Top 5 Must-Dos for Real Estate Agents to Crush 2018

Introduction: Focusing on What Really Matters

There are endless lists of things that real estate agents “must do” to succeed—business plans, reading more books, negotiating better, finding a niche, meditating, eating frogs…the list goes on.

In fact, there seem to be about 27,000 “must-do’s.”

At JVM Lending, after working with thousands of successful agents over the years, we’ve boiled it all down to the five most important actions every agent should focus on to truly crush it in 2018.

1. Hire an Assistant

Hiring an assistant is one of the smartest moves you can make. When leveraged well, an assistant will pay for themselves many times over.

Why It Matters

Many agents hesitate due to the perceived cost. But without help, your business is limited by your own time and energy. A great assistant can take on the operational load so you can focus on what you do best—building relationships and closing deals.

How to Hire

• Hire full-time: You’ll attract stronger candidates.

• Look for whiz kids: Recent grads or young professionals often have fresh energy, no bad habits, and strong academic or tech skills.

• Post ads: Use platforms like Craigslist, Indeed, and local college boards to find the best talent.

How to Train

• Start with books:

  • Mario Jannatpour’s The Honest Real Estate Agent (a great overview and primer for everyone new to real estate)

  • Katie Lance’s Get Social Smart (today’s go-to real estate social networking guide)

  • Bob Burg’s Endless Referrals (the essentials for setting up and cultivating a network for referrals)

  • Daniel H. Pink’s To Sell Is Human (an entirely new way to view sales; it is about helping and sharing information; sales is not manipulating; great book assistants who hate selling).

• Invest in licensing: A licensed assistant can handle more aspects of your business.

• Offer shadowing opportunities: Walk them through your daily processes.

• Leverage brokerage training: Many brokerages offer excellent programs and webinars.

How to retain – share the wealth and culture: This is a concern we hear often, as agents are afraid their new talent will leave once they learn the ropes. We used to have that fear too, but we don’t now as we retain by sharing the wealth (profit sharing) and by maintaining an awesome culture.

Keep your assistant productive: See items 2, 3, 4 and 5 below.

Need additional tips? Contact Nicholas Saenz at (925) 331-8227 and he will connect you with our hiring manager, who will be more than happy to share our many successful hiring tips.

2. Learn to Delegate

Delegation is essential for growth.
When you delegate:

• You keep your assistant productive.

• You avoid becoming overwhelmed.

• You free yourself to focus on high-value tasks like building your sphere and closing deals.

Here is an excellent article about learning to delegate effectively.

3. Update Your Sphere and Database

A clean, updated database is the foundation of effective marketing.
Agents often struggle with this, making it an easy way to set yourself apart.

Best Practices

• Prioritize CRM setup: Make it your assistant’s first task.

• Choose a system you’ll actually use: “The best CRM is the one you use.”

• Keep it current: An updated database leads to better relationships and more referrals.

Need CRM advice? Contact Jonathan McGowan at (925) 395-4994 for expert recommendations.

4. Clean Up or Establish Your Reputation

Your online reputation can make or break your business.

According to Forbes, 90% of consumers read online reviews before choosing who to work with.

Steps to Improve Reputation

Google yourself regularly to make sure there is nothing you don’t want public online, and that your reviews are thriving. And if you haven’t already, set up your Google My Business profile – it’s free!

Also, make sure your Zillow, Realtor.com and Yelp profiles are fantastic by ensuring your professional information is up to date and your contact information matches across all platforms.

There are several services to help you scrub the bad reviews, and enhance the good. Here are a few services worth considering:

• Reach150
• Testimonial Tree
• BirdEye

Check out JVM’s Yelp and Reach150 pages as an example.

Reputation enhancement alone is something that can more than justify and pay for a full-time assistant.

5. Become a Social Media Marketing Expert

Digital marketing is by far the most efficient and cost-effective way to generate leads—if done well.

Areas to Focus On

According to Forbes, real estate agents should:

1. Post property photos and lifestyle content on Instagram to generate leads.

2. Maintain a consistent presence on Facebook.

3. Use Twitter to promote listings and share insights.

4. Establish authority on LinkedIn.

5. Be hands-on in managing your accounts.

6. Create more videos and share engaging visual content.

7. Track and measure your social media performance.

A skilled assistant can help keep this consistent and effective.

Check out the full article to read through the details. Happy you have that new assistant yet?