Helping New Agents Through Difficult Situations

Managing brokers reach out to help agents with any number of difficult situations. Coldwell Banker managing broker Collin Ellingson frequently helps new agents who are anxious about when they’ll get their first commission.

“There’s that perceived gap between attaining a real estate license and making a living. I work toward focusing with my agents on helping them create a business plan,” Ellingson said. “Without a plan it’s near impossible to achieve results. I think a business plan is one of the first thing that helps them understand that they’ve got a passport toward success, but the plan has to be created.”

Floyd talks to agents every day about a variety of challenges and obstacles that come their way. For new agents, just getting started in the business can be the biggest hurdle.

“I think getting into real estate or any business like this is daunting,” he said. “All the things they have to learn and how they have to manage their time and stay focused on things, it’s not easy for most of them.”

Floyd works with new agents to help them get going in the business by working through systems and models for business planning, as well as offering strategies and advice based on tried and true methods. There is a regimented training and coaching program for new agents that lasts a year to 18 months, as well as a mentoring program that pairs them up with experienced colleagues. Those agents who take the program seriously and work at it are more liable to succeed, he said.

“A lot of agents that are new will unfortunately spend too much time worrying about planning and strategy and getting ready to get started that they just don’t get started,” Floyd said. “We tell them that it too will pass and you want to have a strategy and a plan and you want to work smarter.”

Ellingson agrees. Undertanding each agent’s problem and working together to find possible solutions that suit the situation are vital steps for helping both new and experienced agents.

“Ask questions first,” Ellingson said. “Understand. Listen. And then work with the agent as a partner to try to develop a couple options for a solution. I also find that the best solutions often come when I ask an associate what they would do.”