How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent in Your First Year: What Smart Agents Need to Know Explained Simply

Great Guide to Becoming a Real Estate Agent!

Considering the strong real estate market in the past several years, it should be no wonder that a lot of people have looked to that sector with the hopes of making it big. Unfortunately, in spite of many success stories, the promises of the market are often elusive to people who enter the world of real estate unprepared. In How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent In Your First Year, experienced real estate agent Susan Smith Alvis shatters some of the myths of real estate, but also lays out a strong, real-world guide to people who are seriously interested in entering the business as a real estate agent. The first myth Alvis shatters is directly related to the title of the book: the idea that becoming a ¿million dollar real estate agent¿ will bring you wealth and prosperity. In fact, she points out, selling a million dollars worth of real estate might make you $42,000 per year. That simple fact might be enough to shake some people who thought the real estate market was going to be easy. Alvis further paints a picture of a competitive, cutthroat business that has potential to be lucrative, but only after a lot of careful planning and hard work. After showing the cold, hard reality of the business, however, Alvis also delves into the positives, of which there are many, thus creating a balanced, realistic picture of what it takes to become a real estate agent. She also, thankfully, includes a chapter on ethics, in which she mentions the sometimes poor reputation of real estate agents from an ethical standpoint, and how one can be both successful and ethical in the business. If you get past the first part and are still interested in real estate, Alvis does a great job with the main portion of the book, which is to actually walk the reader through becoming a real estate agent ¿ from writing the business plan, to choosing an office, to sales techniques. She presents both broad advice, and specific, detailed anecdotes and tips, all of which could be applied in a real world scenario. As a guide to someone just entering the real estate business, How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent... is an excellent walkthrough. That being said, at just 200 pages, the book contains an amazing amount of detail, but is still probably not sufficient by itself for someone looking to become a real estate agent. What it is, primarily, is a beginner¿s guide to becoming a real estate agent, and it works very well in that role. It provides enough detail and enough of an overview, to help someone decide whether becoming a real estate agent is a good career choice. It is a good informational springboard, and is well worth reading if you are considering moving into the real estate business, but don¿t know where to start.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

How to Become a Millionaire Real Estate Agent in Your First Year

As housing profits get slimmer and slimmer in the Real Estate agency, and claims of the real estate market bubble bursting, this book is a good instrument to rally the troops. The author is clear (using more simple terms), up to date (utilizing modern web marketing techniques) and concise (not so long and boring). Very often real estate books that I read keep rehashing the same approaches as have been used before¿ and they really don¿t work. This book can give the upstart real estate agent a boost, as well as a brush up for the seasoned agent on new techniques in the field. Too many real estate agents, especially those veterans that have been in the business for awhile, dismiss the opportunities that web based marketing really has to offer. Here the author pools techniques and comes up with a fresh perspective. As you may have already guessed, I was really impressed with the way Susan integrated everything from the very definition of a real estate agent to the latest technology changes, especially the Internet. I really believe that if I stick with the principles this author outlines that I will be a millionaire in no time, even with a tight housing market and limited profits. I wish that a book like this one were available when I first started and I learned some new things to boot. Talk about teaching the old dog new tricks. I really appreciate a good read, and I think anyone out there trying to get a better footing in the day to day trappings of real estate trading will find this book helpful. Thank you for building my confidence. This book is a bargain for this first timer!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An excellent 'how to' book

There are many different real estate books on the market, in fact, there are so many, it¿s hard to find the one that will provide the information that you¿re looking for. And let¿s face it, who has the time to slog through hundreds of pages for the information that¿s pure gold. That¿s what I liked about this one. Organized and clear, it¿s easy to check through the table of contents to find what¿s pertinent and what you can skip for another time. This book not only treats the profession of real estate agents as a business but the author shows you how to set up and make this career a successful business. She introduces three different stages of planning to make sure you have a step0-by-step program of your own to follow. Then she goes one step further and helps you to plan for success. The author also discusses the job, the life of a real estate agent and even the ethics of the job. And in an interesting chapter that I have yet to see in any similar book, she discusses the balance of career and family, between the hours, the pay and how to set your priorities. That¿s always been a challenge for me. There¿s a solid chapter on going global through the use of the Internet with helpful sections on software and tips to become more technologically advanced over the competition. What stands out are the interviews with experts in the business and the appendixes with samples of canvassing letters, cold calls and an auto-responder letter. Glossary was remarkably comprehensive too!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Extremely Helpful

Susan introduces you into the world of real estate in a very friendly and easy to understand manner. She takes all the finer points and the unsaid rules of being a real estate agent and lays them out for anyone to see. What really interested me was that she covered everything, from making the decision to go into real estate and how to choose a brokerage office all the way through setting up your business, marketing and advertising, networking with other agents and contractors to being the top agent in your area and real estate over the net. This book isn¿t so much about making the actual sale and all the paperwork and lingo associated with it, but how to make yourself successful. She tells about how to find the right plan and tools to be successful and how to use them to the best of your advantage. I would definitely suggest this book to the newly certified real estate agents and those who know they want to make lots of money and have the drive to do it, but maybe don¿t have the organization or a plan on how to get there yet.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Must have guide for new agents!

