How Wise Realtors Break Into New Markets by Networking
Realtors do a lot of collaboration. Local Real Estate Agents network locally.
You need to develop great relationships with business owners, Pros and other community leaders and influencers who ply their trade in the same communities and neighborhoods that you do.
What if the other pros that the community loves do not approve of you or your business methods? Can a Realtor risk going rogue and hope to counter all the negative PR that the other Professionals could send your way if collectively they decided you were not welcome to ply your trade in their community?
You'll have a rough time of it, if you try to go it all alone. People do not hire a Realtor that others are constantly saying bad things about.
We hire polished consultants that others, who we trust, tell us we can count on. We take the opinions seriously of the Pros we know and deal regularly with.
Become part of the business community.
Everyone doing business in an area has the same goals. We all strive to make the neighborhood a better place to work and live. You need a good reputation to get hired as a consultant.
Potential clients will ask about you before they hire you.
Yes you want the other business owners and managers to recommend clients to you but also important is that a Realtor needs the info that a large group of local people have in order to do your job of consulting properly.
Your network is your eyes and ears in the neighborhoods you serve. You have to advise home buyers and renters and commercial enterprises where to buy and lease property. You can't give advice and come up with alternative options for clients if the community members cut you out of their grape vine.
Knowledge is gold to a Real Estate Consultant.
Opportunity for you and for the clients you help, hinges on you finding out stuff as soon as it happens. When it comes to Local Real Estate Markets those in the know have a distinct advantage over those looking in from the outside.
Late comers to the party do not fare out as well as those who arrive early. Arrive late and you get the leftovers.
Staying in the loop, keeping up to date, knowing what is happening and what is going to happen all requires a network of business minded friends.
To be a great business networker you have to be a charmer. Personality is what alerts people to your presence. When you carry yourself like a winner you are half way to stardom.
Other professionals want to get to know you better if they feel you are a professional of substance. After all, who doesn't want to hang out with a super star?
Of course your phone will be ringing off the hook, once you make it to celebrity Realtor status but you want to know how to network when you are the new kid on the block.
How do you join the club of successful local pros when you are just starting out?
How do you get in with the in-crowds? How do you get the 'Ins' to accept you as one of their own.
Yes, you need other local champs, with solid reputations in the community, to talk you up to the residents living in your chosen sales arena. Other Pros and Mangers have to tell their customers and clientele about you and your real estate advice services for your business to thrive and grow.
Leaders with a flock have to give you the thumbs up.
7 Ways to Network as a Local Realtor
A Realtor has to know what is going on in a neighborhood that they advice people to move into. You cannot consult and give recommendations in a place if you do not know what has happened recently there and what the locals feel the direction their future is headed.
You need contacts inside the niche communities you wish to serve.
TIP: First, Real Estate Agents have to identify who they wish to network with. Do not hang out with the wrong crowd. People will judge you by the company you keep.
Make a list of the most prestigious people in town whom you wish an introduction to: Put on your list VIPs, local group leaders, popular professionals, business owners, local celebs, politicians and anyone who can positively influence your Real Estate Consultant Business. Next, make a list of anyone whom you know personally who you suspect may know one or more of the influential people on your list that you wish to meet. You are going to pick just a few important people on your list to try to encounter. You have to create or attend an atmosphere that is conducive to possibly forming a relationship with whomever is present. You will need a plan to create a linkup or intersection to happen between you and your, soon to be, new, influential acquaintance. The bump into and introduction has to seem natural not planned.
Work On Your Online Presence - You can reach out to potential networking partners by connecting with them on their favorite social media platforms. Like and comment on their posts so they get familiar with your name and title. You can blog and answer questions from commenters. Show other local pros that you are building up an audience that they would benefit from connecting with thru you. You can have a great website that other Professionals notice and recognize as an authority reference spot for local real estate related topics and ideas. You want to use your online prowess to get you invited to offline happenings.
Put the Effort In: Make it known that you are available for local speaking engagements. There are always going to be upcoming events in your consulting territory that need key speakers and lesser known speakers to warm the crowd up for the main speaker. Get to know the organizers of the festivities that happen yearly in the neighborhoods and communities in which you wish to get hired. Volunteer to help out.
