16 LOOKING TO SHADOW A REAL ESTATE AGENT
Hello my name is Spirit Robinson, and I'm 16 looking for a real estate agents to shadow. When I'm out of high-school I plan on taking the real estate program to get my license. I have some idea of what it takes to be an agent for example commission and broker etc and what you expect for the license program. I am very passionate of becoming a successful agent because it's my dream to sell beautiful homes to families. (If you're interested of helping me out with my future career please feel free to reply and I will get with you)
That's all well and great but 99% of the people on this forum you just posted on don't live anywhere near you. If you want to shadow, you need to get connected with agents in your area. If you really want it, it will happen. But you can't hide behind a computer, you have to go to meetings with the local real estate groups, or call listings of Agents with a pitch on how you can bring value to them by shadowing them. It's going to take some sweat and effort, but it will get easier over time.
Quote from @Spirit Robinson:
Welcome to the BiggerPockets forums!
I agree with Allan. You need to find investors and investor groups in your area. Network, build relationships, and maybe you can find someone to mentor you. Go to NETWORK at the top of your screen and you can search for other investors and investment groups in your area. You can also check meetup.com or search facebook for real estate investment groups, clubs, or meetings in your area.
I'll be honest: I wouldn't want someone tailing me unless I really knew them well and they somehow demonstrated it was worth the effort. Sales don't happen on a regular basis, so you may be shadowing them when absolutely nothing is happening. When they are working with buyers or sellers, they have a legal obligation to protect certain information and can't have a stranger with no fiduciary responsibility listening in on conversations or reading private contracts. It's just not a good idea and it's not practical.
Build relationships with a real estate investor. That's where you can learn what you need to learn.
1. Start with BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide (free). It will familiarize you with the basic terminology and benefits. Then you can read a more in-depth book like The Book On Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner or The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing by Spencer Strauss.
2. Get your finances in order. Get rid of debt, build a budget, and save. The idea that you can build wealth without putting any money into it is a recipe for disaster and the sales pitch of gurus trying to steal your money. A wise investor will not try to get rich quick with shortcuts. If you can't keep control of your personal finances, you are highly unlikely to succeed in real estate investing. Check out my personal favorite, Set For Life by Scott Trench , or The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.
3. As you read these books, watch the BiggerPockets podcasts. This will clarify and reinforce what you are reading. You can hear real-world examples of how others have built their investment portfolio and (hopefully) learn to avoid their mistakes.
4. Now you need to figure out how to find deals and pay for them. Again, the BiggerPockets store has some books for this or you can learn by watching podcasts, reading blogs, and interacting on the forum. There is a handy search bar in the upper right that makes it easy to find previous discussions, blogs, podcasts, and other resources. BiggerPockets also has a calculator you can use to analyze deals and I highly recommend you start this as soon as possible, even if you are not ready to buy. If you consistently analyze properties, it will be much easier to recognize a good deal when it shows up. Find Brandon's videos on YouTube for the "four square" method of analyzing homes and practice. It doesn't take long to learn how to spot a good deal.
5. Study the market. You can learn to do this on your own or get a rockstar REALTOR to lead the way. I highly recommend a well-qualified REALTOR that works with investors and knows how to best help you.
6. Jump in! Far too many get stuck in the "paralysis by analysis" stage, thinking they just don't know enough to get started. The truth is, you could read 100 books and still not know enough because certain things need to be learned through trial-and-error. You don't need to know everything to get started; you just need a foundation to build on and the rest will come through experience and then refining your education.
You can build a basic understanding of investing in 3-6 months. How long it takes to be financially ready is different for everyone. Once you're ready, create a goal (e.g. "I will buy at least one single-family home, duplex, triplex, or fourplex before the end of 2019") and then do it. Real estate investing is a pretty forgiving world and the average person can still make money even with some pretty big mistakes.
Hi @Spirit Robinson!
Agree with what's on this feed already but here are a couple other things:
1) Listen to agent coaching podcasts (just google or search in podcasts and your bound to find several free options) to start learning about basics, scripts, lead generation, nurturing clients, and marketing.
2) You have to start sharing your goals with people in your area. One of your biggest hurdles will be building our your CRM of buyers and gain their trust and confidence as a younger agent. Many choose to work as an admin or agent assistant as soon as possible to learn the ropes.
Best of luck and be prepared to work for several years to build a business with staying power!
#3 BRRRR - Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat Contributor
- Investor
- Austin, TX
- 5,506
- Votes |
- 9,861
- Posts
#3 BRRRR - Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat Contributor
- Investor
- Austin, TX
No need to shadow, hire a realtor and to go open houses, listings on the market. Ask as many questions as possible and build a relationship
Quote from @Ty Ash:
Hi @Spirit Robinson!
Agree with what's on this feed already but here are a couple other things:
1) Listen to agent coaching podcasts (just google or search in podcasts and your bound to find several free options) to start learning about basics, scripts, lead generation, nurturing clients, and marketing.
2) You have to start sharing your goals with people in your area. One of your biggest hurdles will be building our your CRM of buyers and gain their trust and confidence as a younger agent. Many choose to work as an admin or agent assistant as soon as possible to learn the ropes.
Best of luck and be prepared to work for several years to build a business with staying power!
Thank you so much this information will help a ton!
Thank you for taking time to type this, I'm really grateful and I'm applying an application now for a real estate group!
And thank you for the recommendation and the tips.
Hey Spirit, I love the "Spirit."
Haha, see what I did there?
If you want to really gain experience relevant in becoming a realtor start Cold Calling for one. It's the biggest hurdle for new agents to get confidence in so if you can cut your teeth now you will be 1,000 steps ahead. After you get that down maybe they will let you handle some of their marketing. If you can learn how to generate leads while you are still living at home for free and with someone else's ad spend you will demolish your peers when you get licensed.
It will also allow you to see the real side of being a realtor. I can promise you that you will be making phone calls 100x more often than walking homes. And for every 10 homes you walk it will be 1 beautiful home, 3 mediocre homes, 4 subpar homes, and 2 that look uninhabitable.
In all seriousness if you want to get a feel for the real day to day life of a realtor feel free to send me a message.