This guide for how to make money during your first year as a real estate agent is amazing! Even though it is aimed at newbies, any experienced real estate agent could also benefit from it. Alvis has sprinkled the book with memorable tips to get and keep clients she even has a to-do list so that if you ever find yourself saying ¿I¿m not sure what to do next¿, all you have to do is open this book again. The language is so straight-forward and the examples and case studies are very useful. One word of warning though: this book will only make you a success if you are willing to put in the work and effort to make yourself a success this is not a ¿get rich quick¿ type of book. Also, make sure to read the section on balancing family and career and the tips about how to do this (including teaming up with another agent to help cover while you take time off). I recommend this book whole-heartedly!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Must Have for New Real Estate Agents

How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent in Your First Year, written by Susan Smith Alvis, is the perfect book for anyone who is undertaking or considering a career as a real estate agent. Written in a conversational tone that makes for a quick read, this book gives the reader step-by-step instructions for everything from how to set up his business, how to find clients, how to deal with other realtors, and how to, ultimately, close a deal with clients. As an added benefit, How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent in Your First Year is also filled with great tools for the beginner real estate agent. The glossary of terms is a comprehensive listing of real estate terms and their meanings. The included telephone scripts and canvassing letter formats will prove to be solid starting points as the reader begins to develop and increase his own client base. The section of the book titled ¿A Day in the Life of a Real Estate Agent¿ also provides valuable descriptions of the types of things a successful real estate agent does and even how often he does them. What more instruction could you ask for? How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent in Your First Year is one book that should become a part of any new real estate agent¿s reference library. Its no-nonsense advice and well-developed reference section will make the reader glad to have it on his bookshelf.

Highly Recommended

Being a real estate agent isn¿t cheap or easy. It takes a lot of work, and a lot of knowledge. As a former agent herself, Susan Avis knows this, and she doesn¿t try to hide it. How To Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent in Your First Year might not guarantee you a million dollar career, but it will certainly help you on your way¿that is, if you¿ve got the determination to make real estate not just a job, but a lifestyle. How To Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent tells you what to expect as a real estate agent. From an analysis of a ¿day in the life¿ of a real estate agency, to a survey of all the hats real estate agents must wear to serve their clients, Avis¿ book is hard-edged and down to earth. It offers numerous case studies from established agencies and independent contractors, with plenty of personal anecdotes to pepper the professional advice. There¿s a detailed discussion about what kind of office you might work for, as well as information about the responsibilities, stresses and benefits of being an independent contractor. Avis also provides a detailed monthly plan for establishing a canvassing program, which will help you stand out from the rest. Avis has written a very readable and thorough book which tells you how to get clients and take them from the door to the closing table, and beyond. It also includes a helpful Suggested Reading list and glossary. Highly recommended.

A reviewer

Susan Smith Alvis writes an extremely informative and practical guide on becoming a million dollar real estate agent. Everything an up-and-coming real estate agent needs to know to be a top performer¿finding listings and clients, self-marketing, budgeting, and planning for success¿is in this book. But what makes this book special is her take on running your business. She stresses the importance of work− life balance to maintain one¿s sanity and that ethical business practices will take you further than shady ones. And as a seasoned professional, she has much sage advice about how to avoid the shady practices of others. Great advice for not getting taken by the brokerage house and for paying yourself is also included. This book has it all! It is clear Susan Smith Alvis knows her stuff. Her energy and expertise come through on every page.

Great book for new realtors!

5 stars In her new book How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent, Susan Smith Alvis gets down to the nitty-gritty of being a realtor. As she explains, you are not only selling properties, you are constantly selling yourself to new clients and potential buyers. Ms. Alvis honestly outlines what to expect as average income, and what is necessary in order to raise that income level to million dollar status. She notes that growing a thick skin is essential in the cut-throat business of real estate, because folks will never cease to amaze you. The book is well organized, including chapters that deal with everything from ethical practices to selecting the right real estate office. Ms. Alvis notes that the successful real estate agent cannot simply sit and wait for clients to come to him, but must go out and get them (she even includes marketing strategies). How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent is not only a terrific book for new agents, but for current agents who wonder why they aren¿t selling as much property as they could. It can easily be referred to as the new sales bible for realtors.