New real estate agent checklist

The New Real Estate Agent Checklist: Simple Steps to Build Your Brand

So, you’re a new real estate agent. If we had to take a wild guess, you’re probably feeling just a little bit overwhelmed right now. Trust us, we’ve all been there!

The hardest part of getting started is knowing where to start. When it comes to building your business plan and marketing strategy, you may be struggling with prioritizing what’s most important.

The trick is this: start small and work your way up. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your new real estate business won’t be either.

By knocking out the items on this checklist, you’ll be well on your way to creating a marketing plan that wins in any market.

Sign Up for Market Insights

The real estate market can change as quickly as the weather, and your clients are looking to you to answer their questions.

There is always a lot of confusion and speculation about where the market could be headed. It’s up to you to provide basic insights backed by expert insights and data to clear the air and help your clients make the most informed decision.

Make sure you’re making it a part of your weekly routine to stay current on what’s happening in real estate. Following the KCM Blog is an easy way to make sure you don’t miss a headline. Sign up for weekly emails here.

Get a CRM

Those 3 letters are one of a real estate agent’s most important allies in getting listings.

If you’re not ready to commit to a paid platform, we recommend creating one the old-fashioned way: in a spreadsheet.

Any agent will tell you that organization is key to success, and keeping your CRM neat and tidy will help you keep track of all your leads.

Set Up Business Instagram & Facebook Account

These days, one of the first places potential clients are going to try and find you is on social media. Not only does having a Business Profile add to your credibility, it also gives you more opportunities for connecting with leads, creating ads and getting engagement.

We walk you through how to do it in the video below:

Get 2 Posts Up on Social Every Week

Now that you have your social profiles set up, it’s time to start posting.

If you’re not sure where to start, or are kind of intimidated (totally understandable), just start with small goals. Posting a couple times per week is enough to build a solid social presence without all the pressure. And remember, this doesn’t include listings!

Post a local market update, community highlight, a new graph, a motivational quote-there is no limit to your feed!

While you’re at it, check out these easy Instagram story ideas for real estate agents.

Create a Welcome Email

The average welcome email generates 4x more opens and 5x more clicks than regular email marketing campaigns.

As the first impression for most of your leads, this is a great opportunity to introduce yourself and start the conversation.

They should be brief, friendly and cover these bases:

  • Set expectations for frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly)
  • Incite some sort of action (set up an appointment, follow on social, etc)
  • Be personalized

Remember, your welcome email should be short, sweet and to the point! If you’re looking for more real estate agent email marketing tips, check out the article These 7 Email Mistakes Could Be Costing You Clients.

Post at Least Two Videos Every Week

This might seem like something that should fall at the bottom of your to-do list right now but the truth is, video is one of the most important parts of your digital marketing strategy.

It’s the number one way consumers learn about a new product or business, and as a new agent, building credibility and brand awareness should be at the top of your list. Plus, here’s a fun fact: marketers who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video users.

Not sure where to get started? Try our all-in-one video creator RealTalk by KCM™ for free and make weekly market updates for social in just minutes.

Create a Cloud File Storage System

The early days of being an agent are the best time to create systems that will keep you organized for years to come, and cloud storage plays a huge part in that.

Whether you’re using Apple, Google or Dropbox, make sure to take some time and set up a basic system that you can use for years to come.

Remember, this is where you’ll be storing a lot of your paperwork so make sure to build out a secure system that’s easy to navigate.

Get a Listing Presentation Ready

A listing presentation is one of the most important tools an agent can have, and it’s never too early to start working on yours.

Your listing presentation should be professional, personalized, and spare no detail about your incredible marketing plan for selling their home.

Use a lot of visuals, market data and show, rather than tell, that you’re the best agent for the job.

Or, just download our free Listing Presentation template and easily customize it to your branding.

Sign Up for a Conference

We know…you just finished your real estate courses and probably don’t want to hop right back into school.

But there are tons of different virtual conferences and courses that will help you learn the ins and outs of real estate. Want to learn more about marketing? Need help with your sales scripts? There’s a learning opportunity for just about everything. Just start googling.

Bottom Line

When it comes to real estate, your marketing will take you far but your branding will take you further.

Spending these early months on building your brand and connecting with your local community will not only help you get more listings, it will help you build meaningful relationships that last a lifetime.

The key is establishing habits that help set you up for success in your career. For instance, there’s no such thing as being too educated on what’s happening in real estate or posting too many videos updating your clients on the current housing market news.

Those are the brand building blocks that are the most important, because they’ll set you apart from your competition and make you feel more confident when speaking with potential new clients.

Plus, we’ve made it easy with our 2024 Housing Market Forecast eGuide. Covering everything from home sales to mortgage rate projections, this free resource not only educates you on the most important market topics but also shows you how you can best build your brand as the educated agent.

2024 housing market forecast eguide