6 steps to becoming a successful real estate agent in your region!

How do you establish your brand, your real estate agency, in people’s minds? How do I get people to hire me? It’s a mix of different measures, all of which are important in their own right and only work optimally when you apply them all.

In this article, you will discover how to become a successful real estate agent in your region. Then as now, it is not enough to “just” be good at your job. You have to be visible—and this article will tell you how to become visible. If you are a successful real estate agent in your region, then you have managed to make customers think immediately of YOUR real estate agency when selling real estate through an agent!

And you can find out how to achieve this here.

In this article, you will also learn what first steps you need to take to become a successful real estate agent. How to position yourself and why many real estate agencies fail despite their expertise.

Discover how you can achieve regional market leadership with strategic real estate agent marketing without high costs.

What it means to be a successful real estate agent in your region

Are you a real estate agent in a small town or a big city? Do you wonder why, even though you are the only real estate agency in town, you don’t get all the listings, or why companies that are much further away and don’t know the microenvironment around the property get the listing?

If your real estate agency does not immediately “come to mind” when customers ask themselves “Who should I hire to sell my property?”, then you have already lost the job – before even having a conversation.

Being a successful real estate agent does NOT mean:

• having the most deals
• being the cheapest provider
• being the best agent in terms of expertise

Being a successful real estate agent means:

• steady growth in your region
• being the first port of call when someone wants to sell their property
• fewer complaints and
• more enthusiastic customers

Conclusion:
To become a successful real estate agent, YOUR company must be the first one people think of when they want to sell a property.

What should happen in the customer’s mind when they think about selling real estate

Let’s take a look at what science has to say about this. Let’s assume that your hobby is woodworking.

• You read a lot about this topic,
• have set up a workshop at home, and spend every day after work there designing beautiful wooden objects.
• You built your own oak staircase.
• You also made the dining area, the table, and the matching chairs yourself.
• Your furniture is durable and beautiful to look at.
• You would also like to turn your hobby into a profession.

If only there wasn’t one problem… NO ONE KNOWS THAT YOU CAN DO THIS OR THAT YOU DO IT!!!! Your workshop is hidden away, you never have any visitors, and the people you buy your raw materials from only know your customer number.

SO… WHO IS GOING TO HIRE YOU?????

Marketing doesn’t just take place on your website. A nice website is a must these days anyway, but HOW do you, as a real estate agent, get into the minds of your potential customers before they even start searching the internet?

When someone in your region thinks:

• “I want to sell my property.”
• “I need a real estate agent.”
• “Who should I call? It should be a successful real estate agent!”

… and your name doesn’t automatically come to mind, then you basically don’t exist.

Classic examples from Austria of brands that immediately come to mind with products:

• “Can you please pass me the Stanley knife?” → This refers to any utility knife. Stanley is the brand.
• “Do you have any Coke?” → This refers to any cola-based drink.
• “Please give me the UHU.” → This refers to glue – any kind.

👉 Brands dominate categories.

And that’s exactly where you are as a successful real estate agent in your region!
You don’t become “a real estate agent.”

You become “THE real estate agent” in your region
=> A SUCCESSFUL REAL ESTATE AGENT!

How to get inside the minds of your potential customers in 6 STEPS – How successful real estate agents build their No. 1 position in their region

I will now show you the following 6 steps that will help you increase your visibility and send your referral rate through the roof!

These 6 steps will take you to the top of the successful real estate agents:

Step 1: A successful real estate agent has a strategy

Napoleon already had a strategy when he went into battle. He considered
where his opponent was, how strong he was, what his goal was, where his opponent’s weaknesses lay, how and where he could gather his forces to defeat his opponent, and much more.

Things aren’t quite so bloodthirsty among real estate agents, but nothing is given to you for free. To survive in the highly competitive real estate market, you need a plan.

To become a successful real estate agent, you need a STRATEGY!

To learn more about strategy and read about how you can design the best strategy for YOURSELF, I recommend reading my blog post about American economist and advisor to businesses and governments Michael E. Porter on the topic of STRATEGY. Here is the link to The Ultimate Strategy for Real Estate Brokerage Firms: How to Truly Dominate Your Market — Not Just “Play Along”

Step 2: How does a successful real estate agent present themselves? – They present themselves professionally!

American college professors Mark W. Johnston and Greg W. Marshall write the following in their book “Contemporary Selling – Building Relationships, Creating Value”:

“Your own level of professionalism in the way you handle yourself with customers is a great potential source of value to them. What is professionalism? It includes little things such as clear and concise correspondence, proper dress, good manners, and a positive attitude and can-do demeanor.”

