of learning begin with an awareness of where our knowledge lapses. But what if you don’t know what you don’t know? And what if you never got the memo on what you need to learn next? That’s where Realtors® Commitment to Excellence (C2EX) comes in. Developed by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), the program is an assessment and learning tool that helps agents identify where they need to improve skills and proficiencies. How it works

The C2EX experience begins with an online test that probes your knowledge of different real estate subjects. Results are delivered instantly along with a curriculum tailored to strengthen challenge areas and expand into new kinds of expertise. Educational content is delivered through videos, games and quizzes, and interactive digital coursework. Designed to help Realtors® quickly bridge gaps in their knowledge, C2EX covers 11 competencies, including: 1. Advocacy 2. Code of Ethics 3. Communication and cooperation 4. Customer service 5. Data privacy 6. Equal professional services 7. Honesty and integrity 8. Professional reputation 9. Property and ownership rights 10. Real estate law 11. Tools and technology “MNR members who have participated say the material is fun, approachable, and very educational,” said Carrie Andersen, MNR senior vice president of Member Services. “They like the way it is customized for them, zeroing in on topics specific to their individual learning needs. It doesn’t waste their time with extraneous material.” Realtors® who complete the program receive NAR’s C2EX Endorsement, a prestigious distinction that recognizes them for “practicing real estate at the highest professional standard in the industry.” NAR reports that most Realtors® finish C2EX within 7 to 10 hours. The program is free to all NAR members and only requires login information or a NRDS number to participate. Honing your competitive edge

“The heated Minnesota real estate market has drawn more people into the profession than ever before,” said MNR CEO Chris Galler, who leads the non-profit association of more than 22,000 Realtor® members. “Home sellers and buyers are highly motivated to narrow their choices. Agents who can demonstrate a proven commitment to the profession are more likely to get a call from today’s very discerning consumers. Not only is the C2EX program an excellent way to develop your capabilities and professionalism, it also distinguishes you from the competition.” Expanding ethical excellence

Beyond the practical career skills it provides, C2EX is rooted in NAR’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct across the real estate business. “NAR was founded over a century ago by a group of Realtors® who were combating unethical and unprofessional behavior in nearly every quarter of the profession,” said Jon Kopecky, MNR associate legal counsel. “Their solution, the Code of Ethics, became the bedrock of the real estate industry. Unfortunately, improper behavior is still an enormous problem. Part of what makes C2EX so powerful is that it goes beyond the day-to-day aspects of the job and focuses on the ethics Realtors® need to deliver superior customer service, become better professionals, and ultimately better citizens for their communities.”