No matter how great 2019 has been for your business, you probably hope 2020 is even better. As every successful Realtor® knows, one way to take to your career to the next level is with a robust strategy for the future. Just as important, many agents say, is making education and training part of that business plan. Whether you’ve been an active real estate agent for months or for decades, there’s always room to learn new skills and to stay up to date on a changing profession.

"Education and trainers are like diets ... we try them all until one works for us. Finding the right one is important".

“The best agent is an educated agent, one who is on top of not only the latest trends in home design and decorating or their neighborhood, but who takes the extra time to learn more than the basics,” says Robyn Burdett, CEO and associate broker with RE/MAX West End in Falls Church. “In order to serve our clients at a higher level, I think we need to be up on market statistics, the Code of Ethics, state laws including license requirements, homeowner association rules and changes that can affect your clients such as disclosure rules.”

NVAR and Virginia Realtors® (VAR) offer courses and send out emails regarding these issues, says Burdett, which make it easy for agents to stay current.

Beyond taking essential classes to fulfill license requirements and keeping informed about market conditions and legal news, Realtors® have a variety of favorite classes or training sessions that they credit with pushing their careers to new heights or improving their customer service.

Among the recommended options are:

FACE-TO-FACE ENCOUNTERS:

Whether in a formal class, at a broker’s open or over a coffee date, several Realtors® say that nothing tops live conversations.

“Some of my greatest learning comes from clients and other agents,” says Susan Koehler, an associate broker with Washington Fine Properties in Washington, D.C. “You think you have a vast knowledge base and yet I learn something every day and am so surprised that I did not know whatever it is.”

Even a drop-in at a broker’s open can provide an education.

“My late colleague, Walter Burns, taught me to go to as many broker’s open tours as I possibly could,” says Donna Martin, a Realtor® with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in McLean. “I learned my marketplace and gained respect from the agents that work there.”

In-person training can bring a better understanding than online courses and is worth the extra effort, some agents say.

“Learning from other people’s mistakes is much better than learning from your own,” says Angie Delboy, a Realtor® with Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Premier in Falls Church. “I am a younger Realtor® and really love the in-person legal classes. I find the conversation so valuable because you learn from actual events that are likely to be something you may encounter versus a very bland generic example.”

In many cases, training sessions can be a great opportunity to network with other agents and to have some fun, too.

“I’ve really enjoyed the quarterly customer service training McEnearney has sponsored at the Ritz Carlton – is there a better customer- service brand out there to learn from than the Ritz?” says Ann McClure, a Realtor® with McEnearney Associates in McLean. “To have the ability to employ some of their strategies in our real estate businesses is an incredible opportunity. I feel like I’ve been fortunate to engage in some really good training this year.”

EARN A DESIGNATION:

A variety of designations are available to Realtors® to increase their knowledge and distinguish themselves from other agents. Delboy recommends the Military Relocation Professional (MRP) designation from NAR, which she says is a well-designed program that doesn’t require an annual fee.

“The MRP designation is something that I highlight for myself and seek when researching a referral for a veteran client,” says Delboy. “We’re surrounded by bases, veterans, active duty military and support staff. It’s respectful to learn some of the branches, ranks and acronyms that they live by and move by. Really, just a handful of acronyms show that you care during their PCS [permanent change of station], especially in focusing that their priorities are within their BAH [basic allowance for housing].”

A designation can be beneficial even if you shift focus in your real estate career. Cindy Thornhill, an associate broker with Century 21 New Millennium in Alexandria, earned her Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation from NAR when she initially thought she wanted to be a commercial real estate agent.

“The designation process ensures that CCIMs are proficient not only in theory, but also in practice,” says Thornhill. “It taught me to look at real estate properties to optimize the buyer’s investment return. I am able to forecast investment performance by quantifying the real estate risk.”

Today, Thornhill sells residential properties and land and uses her financial return on investment and market analysis training to help her buyers choose properties as part of their overall financial strategy. “A home is an investment, and everyone should look at the resale potential,” says Thornhill. “A home can also be used for leverage to  help the owner borrow against its equity for their children’s education or toward retirement or to create a stream of income as a rental.”

TRAINING PROGRAMS: 

Several agents recommend Brian Buffini’s training program.

