A Word of Advice…

Treat our fellow agents with respect because buyers and sellers can put us in very awkward situations sometimes. If we know the agent on the other side of the transaction, it is much easier to make the deal work.
Joyce Wallace, Weatherford

Be yourself and don’t be intimidated by other agents. Real estate is about relationships with your clients. As agents, we all have access to the same documents, so we can essentially do the same job. But it’s important that I connect with my clients to serve them better than other agents.
Danae Hewitt, Mansfield

Be consistent in implementing and following procedures with every property you manage. It will keep you out of trouble and save you time and resources. Trying to do things differently for one owner always results in extra work and less than stellar results. Be professional and legal, and do not compromise your procedures or principles.
Eileen Miller, Keller

Always consistently be available and be ready for whatever your clients’ needs are. Have a strong knowledge of market data so that you’re able to provide value with your clients consistently.
Daniel Nalbandian, Houston

Treat every client and customer as if you were that client or customer and do unto others as you would have them do unto you!
Carol Worley, Rockdale

Always follow the OLDCAR (Obedience, Loyalty, Diligence, Care, Accountability, Respect) rule and look after clients’ interest first!
Raza Ali, Plano

All things being equal, people will do business with peoplethey like. All things not being equal, people will still do business with people they like. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room; work hard, be likable, honest, and respectful.
David Hageman, Houston

Many years ago, I was told to be the source of the source when providing information to clients. It made me stop and pause before attempting to answer questions I was unsure about. It also gave me the confidence to be able to tell a client, ‘I do not know the answer 100%, but I will research it for you and give you the answer.’
Andi Holmgreen, Portland

Do absolutely anything and everything you can do to make sure your clients are confident, appreciated, and relaxed.
Tracy Dombek, Austin

Customers first. The customer is always right. Every customer is unique. They have their own requirements and preferences. Customer obsession is key, and working towards meeting their requirements will go a long way.
Chandra Kaladhar Vennapusa, Austin

Some years ago, a dear friend of mine told me that when I had to deliver bad news to a client to state the issue clearly, then shut up! Give them time to process the information; don’t start in with ideas and proposed solutions.
Teri Norwood, Longview

Comparison is the thief of joy. Don’t compare your business journey to someone else’s. Keep your blinders on, be consistent with your actions, and if you have a Plan B, Plan A will never work.
Adrienne Gill, Houston

Never compare yourself to other agents. It may look like you are not doing the volume that you see others doing, but stay steady and consistent to your goals. In the end, you will realize that you are as competitive as anyone else.
Kimberly Wilson, Cross Roads

Pick a strategy/niche in your market, so that you can serve clients in a much better way rather than generalizing. It would be fantastic to have in-depth knowledge of one or two strategies instead of slight knowledge of everything. It serves clients much better.
Sai Krishna Byra, Arlington

You are not in competition; you want more, you must do more.
Duane Cole, Texas City

Learn how to say no in situations that are professionally compromising and not truthful.
Joe Stewart, Austin

Time blocking and controlling your calendar should be your main focus.
Sharon Cummings, Allen

Collect online reviews from Day One. Someone can review you for any real estate-related tasks you perform. For example, you could reach out to savvy relatives and let them know you are practicing doing CMAs. Put together a pre-listing presentation using Canva/PowerPoint and present to them their potential value. Then when you are finished, ask them to write you a review.
Jordan Marie Schilleci, Spring

Every seed planted counts. Stay motivated in planting them so that when the time is right, you will be filled with acres of relationships.
Liz Ulate, Dallas-Fort Worth

I always treat my business like a business. If I treat it like a side hustle, then I won’t give myself nor my clients 100% of myself.
LaKesha Dibble, Spring

Remember that it’s your business. You are an independent contractor. Do not rely on others to feed you information and tools; research and set yourself up to be proactive. Find out what you don’t know and go after it.
Nicole McNeil-Wyatt, Houston

It will all work out how it’s supposed to. As simple and obvious as this advice may be, it is easy for your clients (and maybe you) to forget, as people sometimes get caught up in the stress that a real estate transaction can bring.
Katie Daniel, Austin

Never stop selling or marketing yourself.
Shellie Dow-Garcia, Lake Jackson

Be a joiner. Get involved in local clubs, such as kickball, bowling league, or a networking group. This will help grow your sphere and get to know people who will use and refer you.
Audrey Amirian, Houston

My brother, who is also in real estate, gave this advice: you work harder and longer than the next person. You have faith in God, yourself, and your country. You do the basics better than everyone else, return every phone call promptly, deal with every problem sooner not later, and put your customers first. Then you will be surprised how all the rest magically falls into place.
Romona Brogan, Abilene

‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.’ I use this for my real estate business. It is a quote by Maya Angelou.
Rita Ferris, Rockwall

Save up to eight months of your total monthly expenses before you quit your job to go full time into real estate. If you rely 100% on your real estate income, as a new agent you will not have the referral business to keep you going. In the first two years of your real estate full-time career, you are going to need to say ‘no’ to all family events or until you build up your referral business. You will need to establish yourself in your local real estate market by spending many hours at open houses and in the office working on your marketing.
Claudia Gaytan, El Paso

You’ll get out of your real estate career what you put into it.
Angela Hornburg, Mansfield