Candice Landau is a marketing consultant with a background in web design and copywriting. She specializes in content strategy, copywriting, website design, and digital marketing for a wide-range of clients including digital marketing agencies and nonprofits.
Resources to Help You Start a Successful Real Estate Agency
Do you know where to go online to continue your real estate education? Do you know where to send your clients when they haven’t the first clue about buying a house? Do you know which sites are the best for keeping on top of industry trends?
Because we know it’s difficult to set aside the time to find the most valuable resources—especially when all your free time is spent completing paperwork, showing houses, and finding new leads—we’ve collated the sites, tools, and blogs that come highly recommended by agents and brokers alike.
Important associations
The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)
The National Association of REALTORS is the largest trade association in the U.S.A. To benefit from the services they offer, you need to become a member.
This is the industry’s largest trade association aimed at helping anyone engaged in the real estate industry, whether residential or commercial, stay on top of major trends and issues. You’ll find information on sales and housing prices, forecasts, major trends, issues, and much more. Be sure to keep an eye out for their annual report—“Home Buyers and Sellers Profile”—as well.
Invaluable resource hubs
Zillow’s Premier Agent Resource Center
Did you know that Zillow, the online database of real estate listings, has its own resource section exclusively for real estate agents? From tools and training to success stories, you’ll find the resources you need to take your business to the next level.
Don’t know where to start? Check out the Housing Market Trends Report for 2019.
Bank of America First Time Home Buyer Guide
When it comes time for your clients to purchase a property, trust is key. What better way to build that trust than to give them the knowledge they need in order to make an informed decision?
If your buyer has no idea where to start, send them to Bank of American’s First Time Home Buyer Guide where they will find home financing calculators, mortgage rates, real estate and housing reports, checklists, interactive learning experiences, and much more. You’re sure to find something useful for yourself too, so don’t skip checking this one out.
Note: Many other banks also have dedicated resources for both real estate agents and their clients. Do a Google search for your own bank to see what’s available (and note that some are better than others).
In a series of entertaining and informative videos, Joshua Dorkin—investor and founder of the BiggerPockets website—will walk you through everything you need to know about real estate investing. You’ll also get useful advice on buying, selling, and just about everything else.
If you prefer to listen your way to additional revenue, start here. And, if you haven’t perused the BiggerPockets website, you’re missing out—it’s an incredible resource!
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News and trends
Consider Inman News the Mashable of real estate news. For daily real estate news, videos, and opinions from professionals, it’s the place you want to be. Start with this article on home buying trends for 2020 and beyond.
If you like Reddit’s look and feel, Realty Times might be the place you go to get your news. One of the great things about this site is its diversity of content. From agent advice to consumer outlook advice, there’s bound to be something you will find useful.
Marketing and tools
When it comes to figuring out how to market and brand your business, you may be wondering where to start—after all, real estate is an already-saturated industry.
If you want to figure out how to grow your business using technology, the articles on GeekEstate will help you do just that. Geeky contributors review new tools and technology as well as handy advice on SEO, online listings, and building a good online reputation.
One of their top resources is a checklist of things you need to keep in mind when you’re getting started in the business.
Placester is an online CRM tool that gives you everything you need to promote, grow, and manage your real estate business online. Even if you’re not looking for a CRM platform just yet, take a look at Placester’s “Academy,” which contains an impressive (and free) collection of infographics, ebooks, presentations, and videos.
Ongoing education
Whether you’re looking to begin your career in real estate or advance it, Kaplan Real Estate Education has a fantastic selection of training and courses to get you started. It’s even broken down by state so you can find courses near you, including that all-important initial certification course. There are plenty of online and home-study courses, too.
When you need a laugh
Every now and then you really do need to take a break from the serious side of things. The Lighter Side of Real Estate bills itself as “an escape from your daily real estate hustle,” and it is just that! If you need a good laugh, this is the place to be.
Here’s a good place to start: 10 Signs That You Might Be a Real Estate Agent.
Even more…
If you’re always in pursuit of new ways to grow your business (or figure out how to grow your business before you even start it), be sure to check out some of our key resources on Bplans, including our articles on How to Start a Real Estate Business and Strategies to Grow Your Real Estate Business, as well as our free sample real estate business plans.
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Create a professional business plan
Using AI and step-by-step instructions
Create Your PlanSecure funding
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Build a strategy
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