Tips to help a new agent provide exceptional service

Reader question: I just received my real estate license. I am 22 years old, and I want to leverage my time to build a solid foundation. Residential home sales appeal to me as an excellent segment to start my career. What advice would you have for me on the best path?

Monty’s answer: There are activities you can embrace that provide an upper hand when you are competing for the loyalty of home sellers and buyers. As you grow your reputation and your contacts, the status you want to achieve might sound like a client telling a friend this; "<your name> is honest and will listen to you and work tirelessly to help you reach your goals. He/she knows more about real estate and homes and the market than agents in the business for years. We will use him/her again in a heartbeat."

• Become technically competent operating the MLS system and understand the impact the myriad of reports it produces affects your clients. Most MLS systems deliver reports directly to your clients when a new property comes on the market. MLS can drill down on all real estate activity in specific neighborhoods, or subdivisions. You can learn how to organize and explain this factual data to clients in ways many agents do not. Utilizing the MLS will make you more efficient, better educate your clients, and allow you to stand out from the pack. Many real estate agents have not mastered their MLS system.

• Learn the fundamental aspects of real estate not taught in the pre-license courses required for licensure. Take classes on new construction, residential real estate appraisals, land surveying, the geology of the region, the city’s history, the source of your water, the political structure, the neighborhoods, the demographics and more. Become the total real estate expert.

• Read books to round out your awareness. Dale Carnegie’s "How To Win Friends and Influence People," and "Getting More," a book about how to negotiate by Stuart Diamond will help advance your career. Join the closest Toastmasters Club and learn to speak effectively in public. Put a presentation together about a subject that area service clubs will find interesting, then sign up for the speaker's bureau at the local Chamber of Commerce. Be open to learning, and as your success grows — stay humble.