Professionalism is the foundation on which a successful real estate agent builds a lasting career.

But what exactly is professionalism?

Professionalism is a mental attitude. Yes, I know, it sounds a little philosophical, but I’ll explain what I mean in a moment. You can radiate PROFESSIONALISM. Just as your company logo, your website, and everything associated with your brand—your real estate agency—must “fit,” so must you.

Do you want to appear professional, reputable, successful, and trustworthy? Then YOU must fit the bill. Because YOU are the figurehead of YOUR brand for your customers.

Science proves that we are perceived as successful and professional when we appear fit and agile. This means that you should also pay attention to your appearance. This includes your stature and posture. Studies show that athletic people are more likely to be perceived as winners than those who are a little overweight. Whether you like it or not, whether it’s humanly correct or not – it’s the reality.

How do you imagine a successful real estate agent? What posture do they have? You can’t influence your height, but you can influence your posture. Stand up straight, speak calmly and with a strong voice. In everyday police work, you learn that your voice is one of the most effective tools. A strong and calm tone of voice (not soporific) has a positive effect on the person you are talking to. You will appear confident and competent.

The clothes you wear also say a lot about you. Get three or four outfits that make you look professional. You don’t need to have designer clothes, but they should suit you in terms of color and cut and be compatible with your image.

Do you carry your property documents loose in your pocket? NO, as a successful real estate agent, you carry your documents in your briefcase. This will help you score points! Get yourself a great, stylish bag – no cheap stuff! It will be an eye-catcher. Not sure where to find something like this? You can find top-quality bags here!

If you have an older car, don’t park it directly in front of the property. You don’t have to buy a new car, but park it around the corner and make sure no one sees you driving away in it. It sounds strange, but it’s true.
What impression would you have of a financial advisor who arrives for an appointment in a rusty car?

These insights are not my own, but can be found in the book “Contemporary Selling: Building Relationships, Creating Value” by authors and college professors Mark W. Johnston and Greg W. Marshall, among others.
Would you like to buy the book? Here is the link.

Step 3: Become visible – As a successful real estate agent, your business is visible

What is the easiest way to become visible? What did a town crier do back in the day? You should do something similar. Start by becoming known in small circles and then expand your circle. Find out what that means here.

Family, friends, and acquaintances “Yes, I know a great real estate agent”

Your family, friends, and acquaintances should know that YOU are a competent and successful real estate agent (even if you are not yet—but be careful with envious people).

Why should you be a successful real estate agent? Nobody wants to buy from losers. What does success say? Yes, exactly, it says… I KNOW MY CRAFT!!!!

Who do you recommend? Exactly—people you can be sure will “deliver”! And a successful real estate agent delivers! Who wants to risk their good reputation as a recommender? I don’t think anyone does. I only recommend people who I can be sure will deliver quality.

Have you ever set someone up? Yes? Then think back… why exactly that person? Maybe because they are so nice or so caring…. ? It’s similar with companies and service providers.

Social media – share your real estate agent expertise

Expand your circle: Social media is a great tool for this. Who are your buyers/sellers? Are they in specific groups? Make yourself visible there. Share knowledge that will help you in the future.
Here’s an example: Insurance companies offer a free pension gap calculator. Why? They hope that you will then close your gap with them.

So make the knowledge that helps you available. What problems or challenges could your customers encounter that you, as a real estate agent, could help them overcome? I think it would be great if you could provide potential buyers with a loan calculator. Perhaps with an Excel list or something similar. Please don’t get me wrong, you shouldn’t water down your strategy, but you would be well advised to sell the purchase price to your potential buyer in “small installments.” You see this “small installments” trick at every car dealership.

Which social media channels should I use as a successful real estate agent?

There are many different social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and many more. Not all of them are equally suitable for you. Depending on the strategy and target group of your real estate agency, check where your target group is active!

But it’s not just your expert knowledge that you can share there. You can also present the properties for sale professionally with great photos. Find out how to get the most out of real estate photography in my article Discover the unknown power of real estate photography and how you, as a real estate agent, can apply the 7 golden “Ws” in real estate photography!

What should advertising on social media be able to do in order to be shared and disseminated?

