Top 3 Ways to Network in Real Estate

Networking is vital to the success of any real estate business. When you’re first starting out, you’ll rely on the people you know to give you business. Slowly, as you expand your network, you’ll also expand your business. Thus, learning how to network effectively is a crucial step. It’s the difference between having a little bit of business and having business start booming. 

Furthermore, networking with individuals in the community enables you to build two foundational elements that are essential to running a successful business. The first is familiarity. When you network in the community, key partners become familiar with you and the values that you stand for. This builds trust and allows you to become someone that they go to when they need advice in the real estate industry. The second is consistency. This is something you give back to them. When you network in the community, you should aim to do so with consistency. Networking inconsistently can often be seen as an opportunistic way to obtain business while networking regularly can help you build relationships and genuine connections. Here are some of the top ways to network in real estate. 

What are the top ways to network? 

1. Sign up to volunteer. One of the most powerful ways you can network in your community is by volunteering your time. You’ll not only meet a variety of members of the community, but you’ll be able to demonstrate your own interest in improving it. Volunteering is one of the best ways to become a stakeholder, which is a valuable role to play in the community. When it comes time to recommend someone to their friends, who do you think individuals with in the neighborhood may look to? An agent who has an invested interest and advocates for affordable housing through volunteer work, or an unknown agent who doesn’t volunteer their time for a cause? It’s an easy choice. You pick who you know and who shares a genuine interest in improving your community. 

2. Join neighborhood groups. Similar to volunteering, joining neighborhood groups can be a great way to take a seat at the table. You’ll be privy to information about the community you may not otherwise know while also meeting key individuals. You’ll expand your network while learning more about the areas where clients may be looking to live.  

3. Become a regular. Becoming a regular in a coffee shop, grocery store, bar or restaurant in a particular neighborhood can be a great way to network. Especially if one of these locations is owned by a local individual, you’ll be able to develop partnerships and relationships that can help you to learn more about the area and see the small everyday benefits that you may otherwise miss.

Final thoughts 

Networking is about taking business cards just as much as it is giving out your own. Enter into it with the mindset that you can learn a lot about the people, the business, and the neighborhood itself, and you’ll see how far it takes you.