To be a successful real estate agent, you will need to have as many contacts as possible and keep creating new ones every day. Both of these things require strong networking skills.
But good networking skills aren’t developed overnight. You will need some practice before you are able to network easily. Here are some tips that can guide you:
- Help Everyone
One of the best ways of creating meaningful and long-lasting connections is to offer help to people when they need it. You can help newer real estate agents by helping them get referrals with the limited contacts you have or you could help your clients with some other aspects of the industry and so on. Just make sure that you are always ready to step in and help people.
The more people you are able to help, the more contacts you’ll have. Clients you help will refer you to their friends and contacts when they need a real estate agent, thus, helping others will eventually help you in becoming successful.
- Never Skip a Social Event
Social events are the best opportunities to make new contacts. You will be able to meet a number of new people and tell them about your work. It might turn out that some of them need a real estate agent or someone they know does.
There are about 2 million real estate agents in the US alone but not all attend social events, so if you are one among them, you are sure to make a difference.
Also, leaving a good impression on people at social events will help you later as they will refer you to their contacts when they need a real estate agent. Try to attend as many social events as possible every month and make sure to interact with the attendee’s in a pleasant manner, telling them about what you do. You should attend every gathering with a target. This will help you in ensuring that you make new contacts.
- Have a Digital Business Card
If you want people to remember you, you will have to do something that is different and will help you stick out in their memory. Sharing a digital business card is the best way to do so.
Earlier, people used to carry paper business cards with contact info on them so that they can give it to people at different events. For the most part, people forget about the paper cards they receive and never get in touch. This problem can be solved with a digital card.
It’s much more interesting than the traditional ones and can have much more information on it. By sharing a digital business card with someone, your chances of making new connections will improve greatly.
- Be Confident in Yourself
The key to successfully making contacts is to approach people with confidence. Everyone is impressed with someone who is confident and appears to be in control of what they’re doing.
Don’t be shy of approaching people you don’t know at events. Have a few conversational ice-breakers in your head and during the conversation, stand straight without fidgeting and talk clearly and respectfully.
When you appear confident, the people you’re talking to will tend to believe that you are good at your job and will be much more likely to get in touch with you later. Dressing appropriately for an event will help in boosting your confidence to a great extent.
- Don’t be afraid of Failure
It is highly unlikely that all of your networking attempts will go exactly as you plan. You must be prepared for any outcome and not get dejected even if you are unable to make new contacts for some time.
Instead, you should take a step back and go through your entire networking strategy. Look for reasons why people aren’t getting in touch with you. The more you visit your strategy, the more foolproof you’ll be able to make it.
Over to you…
If you keep these tips in mind and try to implement them in your networking strategy, you will be able to make a lot more connections at a faster rate than you are doing now and will be able to achieve your dream of being a successful real estate agent.