The #1 Mistake New Real Estate Agents Make and How To Avoid It

By Jacqueline Smith

Jacqueline Smith started in real estate in 2015 and sold 52 homes her first year in the business as a solo agent. After considering growing her own team, and exploring different team models, she decided to partner with Place in 2017. The partnership allowed her to fast track her growth, and provide better systems and models to her agent partners. Her and her team in Vancouver Washington now close over $165M in annual sales volume, while keeping the quality of the agent and client experience at the forefront.

One of the most common pieces of advice new agents hear is “Be patient. Success takes time.” While there’s truth to this, it only tells part of the story.

Yes, you need time to grow, but time alone doesn’t guarantee success. It’s how you use your time that sets you apart. If you spend a year waiting for momentum to magically appear without taking the right actions, you won’t be celebrating at the year’s end; instead, you’ll be wondering how to pay your bills.

I like to say: You could sit in your garage for five years, but you won’t turn into a car. The same goes for real estate; the clock ticking doesn’t create success. Here are some things you should consider doing instead:

Focus on Output Over Effort

In our industry, you’re paid for results, not hours logged. That means you need to be laser-focused on the activities that truly move your business forward:

● Setting appointments daily

● Meeting with potential clients weekly

● Practicing your skills to shorten your learning curve

● Tracking signed clients every week and month

Without clarity on your high-value tasks, you’ll spin your wheels, waste time, and mistake “being busy” for being productive.

Questions Every Agent Should Ask Themselves

Top-performing agents keep themselves accountable with questions like:

● What am I doing today to shorten my learning curve?

● What am I learning or practicing right now?

● How many appointments did I set today?

● How many potential clients did I meet or sign this week?

The best in the business still ask themselves these questions every month and quarter to ensure they’re on track for their annual goals.

This isn’t about working harder; it’s about working smarter and more intentionally. Every action you take should move you closer to more appointments, more signed clients, and ultimately, more closings.

If you’re not clear on what it takes to win in this market, I’ve put together a free guide, The Six Figure Realtor, where I share the exact strategies I used to sell 52 homes my first year and the frameworks we teach at Evergreen Real Estate Partners.

Download my Six-Figure Realtor Guide

Start building your business with intention, not just patience. If you’re looking for actionable real estate advice in Vancouver, Camas, Ridgefield, or throughout Clark County, Evergreen Real Estate Partners has the strategies top agents use every day. Feel free to call us at (360) 560-1156, (360) 800-1334, or email me at jacqueline@evergreenrealestatepartners.com. I’d love to connect.

If you’re seeing more deals falling apart lately, you’re not imagining things. In our area, most backouts happen after home inspections. To avoid this from happening to you, let me share how you can set client expectations, especially about home inspections. Learn more by checking out my post: Setting Homebuyer and Seller Expectations for Home Inspections.

By Evergreen Real Estate Partners – Trusted real estate experts in Clark County and Southwest Washington