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You passed the Florida real estate exam. You joined a brokerage. You’re learning the systems, the contracts, and your local market.
Now comes the question almost every new agent asks:
How do I actually get clients?
A lot of new agents make this harder than it needs to be because they think they suddenly have to become a salesperson everywhere they go.
You don’t.
You don’t need to walk into every room looking for a lead or turn every conversation into real estate. And you definitely don’t need to become some polished version of what you think a real estate agent is supposed to be.
You need to get visible. Talk to people. Build relationships.
Most importantly, be yourself.
You cannot be a silent real estate agent. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a pushy one.
Your first network is probably bigger than you think.
Family. Friends. Neighbors. Former coworkers. People from school, the gym, church, clubs, organizations, and local businesses you frequent.
Let them know you’re in real estate.
That doesn’t mean calling everyone in your phone and asking whether they’re ready to buy or sell a house.
Please don’t do that.
Just have conversations.
If someone asks what you’re doing these days, tell them.
“I just got my real estate license and I’m working with XYZ Realty.”
That may be all you need to say.
People can’t refer business to you if they don’t know what you do. But there’s a big difference between letting people know you’re in real estate and making everyone you meet feel like a prospect.
You’re building relationships, not chasing every person you meet for a lead.
The person you’re talking to may never buy or sell with you. Six months from now, though, their sister may be moving to Florida. Their neighbor may need to sell. A coworker may ask if they know a real estate agent.
Who are they going to think of?
Hopefully, you.
I tell new agents to network all the time.
But networking doesn’t mean walking into an event and seeing how many business cards you can hand out before the appetizers are gone.
Go meet people.
Ask questions. Listen. Find out what they do, where they’re from, and how long they’ve lived in the area.
Be interested in people instead of constantly waiting for your chance to talk about real estate.
People can tell the difference.
Attend local Chamber events, community gatherings, association functions, broker opens, and real estate events. Support local businesses. Get involved in something you actually enjoy.
And I mean actually enjoy.
If you hate golf, don’t join a golf league just because somebody told you successful people play golf.
Find places where you naturally fit.
That’s where real relationships happen.
Your social media is part of your professional presence now, whether you planned on that or not.
People will look you up.
That doesn’t mean your entire social media feed needs to turn into one long real estate commercial.
Please let people get to know you.
Talk about real estate. Share useful information. Explain something buyers or sellers may not understand. Highlight your community. Talk about what you’re learning.
But still be you.
If you’re funny, be funny.
If you’re more serious, that’s fine.
If you love dogs, gardening, restaurants, boating, sports, or whatever else makes up your life, people can see some of that too.
You’re a real estate professional, but you’re also a human being.
Use common sense. Look through your profiles and remember that future clients, brokers, lenders, and other agents may see what you post.
Professional doesn’t have to mean boring.
I think video is one of the best ways to let people get comfortable with you before they ever meet you.
And no, you don’t need a studio.
You don’t need expensive equipment, perfect lighting, or a memorized script.
Pick up your phone and talk.
Answer a common buyer question. Explain something you learned. Talk about a neighborhood. Walk through a property and point out something people might not notice. Share something happening in your local market.
Speak the same way you would if someone were sitting across the table from you.
Because eventually, people are going to meet you.
If your online personality and your real personality are two completely different people, what was the point?
Be who you are from the beginning.
Some people will connect with your humor. Someone else will appreciate how direct you are. Another person may like that you’re patient and take time to explain things.
You’re not going to be the right real estate agent for everybody.
You don’t need to be.
You want the clients who are the right fit for you.
Don’t forget about the other agents in your market.
Yes, they’re technically your competition.
They’re also the people you’ll be doing business with.
Introduce yourself at classes, broker opens, association events, office meetings, showings, and community events.
Get to know agents from other brokerages.
Be professional. Be pleasant to work with. Answer your phone. Return messages. Do what you say you’re going to do.
Agents remember that.
Someday you’ll have a listing and another agent will have the buyer. An agent may need someone to cover a showing. Someone may have a referral outside their market.
Real estate is competitive, but it’s also cooperative.
You don’t need to treat every other agent like the enemy.
You might do everything I just told you and still not have someone call tomorrow morning asking you to list their house.
That’s normal.
Relationships take time. Trust takes time. People usually need to see and hear from you more than once.
That’s why consistency matters.
Keep talking to people.
Keep learning.
Keep showing up.
Keep making the videos even when the first few get twelve views and three of them are probably relatives.
Every conversation doesn’t need to produce a lead.
Every video doesn’t need to go viral.
Every networking event doesn’t need to produce a closing.
You’re building a business.
One conversation leads to another. One relationship leads to an introduction. Someone remembers your name when they hear, “Do you know a good real estate agent?”
Those little things add up.
While you’re building your real estate business, don’t forget that getting licensed wasn’t the end of your education.
Florida sales associates are required to complete 45 hours of approved post-licensing education before their first license renewal, unless an applicable exemption applies.
After that initial renewal, Florida real estate licensees generally complete 14 hours of continuing education for each renewal cycle.
Don’t wait until your expiration date is staring you in the face.
And don’t look at post-licensing as something you just have to get out of the way.
This is when the education starts making more sense because now you have some real-world context.
You’ve been in the office.
You’ve looked at contracts.
Maybe you’ve gone on a showing or sat at an open house.
Maybe someone finally asked you a question and you thought, “Oh boy. I have no idea.”
That’s okay.
That’s how you start figuring out what you still need to learn.
Passing the Florida real estate exam gets you licensed.
It doesn’t teach you everything you need to know to build a real estate business.
That comes from experience, training, continued education, conversations, mistakes, mentors, transactions, and showing up over and over again.
At 360 Florida Real Estate School, I work with people entering the business and with licensed agents continuing their education through Florida post-licensing and continuing education courses.
No matter where you are in that process, remember this:
Don’t try to become somebody else’s idea of what a real estate agent should be.
Be you.
Talk to people.
Listen more than you sell.
Build relationships.
Keep learning.
Keep showing up.
And don’t be a silent real estate agent.
720 West Montrose Street, Clermont, FL 34711(630) 715-1403
