As a new real estate agent, it can be difficult to know where to start. There are a lot of things you need to do in order to be successful, and it can be hard to know what is the most important. That’s why we created this New Real Estate Agent Checklist – to help you get started on the right foot! In this checklist, we will go over 17 tips that all new agents should implement immediately.

Why Do You Need a New Real Estate Agent Checklist?

We know one of the major concerns when first getting your real estate license is where to start. A new real estate agent checklist can be just the thing to help get over your paralysis by analysis. It can help you understand what needs to be done in order to get your business started off on the right foot.

And once you have your real estate business up and running, this checklist can act as a great reminder of what tasks need to be completed regularly in order to keep your business running smoothly. New real estate agent checklists are not only for those just getting started – they can be advantageous at any experience level!

Here are our top 15 tips for things that should be on your checklist:

Table Of Contents

1. Interview Brokers
2. Create Social Media Accounts
3. Choose Specialty
4. Create SOI List
5. Add SOI to Social
6. Create IDX Website
7. Send Postcards To SOI
8. Call Entire SOI List
9. Order Business Cards
10. Core 5
11. Dial In The Basics
12. Choose CRM
13. Develop Automatic Drips
14. Add Network to SOI
15. Internet Leads
16. Lead Generation
17. Mentorship

1.) Interview brokers and brokerages and find one that aligns with you

As real estate agents, we focus a lot on finding the perfect fit for our clients – but what about finding the perfect fit for ourselves? Joining a real estate brokerage can be a make or break decision for your career, and the most important thing you do just might be to take the time to properly interview multiple brokerages before making a commitment.

Although independent contractors, we are essentially small business owners and therefore need to choose the brokerage that provides us with the best support and resources for success. Don’t just join the first brokerage that offers you a spot – make sure to conduct thorough interviews, ask fellow agents for their opinions and experiences, and trust your gut when making this important decision.

I think it’s important to understand how backward this concept is. At most jobs, you are interviewed by the company hiring you. But with real estate, it goes both ways. Many brokers would be more than happy to take on any newcomers. So make sure to keep that in mind as you conduct your search. You are valuable to them. Don’t let failure in your real estate career come from not taking the time to pair yourself with the right brokerage.

2.) Create all major social media platforms

As a newly licensed real estate agent, setting up social media accounts may seem like a tedious or menial task. But trust me, it’s worth it. In today’s technology driven world, social media is a must for any real estate professional. It adds legitimacy to your brand and helps you connect with prospective clients.

And don’t worry – you don’t have to spend all day posting on every platform out there. Just set up the major accounts and then focus on one as part of your overall marketing strategy. This could be a great way to let your network know that you’re now in the real estate industry and open for business, potentially helping you to generate new buyer and listing referrals. So go ahead and add social media to your list – it will pay off in the long run. We know from experience.

3.) Choose which social media platform to focus on

This is a tricky one because it depends on your geographical location and the major demographics of people in your area. As a general rule of thumb, we think that Facebook is still surprisingly dominant in more rural areas and with the older crowd. If you live in a greater metropolitan area or even a town with 300,000+ people we’d typically see Instagram perform better. Choose one and make that your primary focus to build at first.

Only after you get the hang of all the different social media platforms as well as a little more experience as a real estate agent, then go ahead and figure out ways to post on YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

There are always new social media accounts coming out. Just remember not to let this bog you down or overwhelm you. Just pick the one that more likely works for you and your area and start building and posting about your real estate business.

One last thing about social media. A good standard practice is to try and keep business posts to a minimum. It’s good to remind your friends and family that you are a real estate professional. But try and keep an 80/20 ratio when posting about business. That would be 4 personal or standard type posts to 1 business post. You don’t want to annoy your network.

4.) Create your SOI list

Building your business is creating your sphere of influence (SOI) list is one of the most powerful things you can do. Your SOI is made up of the people you already have connections with – friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, and past clients. These are people you already have valuable relationships with.

These personal relationships are invaluable in generating new leads in the real estate market. As a new agent, it may feel overwhelming to establish yourself in the industry, but starting with those closest to you can be an easy and effective way to kickstart your career.

So start reaching out and networking with those in your SOI – they just might provide your next successful transaction. Good luck!

5.) Add everyone on your SOI list to social media

The next thing any good real estate agent needs to do is make sure to add every single person that’s on your SOI list to social media. This includes new clients as soon as you meet them.

