5 Must-Have Real Estate Resources for Agents

Every industry professional needs specific tools. Think accountants who can’t work without their calculators and financial ledgers or photographers who need their cameras and lighting equipment.

In the same way, any successful real estate agent you talk to will have their own set of tools that they swear by. Here are five such real estate resources for agents who want to generate more leads and close more deals in today’s competitive market.

1. A CRM

Are you still tracking your leads and clients on an Excel spreadsheet? Manually updating these lists takes up valuable time that you could use to generate leads, show homes, and close deals.

Upgrading to a customer relationship management (CRM) tool can save you time and, in effect, earn more in the long term. CRMs allow you to digitally manage your interactions with leads and past and current clients, as well as track your marketing performance and conversion rates.

Most also allow you to automate certain marketing processes, such as:

• Following up with prospects and past clients
• Sending regular marketing newsletters
• Posting on social media
• Or even sending documents and contracts to current clients

2. Professional Photography

Images are one of the most critical aspects of your listing, so paying for a professional photographer to take photos, videos, and even drone footage of your listing is well worth the investment.

Stunning listing images help grab buyers’ attention and highlight the property’s best features. Research confirms that listings with professional real estate photography sell 32% faster, and one study showed that homes between $200,000 and $1 million sell for $3,000 to $11,000 more when they feature professional listing photos.

Photography pricing can vary widely depending on your location, the photographer you choose, and what kind of package you need. Generally, you should expect to spend at least a few hundred dollars for professional listing photography.

3. Continuing Real Estate Education

Consider earning a designation or certificate to expand your expertise or explore a new niche. There are a wide range of courses that can teach you to specialize in:

• Pricing strategy
• Accredited buyers
• International clients and properties
• Resorts and second homes
• Or short sales and foreclosures

To earn a designation, you must pay an annual membership fee, complete a course, and have relevant experience. Certifications typically only require a one-time fee to take the course.

4. Mentorship

You could learn by making your own mistakes—or you could learn from someone else’s. Finding a mentor is a great way to build your real estate knowledge, learn the ins and outs of running a successful business, and reach your goals faster.

Decades of research back up the benefits of working with a mentor. For example, 75% of executives say mentorship was pivotal to their success.

Other studies show it can help you decrease negative self-views, improve motivation and self-confidence, and stay focused on goals while avoiding distractions.

You can find a mentor by joining a formal mentorship program for real estate agents. If you’d rather not pay program fees, try striking up an informal mentorship with someone you know.

If you opt for the latter route, it’s a good idea to look for an agent or broker who has more experience than you or more knowledge about an area or niche you’re interested in.

5. Real Estate Data

The right real estate data can help you refine your marketing strategy, generate high-quality leads, and pinpoint areas to target.

For example, let’s say you’re looking for high-growth neighborhoods. You can tell a lot about an area by researching its historical sales prices and property values, average days on the market, inventory levels, sale-to-list ratio, and rental rates.

What if you want to create lead lists tailored to your niche and expertise? Try using real estate data software to find off-market opportunities, like:

• Foreclosures or preforeclosures
• Zombie properties
• Pre-probate properties
• Properties selling due to divorce

With PropStream, you can do all this and more—including adding new resources to your marketing toolbelt, such as skip tracing, list automation, email marketing campaigns, landing pages, and postcards.