“Never stop learning” is one of the most common pieces of advice in real estate. It pays to stay current, and the highest-earning professionals are very often those who are experts on up-to-date best practices and new technologies. The real trick, however, is putting this advice into practice without burning yourself out in the effort to keep up with the latest trends. There are several simple tips you can follow to be an effective ongoing learner in the real estate sector.
1. Be Active and Attentive
The real estate market is always in flux, making it a profession where there’s something new to learn almost every day. There’s no substitute for hands-on experience in working out what best practices will help drive your business to its next big win. Watching what the most successful professionals are doing online, particularly on social media, can lead generation ideas. It allows you to see, practically in real time, the innovations agents are using to get a leg up on the competition and deliver the best possible service to both buyers and sellers.
2. Take Time Out for Continuing Education
Blocking time in your schedule for real estate classes or taking time to meet with vendors and service providers, working out new ways that you can best serve your clients, is a crucial investment in your business and in yourself. Holding yourself accountable for scheduling a few hours of continuing education endeavors every week, and sticking to that schedule, is a key means of ensuring that your approach to ongoing learning becomes an effective part of your total approach to real estate. Seek out educational opportunities sponsored by your state, or consider online classes as a way of keeping to this kind of schedule in crunch times.
3. Stay Current with Local Events
Constant learning about your local market and community is just as crucial as keeping abreast of trends in the wider industry — indeed, it’s the basic step for taking general knowledge and turning it into practical application. Attending regular meetings of your local Chamber of Commerce, planning and zoning commissions and other community groups can keep your finger on the pulse of what your community wants and needs and how you can put that knowledge to work for your clients.
4. The Four R’s: Read, Read, Read and Read
Simply reading can be a great way to round out your real estate education. There are a plethora of books on the market by former real estate agents, investors and professionals that can provide a wealth of ideas in their own right.
Continued learning is an investment that pays for itself for the real estate professional who approaches it in a disciplined and sustainable way. Use the above tips to be on the top of your game and make your business the best it can be.