You’d be surprised how often people forget to do this. It’s one of the first and most important steps in social media marketing for real estate agents and also one of the most important.

Remember, your SOI list is made up of personal relationships – friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, and past clients. These are people that already know and love you. Easy!

6.) Get IDX Website Up and Running

On your new real estate agent checklist, one of your first steps should be setting up an IDX website. IDX stands for Internet Data Exchange, and it allows your website to display the listings of other agents and brokers in your local area. Basically, it pulls listings from the MLS or Multiple Listings Services.

This not only gives potential clients access to a wider range of properties, but it also sets you apart from other new agents who may not have such resources at their disposal. In addition, IDX websites provide customizable search options and can even send automatic updates to clients when new listings become available that meet their criteria.

Setting up an IDX website should definitely be on your new real estate agent checklist – it’s a valuable tool that will help you stand out from the crowd, generate leads, and secure new clients.

7.) Send out postcards to SOI list

This step is usually never taught let alone implemented. It may seem too simple or unnecessary to an average real estate agent. However, one of the best things I’ve ever done is to simply send postcards out a few times a year via direct mail, to my SOI.

From day one this should be part of your business plan in terms of lead generation and as a method of acquiring more real estate listings.

It will put a smile on anyone’s face who receives your postcard.

8.) Call follow up with everyone on your SOI list

Once you already sent out the postcards to your SOI, you are going to want to wait about 1 week and then go through and call each and every one of them.

You’re calling to touch base, ask if they received your postcard, and then connect with them on a personal level. You are not trying to get business from them right that moment and you want to let them know that. You are just trying to stay top of mind and stand out from other real estate professionals.

Which will be easy to do because it’s not cold calling. They are already in your sphere after all. Not nearly as tough as door knocking.

9.) Order Business Cards

For new real estate agents, obtaining business cards also needs to be a top priority. But why are these small pieces of paper so valuable in the industry?

In a field where personal connections and networking are key, having a business card allows new agents to present themselves as a professional and build credibility.

They can give out their contact information easily to prospective clients or fellow agents, and they can also be left behind at open houses or other networking events as a way to attract new business.

As a buyer’s agent, business cards are necessary twofold. One is because you will want to have them to hand out when meeting new buyer clients. And two you will typically leave one of your cards on the kitchen countertop as a courtesy to the seller whenever you show a house.

10.) Start targeting your core 5 or 10

Your core 5 is not a new concept within the real estate industry. In fact, Gary Keller of Keller Williams has famously taught this principle over the last decades as well as within his books. Predominantly, his book, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent.

What you are looking to do is to find 5 other business professionals, network, and make a deeper connection with them. The idea is that they will become your business friends, sometimes personal friends, and ultimately referral partners.

Grab a coffee, go to lunch, golfing, invite each other to BBQs, whatever makes the most sense in the relationship. Everyone is different. But our recommendation is to check in at least once every two weeks with this small core group of people. And over time you will develop some very good and deep relationships together which will in turn help each other’s business grow. It’s an amazing win-win situation.

Here are two last pro tips:

One, eventually as you seek out success and become increasingly more business minded you will absolutely need people like your core 5 in your life. Sometimes everyone else will be tired of hearing all your ideas or stories!

Two, try and strive for a core 10. From experience, this is hard to do. As a matter of fact, most people find 5 hard to pull off. But we aren’t most people, are we? We want to outwork our peers to achieve success. Believe in yourself!

11.) Dial in the basics; Business Plan, Headshot, Bio, Email Signature

Now that you’ve gotten a lot of major items out of the way, it’s good to start getting all of your more basic items checked off the list. Including putting a basic business plan together, getting professional headshots, writing your bio or about me paragraph, and designing an email signature.

These are the basics. So don’t spend way too much time here. They are necessary to get done but we put them later on in the list because most people focus too much on these mundane tasks.

As an entrepreneur, I think you can figure out how to Google some more info if you want to know specifics on how to put these items together. Actually, Googling is probably the most valuable skill set if you own your own business.

12.) Choose a CRM and get it up and running

You will be focused on finding new clients and generating leads, as a new real estate agent. But have you thoughtfully considered how to organize and manage those leads once they come in? A powerful CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system can help streamline your new real estate business and keep track of your important contacts, such as potential home buyers and sellers.

In fact, it’s best to choose a CRM and start utilizing it soon after becoming licensed. While utilizing your CRM, you can nurture your leads and stay organized from the very start of your career. Don’t wait until things get hectic – choose a CRM early on and set yourself up for success.

