4 Career Aspects that Terrify New Real Estate Agents
Becoming a real estate agent is daunting. You have the onus of finding your own clients, negotiating with heated personalities, and handling confusing legal work. There’s plenty to fear.
How to be a successful real estate agent is dependent on how you overcome these common fears. When you find yourself avoiding responsibilities in your career, you could be putting them off because you’re fearful of tackling the challenge.
Finding how you can connect with a client or managing a heated negotiation isn’t easy. These are skills that you develop over time, and overcoming your fear of failure is a major part of getting better.
You might even find out that once you start breaking down these fears, they aren’t so scary after all.
Contracts, Paperwork, and Legal Documents
Residential purchase contracts, deeds, and leasing agreements - oh, my!
These are just a few real estate contracts you’ll work with as an agent. Just by how they sound, these contracts sound intimidating. But the more you work with them, the less daunting they become.
You’ll even realize these real estate contracts are easier to learn than you think.
Before you begin working in real estate, you should educate yourself (at the very least, brush up on) the types of contracts you’ll encounter as a real estate agent. This will help you manage the paperwork when you’re putting in the real work.
Talking to the Client
One of the biggest problems real estate agents face is talking to clients.
More real estate agents than you think to struggle with their fear of working with another person. They might think they’ll say something that ruins the client relationship.
These are the inner fears that creep up in most careers. The reason: being likable and professional is important to your success.
Exposing yourself to more professional interactions is the best way to overcome this fear. You will be surprised at the sight of your shy personality shift into a charismatic socialite. When you do, you’ll attract more leads and retain more clients.
Facing Rejection as a Real Estate Agent
The most popular fear that real estate agents (and most people) experience is rejection.
Prospecting and door-knocking make you vulnerable. You’re putting yourself out there and, more often than not, you’ll be rejected. There’s no way to avoid people turning down your services as a real estate agent.
When you experience rejection while prospecting or door knocking, remember they aren’t rejecting you: the person. They are expressing how they are not interested in your services. In other words, try not to take it personally!
Easier said than done, right?
Remind yourself that a “no” doesn’t mean the client is angry with you. There’s no animosity or hatred projected. They simply are not interested in working with a real estate agent.
And that’s okay! Every time you experience a “no” from a prospect, you’re one step closer to the one that will give you an excited “yes!”
The only way to overcome the fear of rejection is to expose yourself to rejection.
Becoming a Real Estate Agent from Another Career
Everyone wants job security, but that might not be available as a real estate agent.
Starting your career in real estate is a challenge for some people. This is because you could go months before you receive a paycheck since the job is commission-based. That’s why having job security before you become a real estate agent is recommended.
When you’re going from a full-time job to a full-time real estate agent, you will have some long nights.
To avoid the monetary stress and anxiety from starting a new career in real estate, you should plan on taking small steps. Whether you're taking online real estate classes or working on the weekend, you should have another source of income when you’re starting your career.
Final Thoughts on Real Estate Agent Fears
Most fears you experience as a real estate agent will dissipate with exposure. When you confront these fears head-on, you’ll realize they aren’t as scary as you think. And, when you do overcome these fears, you’ll find yourself excelling in your real estate career.
What’s a time when you overcame fear in your professional career?
TL;DR: Real estate agents face challenges such as managing contracts, overcoming fears of client interaction, and dealing with rejection, but these become easier with practice and exposure. Transitioning from another career can be financially stressful, so planning ahead with supplemental income and gradual steps is essential for success.