17 Ways to Build Your Network as a New Real Estate Agent
Ideas to Make More Contacts in Real Estate
How to Meet New People as a Beginner Realtor
Building your network as a new real estate agent could be one of your most important tasks when you are a beginner.
We want to jump in and start doing deals, but first, we need to add names to our database.
As a new agent, we recommend working on your connections, marketing, and systems. With these three items in place, you will be set up for success.
When focusing on connections and building your network, the beauty of real estate is there are deals to be had everywhere. When starting out, explore a number of these ideas and settle on a handful that you like best.
Pro Tip: One of the most common mistakes new agents make in networking is they think they only need to go to an event one time. Building your network involves returning to that group of people over and over. Therefore, choose activities that interest you because you should be attending that event, group, etc as much as possible.
The following list dives into ways that you can build your network as a new real estate agent and remember when you are meeting people, it’s all about an inquisitive mind, no expectations, and making a new friend.
Chamber of Commerce - Participating in your local chamber of commerce can be a great source of connections in your business community. Most towns and cities will have a chamber of commerce that is open to all local businesses. Join your local chamber of commerce and starting attending the events regularly.
Fitness and Playing Sports - If you have an interest in fitness or playing sports, consider looking at how you can do these things with people. Most communities will have recreation leagues for sports and there are a number of fitness communities out there for you to join. This can range from team sports to CrossFit to yoga classes to spin classes to nature walks. Find something that you like to do for exercise and do it with people.
Find a Hobby - If you are like me when someone asked what my hobbies were, I would stare at them with a blank look. I had no hobbies! If you don’t have any hobbies, no worries, there are so many things you can choose from. If you already have a hobby, and surround yourself with peers in a positive way, keep it up. If you don’t have a hobby or you would like another one, start exploring.
Take a Class - Learning a new skill can be a great way to meet and bond with people. Like a hobby, this can be anything that interests you. We recommend choosing a class that repeats so you have the opportunity to meet those in your class. If not, you could also choose a class that will have people of interest in the group.
Say Yes More - One of our tips for new agents looking to build their networks is to focus on saying “yes” to requests in life. If a friend invites you for a coffee, say yes! If you are thinking of hosting a dinner at your place, say yes and invite people. If a person you meet at a networking event recommends another group, say yes and attend. Of course, this needs to be within reason but by setting your mindset on saying yes more, there will naturally be more opportunities that arise.
Become a Regular - Become a regular at a coffee shop, restaurant, gym, clothing store etc is important. Familiarity breeds trust. In real estate, you should always be thinking of building connections and becoming known at a local establishment can solidify you as the go-to real estate agent for that community.
Spiritual Groups - If you have a spiritual practice, chances are there is a group of people that meet on a regular basis. Attend a few sessions if this is in line with your interestest and find a group the works for you.
Professional Networking - You can be networking for personal purposes (hobbies, interests) or you can network with people on a professional level. Take some time to look at some professional networking association in your community. There can be many on meetup.com or you can see if your community has a BNI
Personal Networking - Research some groups that meet on a regular basis for personal reasons as well. This might align with your hobby, interests, or just with a group of friends that you associate with.
Toastmasters - Almost every community has a Toastmasters group. I know what you’re thinking, “there is no way I’m going to be a public speaker”. Toastmasters is not just about public speaking, it’s about presentation skills, leadership, and confidence. Also, it meets on a weekly basis. This makes it a perfect group.
Boards and Committees - As a real estate agent, you now have an important role in the community. People will look to you as a local professional and various boards and committees could use your local knowledge.
Volunteering - Not only does volunteering just make the world a better place, but it’s also a key way to meet more people in your community.
Pets - If you have pets, you know how they become part of the family. Your daily schedule can be impacted by feeding and walking the dog. If you have pets, leverage our companion to help you meet more people. Walking the dog and saying “hi” to people at the dog park can go a long way.
Online - Building relationships will eventually require a face-to-face interaction, but starting this process online or strengthening relationships online is very effective. Following people in your network on social media and striking up online conversations is a great way to meet new people. Social media can be great but there are other online ways to meet new people. Stay active on local online forums and groups. This is a great way to meet people and establish yourself as a community expert.
Neighborhood Groups - As a real estate professional, you should be tied into your community and/or a community that you work in. Community groups can be a great spot to meet homeowners and conversations are usually around current events and issues on a local level.
Post Up at A Coffee Shop - As a real estate agent, you can work from almost anywhere. Leverage this flexibility and work in places that can cause conversations. Even better, make this a coffee shop where you are a regular.
Open Houses, Buyer Seminars, Online Leads - While you are out meeting new people, don’t forget about the streams that are full of people looking to buy or sell in the near future. These are people with commercial intent. In fact, these are important pillars of any real estate business plan; however, we recommend instead of thinking of these people as transactions, think of them as more people you can add to your network.
As a new real estate agent, one of the most important things to focus on is building your network and one of the great things about your career is you can meet people in many different ways. The opportunities to meet people are endless.
Starting out, try a variety of groups and methods to build your network as a new real estate agent. Keep an open mind and always focus on how you can help the other person.
Follow Up Reading:
Quick Start Guide - Build Your Network as a New REALTOR®
Successful Real Estate Agent Daily Schedule
15 Prospecting Ideas for REALTORs®
What are your favorite ways to network with people in your community? Let us know in the comments below.
-Michael Montgomery