Tour Guides Need Not Apply

Maybe I Will Try Real Estate…?
By Dana Scalici - Director of Agent Development March 24, 2008
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So you’re interested in becoming a real estate broker? Real estate is challenging, exciting and can be quite lucrative, if done correctly. Here are some steps to get you started.

“Is real estate right for me?” I call this my little query toward realty check. If you are deciding to get into real estate just because you think it might be fun to show people houses all day, I have to tell you, being your local area tour guide gets old real quick. Contrary to popular belief…Real Estate Brokers DON’T get paid to show houses they get paid to sell them.

Real estate is a SALES business. That’s right you have to get a signature on that line to actually get a paycheck. Straight commission is tough if you don’t have a foundation of skills and the right attitude.

I have to tell you a secret, I’m not really a salesperson… by that I mean that I am not the “salesperson” type. You know those people that could sell a Ketchup Popsicle to a woman in white gloves? They have that natural ability to make people feel like acting on whatever it is they are talking about.

If that guy I mentioned above is not you…have no fear. These skills can be taught. I learned them and so can you, if you have the right attitude and take an honest assessment of yourself you can be trained to sell.

There are endless real estate training programs out there today, I however tend to be a little on the old school side and like to stick with the classics Jerry Bresser, Zig Ziggler, Mike Ferry, Floyd Wickman are some of my favorites. EXIT Realty offers training that is beyond belief and is taught online or live both in-house and special events.

If you decide that real estate is the career for you…make a commitment to it by deciding that from now until retirement you will spend no less than $3,600.00 per year in your sales training and personal development. This is not an option in my opinion it is a must.

Wow, you thought all you had to do was pass your 75 hour Pre-license class, pass your state exam and the money would just kind of start rolling in, I hate to be the buster of your bubble but I really want you to know what you’re getting into.

You must hunt! They say there are two groups of people, those you know and those you don’t, which one is bigger? You have to meet and get to know as many of that second group as humanly possible in order to be successful in real estate and you don’t just have to get to know them you have to build relationships with them.

Scary? It can be if you’re not prepared for it. That is why the training is so important. That is what allows you to have the confidence to meet new people and let them all know…”Hi my name is Bob Broker and I help people invest in real estate.”

“But Dana, what about all the paperwork? How will I know how to write contracts, listing agreements, closing statements, etc.?” Do you suffer from paperwork anxiety? Well on this one I will put your mind at ease. Yes there are a lot of forms to learn but, a majority of the time, you will only use about 8-10 different forms that your BIC (Broker In Charge sometimes called Managing Broker) is there to make sure that you don’t mess it up.

A great rule of thumb with paperwork is to ask questions about it BEFORE you have a client sign it. Once they sign it, they have entered into a binding contract and it’s a lot harder to change, not impossible but a lot harder.

So, just to recap, if you want to tour houses then become a tour guide and if you want to sell houses become a real estate broker.

Copyright (c) 2008 - Written by Dana Scalici, Director of Agent Development for Exit Homeplace Realty.

About the Author: Dana Scalici is the Director of Agent Development for Exit Homeplace Realty. Dana works to train and coach agents on all aspects of their business from planning to implementation. Prospecting and presentation skills are key in this business and after 17 years in the real estate business, Dana has the knowhow to get a deal closed from start to finish, she grew up in the real estate business in Michigan where she worked side by side with her father in their family owned firm and admits that real estate is in her blood. Call her today (910) 202-0999 for a one on one interview. “I can help you gain the skills and knowledge to become a top producer.”