Starting in real estate often means being the “jack of all trades” in the area. Your expertise becomes anything related to real estate, whether it be listing homes, selling homes, or maybe even doing a home loan. Your real estate career gets even more clouded as you get involved with the different types of real estate from condos, homes, land, multi-units or maybe even stretching to commercial. Performing this many real estate tasks is a juggling act that very few agents ever survive.In order to close business every month, have a life, and experience the big rewards it becomes necessary to specialize in a in a niche of real estate. Before we can examine the benefits of specialization let’s examine the fears that many people have about selecting a niche:
I will lose business by specializing
There aren’t enough transactions for me to specialize
I don’t know enough about anything in real estate to specialize
These are all common fears to experience before selecting a niche to specialize in and dominate. As you are considering your niche, I invite you to consider the following question:If you had a possibly fatal heart condition and you were looking for a Doctor to help you, which Doctor would you select?A) The Doctor who is a Podiatrist, Pediatrician, and a CardiologistOrB) The best Cardiologist in your stateFor most they would select “B” because that Doctor would have handled more conditions than the “A” Doctor. She would have the experience, have run into more problems, have solved more cases and would have to be the absolute best in order to make a living in just one area of medicine.So, by selecting a niche are you turning away business or are you inviting more of your niche than you ever could imagine?Selecting your real estate marketing niche will bring you a flood of business for that niche. In order to demonstrate your expertise in a particular area, it doesn’t take shouting from the treetops that you are the “expert”. Here are some methods that you can do to demonstrate your expertise in a niche and start bringing in more of the business:
Write articles – Write articles about the type of real estate product that you have a passion for. For example if your passion is condos write articles about home owners associations, selecting a community, and even choosing the right floor plan.
Contribute on forums – There are often community forums where local residents bring up questions about communities or their local city. Participate in these forums (without directly asking for business) and answer questions.
Attend community events- This can range from attending a local board meeting of home owners to having a small booth at a farmers market. Wherever you attend make sure it is complimentary to your niche. There are many different ways to share your expertise in order to bring in more business. The first big step is just committing yourself to real estate marketing in the niche where you have the most passion. To your success.

You may be planning to sell your home or buy a new home. Either way, you’re probably looking for a great real estate agent.Realtor, Real Estate Agent – is there a difference?There are Realtors® and there are real estate agents. These are not synonymous terms. A real estate agent is licensed to “represent a buyer or a seller in a real estate transaction in exchange for commission.”Real estate agents typically work for a real estate broker or Realtor.A Realtor also is licensed and may sell real estate as either an agent or a broker. There are completely ethical real estate agents and Realtor®. The primary difference is that a Realtor has made an additional commitment to honor the 17-article code and profession of the real estate business.The search and some questionsLooking for a great real estate agent means that you will be asking questions, so let’s start building your list of questions:

Referrals: ask your friends, colleagues, and relatives for referrals. Most people who have had a positive experience working with an agent will gladly describe their experience and why they feel their agent was exceptional.

Referrals from professionals: it is certainly appropriate to ask real estate agents for referrals. Financial institution representatives, especially mortgage brokers, are likely to be aware of exceptional agents.

Open houses: going to open houses is a great, non-threatening way to meet estate agents. Pay attention to the agent’s manners and appearance, his/her professionalism, and the quality of promotional material provided at the open house. Does the agent seem knowledgeable about the property and the local market? Is the agent ready to point out the home’s features, or does he basically ignore visitors?
When you have a generally favorable impression of an agent, be sure to collect a business card and make notes of your observations.

References: plan to interview several agents before making a decision and signing a buyer’s agreement. During the interview, ask each candidate to provide referrals of recent clients and call those referrals.
Among the questions to ask are what were the asking and selling prices of their properties, and how long the home was on the market?Take time to look up the estate board of licensing services to confirm that the candidate is currently licensed and whether any complaints or disciplinary actions have been filed against the agent.

Experience: how long has the agent been in business? You should be looking for the agent who thoroughly knows the local market in which you are selling or planning to buy your home. It takes time to build expertise and market knowledge. One agent recommends that any viable candidate should have at least five years’ experience.
Is the agent full- or part-time? You should expect, and ask for, a full time agent.Next stepsWhen evaluating the qualifications of estate agents, look at their websites and current listings. Your future agent should be web and technology savvy, using all current media to help you find your perfect home or sell your current one. The agent should also be able to communicate reliably and regularly using the form(s) of contact you prefer – fax, phone, text, or e-mail.Ideally, your prospective agent is busy but not too busy to effectively represent you. If you feel that the candidate is not committed to giving your sale or purchase full and enthusiastic service, or is prepared to hand you over to an “assistant”, move on.Your agent should be realistic about pricing, marketing, and representing you as the seller or buyer.”If it sounds too good to be true… ” can apply to estate agents and services, too. Trust your powers of observation and intuition. When you combine them with the information you have gathered from your interviews, you will be ready to make a well-informed decision.