Tips for Ongoing Professional Development
No matter how long you’ve been in the industry - the very nature of real estate means that things just don’t stay the same (and the things that do stay the same - you can always become more of an expert on!). There are different market trends, and technologies and constant new ways the world wants to do things - so set yourself apart and carve out time to keep up. Below are some of our favorite ways of doing so - cheers to lifelong learning!
Follow Industry Leaders
We’re lucky in the real estate industry that there is no shortage of extremely successful people to follow and learn from! And the great news about following them online? No need to seek out information from afar - it is as simple as when they post; you read! While it may not all be educational - it will certainly be aspirational. Here are 101 Real Estate “Rockstars” to follow on Twitter, 20 Real Estate Pros to Follow on LinkedIn and then these motivational real estate instagram accounts, as well as these instagram accounts.
Join Online Communities
For continuing professional development that will feel more like being part of a community than studying, try out online communities within social media platforms. It works just fine as either a a silent bystander or an active participant. Win, win. Check out this extensive list of the best Real Estate Facebook Groups, as well as this list, these Top 5 LinkedIn Real Estate Groups or these 60 Recommended LinkedIn Groups. With no cost, and no pressure to contribute, it’s worth trying multiple to see which ones feel like you gain the most value out of!
Listen While You Drive
We all know how much time we spend in our car - and listening to a podcast or book while you’re in the car makes the time fly by, and better yet - you’re learning! Here is a list of Podcasts (with links to specific episodes to get you started). More of a longform type of person? Here is a list of 15 essential books for real estate agents, and it’s always interesting to see what is most popular in the “Real Estate Sales” category on Amazon.
Take Online Courses
For more traditional “course” work, without having to enroll in anything in person, webinars and online learning marketplaces are amazing resources - especially for topics that make up you running your own business. Sites like Udemy allow you to take courses in everything from sales to marketing to new technologies.
For marketing specific education - marketing tools themselves often have blogs and webinars to help out both their customers and non-customers. Try Hubspot and Hootesuite are good places to start.
For solely real estate focused webinars - keep up with Realtor.org and Placester for their educational offerings.
Seminars & Conferences
While typically pricier and not as accessible to fit in the in-between of a busy schedule, a good seminar or conference can be well worth the time and money. Keep an eye out within the online groups (mentioned above) as well as groups on Meetup for smaller scale seminars and talks. For larger conferences, sift through these complete guides from Placester and The Close.