Our top choice is KVCore especially since you get it with your tech package at eXp Realty. However, if you’re at another brokerage we also highly recommend Real Geeks CRM.

13.) Start developing automatic SMS and Email drips for CRM

Lead generation is a crucial aspect of your business. An effective way to consistently generate leads is to set up automatic SMS and email drips for your CRM. By targeting your local market and implementing a personalized marketing plan, these automated messages can help you stay in touch with potential clients and keep your name at the top of their minds.

It’s important to note that deciding on the right approach for your individual brand and target audience is key to success with these tools. However, taking the time to develop and implement an automatic drip campaign can lead to long-term lead generation success.

So if you haven’t already, it’s worth considering adding this strategy to your real estate marketing plan. The best part is that you won’t even have to spend money on this step.

14.) Add SOI, Current Clients and Core 5 to CRM

As a realtor, it’s important to have a strong network of clients and potential clients to work with. This network, also known as your Sphere of Influence (SOI), is made up of past clients, current clients, personal contacts, friends and family, and anyone else who may refer real estate business to you.

Maintaining relationships with these individuals is key in keeping a steady stream of leads coming in. This is why it is critical to keep track of your SOI in a CRM as early on in your career as possible.

The same goes for your current clients – staying organized and on top of their needs helps cultivate trust and repeat business.

And don’t forget about your Core 5: the 5 business professionals that you meet with in person to develop deeper connections, and refer business to regularly. Keeping track of all these relationships in one place will make managing your real estate career easier and more successful. So start adding everyone to your CRM now!

15.) Begin to invest in internet leads via Google and Meta

You already know the importance of marketing and networking to generate new business. But in today’s digital age, it’s important to have an online presence as well.

Investing in paid internet leads, such as Google and Meta Ads, can help broaden your reach and bring in new clients. Google can encompass Google PPC and YouTube ads. Whereas Meta encompasses Facebook and Instagram ads.

Many top producers and successful realtors have already made this a part of their marketing strategy and are reaping the benefits. Don’t get left behind – start investing in paid internet leads now to bring in more business and stay ahead of the competition.

On the other hand. If it seems like too much of an expense at this time do not worry. That is why we put it so deep into the list. It’s by no means a requirement. But once you’re ready we do recommend adding it to your repertoire.

16.) Lead Gen, Lead Gen, Lead Gen

It may be obvious that the goal of a real estate agent is to sell houses. But the real hurdle is in finding new clients. Once you get the hang of it this is the tougher task.

We recommend blocking off a minimum of 1-2 hours daily for Lead Generation.

This can include following up with your SOI, calling internet leads, cold calling, door knocking, networking events, 1 on 1 appointments, and any other task that can lead to acquiring a new client.

As we said, Lead Gen, Lead Gen, Lead Gen, and your future self will thank you greatly.

17.) Find mentors and feed your brain

We get how it can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day busyness of showing properties, attending inspections, and negotiating deals. But if you want to stay ahead of the game and truly succeed in this competitive field, it’s important to always continue to learn and grow.

One way to do that is through finding mentors who have already found success in the industry and can provide guidance on how to navigate challenges and grow as a professional.

Another way is to constantly feed your brain with knowledge – whether that be through reading real estate books, listening to podcasts, attending seminars or courses, or networking with other agents.

By constantly seeking out new information and perspectives, you can stay ahead of the curve and separate yourself from the pack.

So don’t neglect the importance of seeking mentorship and continual education – as a real estate agent both will contribute greatly to your success.

Key Considerations for Accomplishing Your New Agent Checklist

The main thing to remember as a new real estate agent is that you don’t need to stress or overthink this simple process. Take your time. Start at the beginning and systematically check off each item on the list.

You will find that if you can accomplish at least one task per day you will get through the whole list in roughly two weeks. Once completed you can then focus on building your business further. The sky is the limit.

Wrapping Up

We understand that you may become overwhelmed by all of the tasks that come with starting your own business as a real estate agent. From managing listings to keeping up with paperwork, there are a lot of moving parts in this industry.

That’s why it’s important to have a checklist for everything you need to do as an agent and tackle these tasks early on in your career. This might include setting up a professional email address, getting business cards, or joining the local MLS.

Having a checklist helps ensure that you don’t forget any important steps, and allows you to focus on growing your own business instead of continuously playing catch-up. Plus, completing these tasks early means they won’t become a burden as your career progresses.

So don’t wait – start crossing off those items on your checklist today!