Let’s be real, COVID-19 hit everyone hard, and it’s something all of us have had to get used to. Most will agree that the quarantine was a lot harder than they had hoped, but for some people, some good came out of it. Me, for example, was able to study hard for my real estate license here in Washington. I had been studying for a few months prior, but it wasn’t nearly enough since I also had to balance working two jobs, a photographer and a bartender. Because of the quarantine, I was able to dedicate full weeks to just studying what I needed to pass the exam, and in June of 2020, I passed my exam with flying colors!
All of that being said, I had no idea that the hardest part of being a real estate agent was to follow. After passing my exam, I was extremely excited and motivated to get started with my new journey. I applied to different brokerage firms, and ended up with Coldwell Banker Bain.
So, I got my license and got hired with a brokerage firm, now what? Well, that’s what I haven’t quite figured out yet. Real estate is all about being social and networking to find leads to bring you business, however, with COVID-19, I’m not able to do most of the things I’d do to network. For example, I would normally want to go to bars or networking events to meet a ton of new people so that I can market myself as a real estate agent, however, that’s not possible due to COVID-19. It is highly frowned upon to go to bars or restaurants and actually try to meet new people. Normally, you’d only want to go out with someone in your household, so that way of getting business isn’t ideal. Without being able to do these things, I essentially don’t have anyone to hand my business card to, and that’s exactly how I was planning on getting my business.
The next option would be to market myself online, but it is very expensive to pay for online ads, whether on Google, Instagram, or Facebook, and right now, I don’t really have the disposable income to pay for marketing. I’m short two jobs and borderline on unemployment, so any cash I have has to go towards food, electricity, and rent.
So, if I can’t market myself in person, and I can’t market myself online, then what are my options? This is something I haven’t quite figured out yet, but as of right now I’m trying to market myself online WITHOUT paying for the leads. I do this by blogging and putting myself out there, hoping that people will find me. It definitely isn’t ideal, but it’ll have to do until I can figure something out.
All of that being said, if you are in Seattle and are currently looking to purchase or sell a home, feel free to contact me!
Until next time,
Tristan