With more than 85 per cent of industry professionals leaving in their first two years, the key to success in a real estate career is to remain patient and build discipline, with long-term growth built through consistency, prospecting, and strong daily habits.
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When agents start out in the industry, it can be difficult to tell whether they are laying the foundation for long-term success or just achieving short-term results.
According to O’Brien Real Estate’s strategic growth advisor, Andrew Martin, agents should be patient with their growth, as success rarely happens overnight.
He said the early years of a real estate career should be treated as an apprenticeship, with agents learning the fundamentals and building disciplines rather than aiming for quick wins.
“The first thing they’ve got to understand is that it’s a three-to-five year journey,” Martin said.
“I find that a lot of agents when they get started, they actually don’t fully understand that it’s a serious commitment.”
Building slowly and deliberately
Martin said that, given the industry’s high turnover rate, it was vital that agents understood the level of commitment required to succeed.
Having been in the property game for decades, Martin said that those who didn’t fully understand the career they had embarked on often burned out within the first six months.
He said that in the first years, agents should focus on establishing themselves and understanding their own individual path to success.
“Are you necessarily scaling in those first 12 months? No. You’re finding your feet.”
He said the first 12–18 months in the role should be all about building a database of contacts that would enable them to then branch out and begin transacting on their own.
“If you want to be a standalone agent in the next 18 months, you need to become a full-time prospector and start picking up the phone.”
“That’s when you can start to scale, because then you are starting to sell and list,” he said.
Appraisal and responsiveness
Martin said that while some new agents get caught up chasing listings and sales, it was pivotal that they remember the value of maintaining a steady stream of appraisals.
“Unless you’re in those doors, having those conversations with prospective vendors and sellers, you’ve got no chance.”
“You’ll not get where you need to get on four to five appraisals a month; some of the top agents are doing 100 appraisals a month.”
He said that while new agents shouldn’t be expected to reach triple-digit appraisals in a month, they should strive for 20–25.
“You can never stop prospecting and earning appraisals; that is your future business.”
Martin said the number-one differentiator between new agents who succeeded and those who struggled was their energy and the speed at which they responded to clients.
“Some of the platforms we work with now, you can see leads coming in, and they need to be responded to in under five minutes, not in an hour.”
“If there are another five agents who responded within five minutes, who do you think they are going to go with?”
“As soon as they put that lead out there, you’re already under the microscope.”
What it takes to scale
According to Martin, both professional and personal discipline will go a long way toward determining whether an agent will be successful in the industry.
Due to the inconsistent nature of the role’s pay, which is largely commission-based, Martin said that some individuals couldn’t survive in the industry.
“Are you set up for success? And if not, what do you need to change in your life so that you’re not erratic in your performance?”
“Discipline is probably the most important thing,”
According to Martin, agents shouldn’t be concerned with scaling up until they reach $300,000–$400,000 in commission; then, they could consider getting support around them to facilitate further growth.
From there, Martin said that they could consider bringing in an executive assistant to help manage the day-to-day administrative workload, who could potentially double as a buyer’s agent.
“They’re running campaigns, sending campaigns and doing the backend work for you,” he said.
Once they began earning $500,000 in commissions, Martin said they could bring a dedicated buyer’s agent into the mix.
“Just that structure alone, with those two extra people, is probably going to be enough to take you from $300,000–$400,000 to $600,000–$700,000 if you have the database,” Martin concluded.
Interested in becoming a real estate or buyer’s agent? Join REB’s New Agent Academy.
One of the industry’s key education and networking events, it connects early-career agents with some of Australia’s top performers, offering real-world insights to help fast-track your success.
Whether you’re breaking into the industry, building momentum in your first few years, or looking to sharpen your edge in a competitive market, the academy is designed to give you the tools to get ahead.
To secure your free tickets to the REB New Agent Academy, click here.
The REB New Agent Academy will be held in Brisbane on 28 May, Melbourne on 5 June, and Sydney on 12
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