A lot of people who are planning to be a real estate agent are too consumed in getting their license. Which you can easily do by studying. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. So what does it take to succeed in this profession?

For a start, you need to make sure you look after yourself and by that it means that you have enough savings to get you through within the next 6 to 12 months to pay bills and utilities. Unless you have someone ready to close a deal a day after getting your license.

Getting a mentor is always a good way to start a business venture or new profession. You can ask a successful agent or broker with extensive experience in the field. Learning from their experience will paint you a better picture of what you might want do in the future. Learning from their failures will prepare you to overcome challenges and obstacles. Because I’ll tell you there are tons of it! You can join your mentor while closing a deal to get a good grasp of what it takes to do it.

Familiarize yourself with documents that you will certainly encounter as you try to work your 1^st deal. Learn the process, it’s not all about selling. You would need to understand and be able to explain surveys, title insurance, liens, encumbrances, deeds, and much more. You’ll feel much more capable if you’ve at least seen these documents in the course of a few real estate deals.

Build your network. You need to start working on an efficient contact management system where you can use this to store leads and prospects. Then you need to follow up over time. Start with your friends and family until the list goes on and referrals starts coming in.

Technology. Nowadays, a lot of transactions are done in the computer or thru the web. Social Media is a good tool to start building your profile. Spreading the word like wild fire. You can invest in making your personal profile that buyers and sellers can easily browse, may need not to be expensive.

Don’t get ahead of yourself. Though real estate is a very rewarding career giving you the opportunity that you’ve been looking for throughout your working years. The challenge is getting thru the 1^st year. This is your learning curve. Start building your own database. Selling is a numbers game. So you need to be efficient managing your leads and should have the endurance to call, follow up and get rejected. You’re the captain of your ship so remember to have a plan before you start sailing out to the ocean. Have a good and reliable mentor to help you navigate specially on rough waters.

At the end of the day you need to enjoy what you’re doing.