Cheers to getting your real estate license—you're an official agent, ready to take on the exciting and challenging world of helping people buy and sell homes. But where do you begin as a new real estate agent, and what should you tackle first? From building genuine connections to helping you prioritize your new brand (YOU), here are several tips to set yourself up for success.

Remember to check out Breakthrough Broker’s New Agent Guidebook for an in-depth look at what you need to prioritize in your first year of being a real estate agent.

1. Lead with Authenticity: Focus on building relationships and understanding your clients' needs. Building trust is key. Set realistic expectations for your clients, be responsive to their needs, and always prioritize their best interests. This means clear communication, even when the news isn't what they want to hear. Listen actively, ask insightful questions, and be someone they feel comfortable confiding in. Your enthusiasm for real estate will naturally shine through, and clients will appreciate your genuine desire to help them achieve their goals. Hot Tip: Use a Buyer’s Questionnaire to gather essential information efficiently and quickly.

2. Be Strategic About Being Your Own Brand Ambassador: Develop your brand as early as possible. Don’t get hung up on being new and inexperienced. Think about your previous job or career and what made you stand out. What did your colleagues and leadership compliment you on? Are you great at building relationships and talking to people? Do you always demonstrate exceptional follow-through?

Showcase your strengths and take time to develop your value proposition. Then, create a marketing plan that gets you noticed—whether it’s through social media posts, local events, or community involvement. Focus on providing valuable content, like local market insights or helpful tips for buyers and sellers.

3. Use Content Marketing to Your Advantage: To find success, you need to market yourself. To avoid feeling overwhelmed—start small. Maybe your initial plan is to create a pre-written New Agent Letter to let your friends and family know about your new career and then craft a social post on Instagram.

Whatever you decide, the key is to start with a few actionable and consistent tasks you can complete each week. You may create an engagement campaign that targets renters or promote your new listing on a single property website.

4. Find Your Niche: Consider what kind of properties or clientele you're most drawn to. Think about what drew you to the real estate industry in the first place. Do you want to help first-time homebuyers? Or perhaps you’ve got your eye on the luxury market?

Then, think about your ideal clientele and where they live, work, and play. If you want to help first-time homebuyers, maybe you’re drawn to young professionals or young families.

As you come up with your plan to market yourself on social media, for example, figure out the type of messaging that would resonate with this demographic.

5. Build Relationships and Grow Your Knowledge: You never know where your next client or referral might come from. Attend local events, join community groups, and get familiar with the people around you. Go online and join Facebook groups like Next Level Agents and Lab Coat Agents, which are two helpful resources. Learn from your peers and seasoned agents so you can gain a better understanding of what to expect in your own career.

You may also consider finding a mentor for a deeper level of support, accountability, and confidence.

A successful real estate career takes time but it’s also important to get intentional about how you want to build your career from the start. Focus on becoming a trusted advisor, a reliable source of knowledge, and someone who genuinely enjoys helping people achieve their real estate dreams.

By following these tips and staying true to yourself, you'll be well on your way to a thriving career in this dynamic field. For access to more resources such as direct mail postcards, special letters, engagement campaigns, trainings, and presentations, visit Breakthrough Broker’s New Agent Marketing.