A dear friend of mine, who works as deputy head of the social media department of one of the most successful ministries in the DACH region (Germany/Austria/Switzerland), gave me the following answer when I asked him how to create good content on social media:

“Where do you think people are when they’re surfing Twitter or wherever? They’re sitting on the toilet watching short videos. They want to laugh or just feel good!”

Prof. Stürmer also confirms that the following content is PRIMARILY shared:

• funny
• moving
• impressive
• amazing
• or shocking

So, you want to increase your reach? Then now you know what you have to do!

Billboards – untapped power for you as a successful real estate agent

You have to get into the minds of your potential customers, otherwise you won’t be noticed. And if you’re not noticed, you won’t be hired. You should be POSITIVELY anchored in the minds of your potential customers. I’ll just touch on advertising posters briefly here. If you want to find out more, take a look at my Real Estate Marketing Blog!

What is the point of such an advertising poster?

Behavioral science calls this the “mere exposure effect”.

👉 People prefer things that are familiar to them—even without consciously evaluating them.

The more often someone:

• your logo looks
• your name reads
• your colors are perceived

… the more likeable, trustworthy, and competent you appear—provided you present yourself that way!

This happens automatically. Unconsciously. Without any active decision. Provided the first encounter was positive or neutral!

And this is exactly where strategic real estate marketing begins.

What does it look like? Are there design rules, and how should I present myself as a successful real estate agent? What needs to be included? What colors and message should be conveyed?

First of all: Depending on the size of your region, you should place an advertising poster/billboard at strategically intelligent points. A strategically intelligent point is a point where…

• there is heavy to very heavy traffic
• people have to wait (for example, at a traffic light)
• the banner/poster can stand out and thus catch the eye

The problem with creating an advertising banner

Unfortunately, there is very little to almost no literature on designing advertising banners. That’s why I’ve written a blog article here on my homepage, which, among other things, summarizes the most important insights from the book “Fundamentals of Copy and Layout” and provides you with step-by-step instructions.

What do you have to do to get people to pay attention to your advertising banner?

Stimuli magically attract our attention. According to the authors of “Erfolgreiches Marketing durch Emotionsforschung” you can rely on the following stimuli when creating your advertising banner or, of course, when creating a sales sign:

• Faces
• The color red
• Erotic charms
• Classic baby face

What else influences us:

• Needs (if I am currently looking to buy a house)
• Goals
• Moods
• Motives

A well-designed advertising poster attracts attention. It builds trust and allows you to promote your brand and present it in the way you want to be perceived.

With this poster, you can present yourself professionally and transform your company from an UNKNOWN business into a WELL-KNOWN regional company.

The website – With your website, you can influence how you are perceived as a successful real estate agent

No matter what website? What will that cost again? No, it does matter what website and no, it does matter what it costs! Having a professional web presence costs very little. Start again with the question of YOUR STRATEGY as a successful real estate agent.

What is your strategy? Which target group do you serve? What benefits do you offer? Do you need help developing your strategy? I recommend The Ultimate Strategy for Real Estate Agents: How to Really Dominate Your Market – Not Just “Play Along.”

I want to be honest with you. Creating a website yourself sounds easy, but it involves A LOT OF WORK. If you don’t want to do this work yourself, get help and have a website created that presents you optimally as a successful real estate agent.

However, I think anyone can do it themselves. You can find lots of free tutorials online. I recommend creating a website with WordPress. When creating your website, make sure it shines in your company colors and that your brand is presented consistently. What I mean by this is that your logo, your website, your advertising banners, and everything else that belongs to your company should have a consistent look.

This increases your recognition—and this recognition works in your favor!

Consistent appearance = corporate design

Would you like to create a real estate agent website yourself? I think that’s great! Here you will find a great guide for the first steps (for creating a blog) and what you should consider.

Step 4: What makes a successful real estate agent? It’s obvious they INSPIRE their customers

Phd. Ralf Stürmer, who teaches at the German FOM University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Management, among other places, and author Dipl.-Psych. Jennifer Schmidt, an expert in neuromarketing and user experience, write the following in their book “Successful Marketing Through Emotion Research” (the book is in German):

“…even if we might wish to be able to make decisions purely rationally. Emotional processing takes place automatically and, to a considerable extent, unconsciously in humans at all times, whether we want it to or not.”

How can you use this knowledge to become a successful real estate agent?

We humans make decisions every day. These decisions can be big or small. Psychologist Daniel Kahneman, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics, recognized that we humans use judgment heuristics to make decisions. (Tversky & Hahnemann 1974)

Judgment heuristics could be described as the experiences we use to make decisions. => We LEARN from our experiences.

