Networking Secrets from the Pros

Networking.

It’s one of the most important things you can do to further your real estate career. Knowing “who’s who”—and why—is incredibly beneficial in our field.

But while you may be great at networking, are you making the most of your connections?

3 Networking Secrets From the Pros 

As a Realtor®, you already understand the importance of networking. However, while most of us see the big picture, we drop the ball at some point; we’re not all making the most of the connections we have.

Real Estate Networking Secret #1: Initiative 

It’s more than remembering to follow up with new contacts… it’s being the first to follow up. However, having a strategy for keeping in touch with contacts is key.

“If you don’t have a systematized and automated ‘Keep in Touch’ strategy in place, you may, as the old saying goes, leave a lot of business on the table,” says Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid.

“Not following up just means you’ll have to haul yourself back out on the cocktail circuit again and again and again,” says John Corcoran, author of Build Your Network, Grow Your Income.

Real Estate Networking Secret #2: Create Your Own Events 

While seminars and meet-and-greets take a lot of planning, nothing replaces the value you build for yourself when you angle yourself as the subject-matter expert. You need to drum up interest to get your seminar off the ground, and one way to do that is to team up with another expert (such as a mortgage professional) who can bring in more people.

Don’t forget to keep a sign-in sheet, too.

“Make sure people sign in every time so you can keep track of who is attending your sessions. You can also use this group to draw from when you are looking for future presenters,” says networker Adriana Bankston of the University of Louisville.

Real Estate Networking Secret #3: Have Fun With It 

“Remember, meeting people is fun! Learn to appreciate the experience of getting to know someone and building a relationship. Talk about stuff you like to talk about and ask questions that you legitimately want to hear the answer to,” says Mike Fishbein, founder of Startup College and author of How to Build an Awesome Professional Network.

When you’re having fun, so are the people you’re meeting—and that’s the type of association you want to build.