You may use this image in your ezine or website if you choose to publish my article. Click here to see the picture full-sized.--- Alan Rigg

Doesn't it seem like everyone you know has a friend, relative, or 
acquaintance that is a realtor? How could anyone, especially 
someone new to the industry, possibly achieve success when faced 
with this much competition?

The answer begins to appear when you consider the following 
questions:

 * How many licensed real estate agents have the TALENTS 
   required for success in sales?

 * How many have been trained in EFFECTIVE SELLING TECHNIQUES?

 * How many know how to PROSPECT effectively?

 * How many know WHICH QUESTIONS TO ASK to determine the 
   factors that are most important to each prospect's buying 
   decision?

 * How many take their profession seriously and are WILLING 
   TO PUT IN THE EFFORT AND HOURS that are required to build 
   a successful business?

 * How many of them regularly SELL MULTIPLE HOUSES PER MONTH?

The 80/20 rule definitely applies to residential real estate. In 
fact, some statistics suggest the ratio is more like 90/10 (where 
90% of home sales are made by just 10% of realtors), with the 
vast majority of home sales by the top 1%!

So, how can a novice realtor attract clients? By building his or 
her CREDIBILITY and RELATIONSHIPS. Let's explore these two topics 
separately.


How to Build Credibility

Imagine you are a brand new realtor that has just passed the 
licensing exam. Why would someone turn to YOU to help them make 
what may be the largest investment of their lifetime? What makes 
you stand out from other licensed real estate agents?

If you are new to the profession, you won't have success stories 
or testimonials to point to as answers to these questions. 
However, there are many things you can do to build your 
credibility quickly. Here are a few examples:

 * You can perform in-depth research on a specific aspect of 
   your local real estate market and write a "white paper" or 
   "special report" to share with prospects. Examples of 
   potential topics include "The Hottest Markets In (a specific 
   area)", and "Resale Home Prices for the Past 12 Months In 
   (a particular community)".

 * You can compile a "New Resident Resource List" that educates 
   your prospects on local stores, service companies, fun 
   activities, family-friendly restaurants, etc.

 * You can write articles and deliver free speeches or seminars 
   that are based upon the results of your research.

There is tremendous power in AUTHORSHIP. If you can place useful 
information that has your name on it the hands of potential 
prospects, you will earn credibility.


How to Build Relationships

A good starting point is making sure everyone you know (friends, 
family, acquaintances, past business contacts, etc.) is aware 
that you have become a licensed real estate agent. It doesn't 
matter where they live -- who knows when one of their friends or 
associates will decide to move into your target market? The best 
approach is a simple, "soft sell" message such as, "If you hear 
of anyone that might be interested in buying or selling a house, 
please let them know that I would be delighted to help them."

When you are sure that everyone you know is aware of your new 
role, start pursuing NEW relationships. Don't limit yourself to 
contacts that may themselves become prospects. Also look for 
opportunities to develop relationships with people that can REFER 
prospects to you. This includes:

 * Mortgage brokers

 * Bankers

 * Salespeople in non-competing sales roles (i.e., new home 
   sales vs. resale)

 * Property managers

 * Corporate relocation managers

You can also pursue relationships with people that have large 
customer lists such as accountants, financial advisors, and 
insurance agents.

Focus on getting to know your potential prospects and referral 
sources as PEOPLE. What do they do for a living? What constitutes 
an opportunity for them? What are their issues and concerns? What 
are their personal interests and passions?

If you constantly have your "radar" up, you never know when you 
will run across a resource that could be helpful to someone else. 
If you focus on helping other people accomplish their goals and 
fulfill their needs and wants, you will be astonished by the 
number of referrals that come your way.

As you build your list of satisfied customers, you will be able 
to expand your sales success through referrals and testimonials. 
However, the strategies described in this article will always 
provide a boost to your opportunity pipeline! 

Sales performance expert Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat 
the 80/20 Rule in Selling: Why Most Salespeople Don't Perform 
and What to Do About It. His company, 80/20 Sales Performance, 
helps business owners, executives, and managers DOUBLE sales by 
implementing The Right Formula™ for building top-performing 
sales teams. For more information and more FREE sales and sales 
management tips, visit http://www.8020salesperformance.com.