“The most effective training I’ve received was participating in seminars with Brian Buffini,” says Boofie O’Gorman, a Realtor® with Long & Foster Real Estate. “I primarily attended mid-career and found that his focus on staying in touch with your sphere of influence and past clients corresponded exactly with my belief in relational business practices. It also enhanced my established geographic farming – though that wasn’t the intent.  The discipline [that the training] encouraged provided structure that has served us well for many years.” Koehler is also a Buffini fan.

“Brian Buffini gives the most amazing seminars and the message is clear – stay close to the people you know – your friends, your past clients, the folks you meet,” says Koehler. “It seems so simple and yet we often get busy and forget this basic principle that brings in referrals.”

For Robin Butler, a Realtor® with Century 21 New Millennium in Fredericksburg, the multi-week Buffini course was an excellent experience. She says he and his instructors were “right on the dime.”

“Taking care of your top sphere puts revenue in your pocket as they are the best free advertisers for your business,” says Butler. “For example, after I sold a house for some clients, I did several ‘pop bys’ to their residence, especially if they just sent me a referral. Once they were home and several times they weren’t. Even years later, they remember their Realtor® who drops by with small surprises and look forward to it and still send me business. No brainer.”

Burdett and some other agents prefer Tom Ferry’s training to help them with their business plans, lead generation and overcoming obstacles. “Besides training on the

latest and greatest things happening in real estate, you also get the chance to network with agents all over the country and the world,” says Burdett. “Every marketplace is different but the goal of being the CEO of your business, growing your business and providing quality service is the same. For me, education not only happens in the classroom, but from other agents in the industry,” she says.

MULTI-WEEK COURSES: “FIRE”

(Full Immersion in Real Estate), a 15- week course offered by her brokerage, helped Peggy Elkind, a Realtor® with Century 21 New Millennium in McLean, get immediate results with her clients.

“FIRE is a comprehensive nuts- and-bolts educational immersion in the most important aspects of running an effective, professional, results-driven real estate business,” says Elkind. “I could not imagine entering the profession without this training. Topics ranged from understanding contracts, negotiations, necessary forms, handling client needs, sourcing clients, offering valuable services, ethics, company systems, being a buyer’s agent, evaluating property for listings and absolutely any other item necessary to be successful.”

Soon after completing the class, Elkind gave a listing presentation.

“FIRE gave me both the tools and the confidence to make the presentation to the seller,” says Elkind. “I won the listing and successfully sold the home in six days for over the asking price. FIRE is the type of course that I will revisit continually through my career. The tools and real-life tips offered by my trainer were invaluable.”

Martin says she incorporates into her business lessons she learned through her training by the “greats” – Tom Ferry and Brian Buffini – and most recently, the “Ninja Selling” course, based on the Ninja Selling: Subtle Skills, Big Results book by Larry Kendall.

“The Ninja Selling course reminds us of what is most important in this business: relationships, service and the value we provide,” says Martin. “This is a people business and all of the technology in the world won’t change that. At the core of my business is integrity and authenticity. You have to feel good about the job you do as a professional.”

SINGLE-CLASS TRAINING:

Sometimes just one session can improve a particular skill or provide inspiration to an agent. McClure says a training session called “Negotiating Strategies with The Black Swan Group,” which was sponsored by her brokerage and a settlement company, was phenomenal.

“Our industry is like a pressure- cooker: clients are more savvy than ever and the D.C. metro area likely has the most-highly educated consumers in the country,” says McClure. “Knowing how to negotiate with them – and for them – is crucial. This was truly the best single course on negotiation that I have ever taken. The psychology shared from the former hostage negotiator who led the class to the incredibly intense role-playing (we were really, literally sweating during it and not because the temperature was too high at the Ritz Carlton where it was held!) was amazing and gave us practical, hands-on tactics.”

Education is never a one-size-fits- all proposition. Each agent may need something different to enhance their career and their customer service at various stages.

“Education and trainers are like diets... we try them all until one works for us,” says Burdett. “Finding the right one is important.”

For help finding the support you need, you can turn to NVAR, VAR, NAR and your own brokerage as well as outside coaches and real estate trainers.



Michele Lerner, a freelance  writer based in the Washington, D.C. area, has been writing about real estate and personal finance for more than 20 years.