30 Reasons to Join a Team as a New Agent
Starting a career in real estate can be an exciting, yet challenging experience. It takes time and effort to establish a strong foundation in the industry and build a successful business. That's why joining a real estate team can be a smart move for new agents. Being part of a team can provide access to resources, mentorship, training, and support that can help jumpstart your career and set you on a path to success. In this list, we'll explore 30 reasons why joining a real estate team can be beneficial to your journey as a real estate agent in Ottawa.
Mentorship: You can learn from experienced agents on the team and receive guidance on how to succeed in the industry. If you start out on your own, just under a large brokerage, you’ll miss out on seeing the experts in action. It is super valuable to speak with agents who have worked in the Ottawa real estate market for years and learn from them how best to support your clients.
Training: Teams often offer training programs to help you develop your skills and knowledge of the real estate industry. Training programs can help set you up for success, and at the same time, are often tailored specifically to Ottawa. If you try to do training online by yourself, you may miss out on location-specific information that will help you be the best agent for YOUR CITY, rather than your province or country!
Support: Being part of a team means having access to support from other agents who can help you with questions or challenges. Most teams have team leads, other agents, and administrative support, all of whom will be there for you when you have to make major decisions, work through issues, or just want some advice to work through a problem with. Our team has weekly team meetings, for example, where we talk about our highs and lows for the week and see how we can better assist each other.
Accountability: Teams can hold you accountable for your goals and help keep you motivated. If you’re working on your own, this industry makes it way too easy to just not work. If you’ve got a few clients in the pipeline, you may forget to follow up on your clients early in the pipeline… and in 6 months, you’ll wonder why you have no business. You need a team to ensure that you’re doing the work that needs to be done to keep your income high and your stress low.
Networking: You can tap into the team's network of contacts and potential clients. As a real estate agent, you need to do more than just buy and sell homes. You need to be able to support your clients throughout their entire journey - before and after they sell or buy. Being connected to others in similar industries - like lawyers, inspectors, plumbers, and more, is one of the best ways to assist your clients in their entire real estate journey and bring in more referrals. Your team will be able to help you make those recommendations right from the start of your journey as a real estate agent. No trial and error needed!
Leads: Teams often have a lead generation system that can help you jumpstart your business. If you’re just starting out, it might be difficult to bring your first set of clients in with just your personal connections. By utilizing a team’s leads, you can bring a few clients through your pipeline, and then build a collection of past clients who can refer you in the future and speak to your value as an agent.
Branding: Being part of a team can give you access to a well-known and respected brand in the real estate industry. When you’re first starting your journey as an agent in Ottawa, you may not have many credentials to present to your clients - especially your first one! By utilizing a team’s credentials, you can show that you are backed up by a group of people who have plenty of experience.
Resources: Teams may have resources such as marketing materials and software that can be beneficial to your business. Using the team’s CRM, marketing techniques and pre-made materials can make your journey in real estate move much smoother. Eventually, you may want to remake all these tools and sign up for these services on your own, but when you’re first starting, it is so helpful to have them already ready to go!
Collaboration: You can collaborate with other agents on the team to share ideas and best practices. Having someone to work through issues with is one of the best ways to really get started on your career in the city of Ottawa and learn more about the trade.
Camaraderie: Working with a team can provide a sense of camaraderie and community. Community is valuable, especially in such a cutthroat business! It’s good to know you have people on your side.
Efficiency: Teams can help streamline processes and make your workflow more efficient. This will save you time, meaning you won’t get burnt out.
Experience: Working with more experienced agents on the team can help you gain valuable experience and knowledge. There are a lot of complex issues that can present themselves while you are working in real estate, and having someone who has been through it before is absolutely crucial to handling it properly.
Exposure: Being part of a team can give you exposure to a wider range of properties and clients. This is a great way to kickstart your business.
Feedback: Teams can provide constructive feedback to help you improve your skills. This will be one of the quickest ways to act on failures of the past and ensure they don’t happen again.
Diversity: Teams often have a diverse group of agents, which can help broaden your perspective and knowledge of the industry. You may meet agents who specialize in condos, certain neighbourhoods, freehold properties, or in luxury properties. The more specialists you meet, the more you learn.
Culture: Working with a team can help you find a culture that matches your values and work style. The right team will make coming to work more exciting and fun, meaning you’ll get more done and be happier about doing it.
Flexibility: Teams can offer flexible schedules that allow you to balance work and personal life. Having administrative support and systems in place will help you get work done faster, providing more space for you to do the things you enjoy.
Innovation: Teams may be more likely to adopt new technologies and innovative ideas to stay ahead of the competition. Making these investments when you first start might be unaffordable, but if your team is already making money, they’ll have the resources to set you up on innovative technology right from the start.
Specialization: Teams may have agents who specialize in certain areas of the industry, such as luxury properties or commercial real estate. If you’re interested in going in one direction, your team can help you.
Brand recognition: Being part of a team with a recognizable brand can help you attract more clients. Utilizing the team’s name can help you build your own.
Access to resources: Teams may have access to resources such as legal support, financial advice, and marketing expertise. All of these resources can help you assist your clients in the best way possible, right from the get-go. You may receive access to experts in the field who can assist you with any of your questions and growing your personal business… connections you may not have had access to otherwise!
Career development: Joining a team can provide opportunities for career advancement and growth. Your business can grow exponentially with the support of the team, meaning you hit your goals faster… and can set new, bigger goals to replace them.
Incentives: Teams may offer incentives such as bonuses or commissions to motivate and reward agents. This is a great motivation tactic for you to do some of the grunt work you may otherwise feel like avoiding.
Education: Teams may provide opportunities for continuing education and professional development. Conferences, guest speakers, online courses, in-person classes, and more can be a part of your team and be free to you!
Guidance: Teams can provide guidance on how to navigate complex transactions and legal issues. As you continue to assist more clients, you’ll be sure to run into issues. The more guidance you have, the easier it will be to tackle them quickly and professionally.
Referrals: Being part of a team can help you receive referrals from other agents on the team. Warm or hot leads will be easily accessible if agents are too busy or just need another agent on the case.
Expertise: Teams can provide expertise in areas such as negotiation, marketing, and property management. If you’re looking to learn more or get help in an area of your business, being on a team is a surefire way to get that expert information immediately.
Partnership: Joining a team can lead to partnerships and collaborations with other agents in the industry. the more friends you have in the business, the easier it is.
Client satisfaction: Being part of a team can help you provide a higher level of client satisfaction by offering a wider range of services and expertise. One person can only provide so much. But a whole team working together? That’s a different story.
Growth: Working with a team can help you grow your business faster than working independently. Teams can bring leads, expertise, and connections that will help you turn into a qualified and valued agent in Ottawa much quicker than on your own!
There are numerous advantages to joining a real estate team when starting out in the industry. From mentorship and training to support and accountability, being part of a team can provide a solid foundation for your career in real estate. You can tap into the team's resources, network, and expertise to accelerate your growth and achieve success more quickly.