Offer to be interviewed as an Expert: Popular podcasts, radio shows and local cable TV programs need guests. Up-and-coming Local Real Estate Agents must get out there and be seen and heard. You have to start working the local circuit if you want people to remember your face and name. There are already large local audiences tuning in to things. The question is can you get on stage in front of them.
Teach Something of Value: The best way for a Realtor to gain popularity within a group is to teach a course on something related to real estate. How to invest in Real Estate Workshops are very popular. A free class about House Flipping will gain you recognition and get people talking about you. You can give a free talk about how to gain a better credit score or speak on budgeting to save for a house downpayment. Teachers are respected. A realtor that teaches, especially free courses, is thought of as a caring member of the community because you are giving back. A teaching, coaching realtor gains instant expert status too.
Take an interest: You have to get involved with a group for any group's members to take you seriously. Find out what is important to the members. Ask questions. Listen attentively. Offer opinions. Get together with members away from the usual group gatherings and environment too. A Realtor who stays in the loop does not get in trouble by surprises. Your network warns you when something nefarious seems to be happening so you can take precautionary measures for you and your clients. Your network alerts you to business opportunities, so you and your clients can get in on the ground floor.
Schedule Timely Future Contacts with your Network: Once you make the initial effort to network with someone new, you have to stay in touch with them. One meeting does not mean you are now networking partners. You have to get together individually with each networking partner as well as have meetings and communications with the whole group. Set up times where the other members of your network can be introduced to your new acquaintances. You are the conduit that connects everyone to one another.
Networking is going to take courage. You have to throw yourself into uncomfortable situations if you are going to meet and mingle with strangers. But being friendly is how a Realtor finds out about potential new business opportunities and new client leads.
Who you know can open doors leading to business possibilities that you would never have heard about on your own.
Things are happening all over your consulting territory in places when you are not present. No one can be everywhere at the same time so you need networking partners looking out for your best interests.
Of course you are doing the same for your networking partners too. You have their backs. You inform them of leads you stumble across. You sing their praises to everyone you meet.
Networking is a two way street. You have to give to get.
Networking begins slow but builds quickly. As you become more and more popular, your networking partners will start bringing people to you to meet. But, you have to prime the pump to get your networking base set up. Eventually the apparatus suddenly comes alive and goes into motion building itself and growing your network on autopilot.
You want your network to have long stretching arms reaching into all aspects of the local society in which you ply your realtor trade.
Little by little you and your networking partners become more and more active in small, local niche communities that you had no access to before and may even not have known existed before.
Lead your network by example. Take advantage of networking opportunities when they present themselves. Seek chances to collaborate and yes partner up on projects.
Remember the inspiring words of Winning Coach Vince Lombardi, "People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses or the problems of modern society."
You want to be in with anyone that has impact on any neighborhood group, gathering, event or niche demographic in the locations you consult in. But there will be some groups you concentrate on more because you recognize that these organizations contain the most people who usually hire a Realtor with your particular specialty and skills.
The Great, wise Abraham Lincoln advised, "Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition."
Finally, networking for a Local Realtor has to be fun or you will not keep doing it. You have to choose networking strategies, methods and popularity building activities that are both fruitful and enjoyable for you to carry out and pursue.
Create your own networking style so networking is not a dreadful, necessary chore for you but an exciting adventure you actually look forward to.
BONUS: Conventions, conferences and when attending parties and celebrations are not the only places for Realtors to give out their business cards but they are each a great start. You can also network from your computer screen without leaving your home office by hosting online webinars or by building up a fanbase with a well thought out blog or podcast.
Joining social media groups is another way to find new networking partners.
Once you learn how to network and develop your skills of communication during gatherings, you will want to start putting together networking events that you manage and thus you will control who comes and the proceedings.
The idea is for you to create the scenes where everyone who comes has potential for becoming an asset for the whole network. Whether your occasion is an online or offline event, make the adventure fun so people want to attend.
Become the hostess or host with the most...who throws the best events in town. Then, you will be your areas Networking Realtor Superstar with whom all the professionals want to have more involvement with.
Networking takes work and commitment but it is actually easy to do and only requires basic, comment sense, relationship building skills.
Wave and smile at everyone and you are on your way to becoming your sales territory's Superstar, Local Networking Realtor.
MORE INFO: Expand your education on these important Real Estate Agent Topics and gain Realtor Skills.
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