Many seasoned professionals agree that success in real estate hinges on a few critical factors: following up with clients, managing finances, focusing on lead generation, and being knowledgeable about the market.
Yet, despite knowing these keys to success, an astounding 87% of real estate agents still fail within their first few years. If the blueprint is known, why is the failure rate so high?
The Core Challenge: The Experience Trap
In my opinion, one of the most significant hurdles is simply the lack of opportunity to start. The real estate industry is heavily reliant on a track record, and most clients naturally prefer to work with experienced realtors.
This preference creates a challenging situation for new agents who need clients to gain the very experience that clients seek. It’s a classic chicken-or-egg problem: you can’t get clients without experience, but you can’t get experience without clients. Without opportunities to prove themselves, new realtors struggle to gain a crucial foothold.
The Real Solution: A Business Built on Trust
The truth is, real estate is not a sales business; it’s a relationship business. It’s built on knowing, liking, and, most importantly, trusting your realtor.
My own journey proved this: I was fortunate to have experience flipping, renting, and selling my own homes before becoming a full-time realtor. But even with that background, the foundation of my success wasn’t my expertise; it was the trust I had already established with my network.
I’m proud to say that 100% of my business this year has come from people who already knew me or were referred to me. Even when I didn’t know all the answers early on, people believed in me and trusted that I’d always do the right thing.
The lesson for every agent (new or old) is clear: trust matters more than years on a license. Focus on building genuine relationships, and the experience will follow.