These judgment heuristics can also be understood as emotional processes. So you could say that emotions determine our actions.

According to neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, emotions in turn trigger “somatic markers.” According to Dr. Stürmer, these somatic markers are, in simple terms, e.g., GUT FEELING!

👉 Conclusion: Emotions put us in a certain emotional state. We remember this emotional state. We make our decisions based on what we have remembered. (Put very simply)

Emotions: The fear we want to avoid—unless we’re watching a horror movie

We know that we often avoid things out of fear. This fear often comes from our gut. To avoid this fear, we don’t just hire any real estate agent—no, it has to be a successful real estate agent!

If I now have to/want to sell my house, fears can arise for the following reasons:

• Selling too cheaply
• Losing money, as this is the largest asset in my portfolio
• Receiving poor advice
• Being ripped off because the agent makes mistakes
• Being robbed during the viewing
• Choosing the wrong agent because they are not a sales professional
• Choosing the wrong agent because they are not knowledgeable
• Choosing the wrong agent because they have miscalculated the value of my property.
• ….

The result may be that you want to sell without an agent or, since you don’t want to do that, you try to obtain information about how other agents work in order to make a decision about choosing the “right” agent. This means that you start asking your friends and acquaintances if anyone can recommend an agent.

If you don’t know anyone who has sold with a real estate agent, you look for customer reviews on the internet to help you decide which real estate agent to ultimately hire to sell your house.

👉 Conclusion: So, throughout the entire process of public appearance as a company, it is important to reduce FEARS and build TRUST! If you think that YOUR target group has other motives, then focus on these and not primarily on FEAR.

Increase in referral rate through emotional experience

Have you ever done something you hadn’t actually planned to do? People communicate with each other. They talk about their experiences, what they liked and what they didn’t like. Among other things, friends recently told me that they had been to a Chinese restaurant. They were thrilled!

Since they had already recommended a restaurant to me that I found excellent, I decided to try this one out one day.

Is this story unusual? =>NO!

Do you know what was unusual?

I didn’t visit the restaurant until YEARS LATER with my wife!

Emotional experiences, even if they are not my own, remain in my memory much longer.

What does emotion research say? “The more emotional the consumer experience, the higher the probability that experiences will be shared—and this applies to both POSITIVE and NEGATIVE experiences!” (Stürmer et al., 2014, p. 75)

Step 5: Request feedback and after-sales service

There’s nothing worse than selling a property and NEVER getting back in touch with the seller or buyer. You’ve successfully completed your job… now what? 

GET YOUR PRAISE AND LEAVE A POSITIVE IMPRESSION!!!

Once the property has been handed over and the paperwork has been completed, allow some time to pass (but not too much) and then get in touch with the buyer or seller again. 

Talk to them again about their experience of buying/selling. Steer the conversation towards the positive experiences and inspire your customers once again (especially if you are a dual agent).

I don’t know about you, but I usually experience so many different impressions on vacation that I often can’t process them all right away. It’s only when I get home and tell my friends and family about my vacation that I relive it and remember all the great experiences I had. The vacation takes on a different “tone.”

That’s exactly what you should achieve with your customers!

Conclusion: Let them relive the experience! That’s the best way for you to be remembered POSITIVELY and increase your referral rate.

Step 6: Request a public review of your service

Social proof: Are you sure that your customer had a positive experience? Then make the most of it and ask them for a public review. 

MAKE IT AS EASY AS PIE FOR THEM!

Send them a direct link (so they don’t have to search for it) where they can rate you, e.g., on Google.

“BECOME A COLLECTOR OF GENUINE POSITIVE REVIEWS!! ”

Implementing these 6 steps professionally will take you to the TOP in your region. This is how you become a more successful real estate agent, without high costs and with genuinely enthusiastic customers! In my real estate marketing blog, you will find answers that will help YOU become SUCCESSFUL!

Bibliography for further reading

 

Nancy Harhout, (2022), Using Behavioral Science in Marketing – Drive customer action and loyalty by prompting instinctive responses, Kogan Page Limited  

Ralf Stürmer / Jennifer Schmidt, (2014), Erfolgreiches Marketing durch Emotionsforschung – Messung, Analyse, Best Practice, Haufe

Mark W. Johnston / Greg W. Marshall, (2022), Contemporary Selling – Building Relationships, Creating Value, Routledge – Taylor & Francis Group