Almost two years ago, I shared my five tips on how to get to the next level as a Land Professional. My advice for the new land agent to become successful consisted of a combination of being persistent, networking, finding a mentor, going above and beyond, and being honest.

While those five tips still ring true till this day, I thought I would do a more detailed, follow-up piece on how I’ve applied my own tips and what I’ve learned. Now, with several years of experience under my belt, I have some advice that can help new land professionals get over that learning curve a little easier and start moving faster in their career.

Maintain Your Relationships

Back when I first started, it was hard to gain the trust of people in my area because either they didn’t know who I was, or I didn’t know who they were. I had to attend events and network with all different types of people to get my name out there and create professional relationships. And once I created them, I had to work hard to develop them AND maintain them.

Keeping your relationships thriving is as easy as making a simple call. If you’re driving through one of your connection’s hometown areas, give them a call and tell them you were thinking about them. Continue to earn their business throughout the years. For example, referring your clients to an attorney you’ve gotten to know and trust, will increase the possibility of them returning the favor and referring their clients to you because they trust you.

A time in my career where maintaining a relationship was key was when I ended up getting close to a million dollars’ worth of listings from a single networking event that I didn’t even think would be beneficial to me. An attorney at the event that I had created a relationship with previously needed someone to help a family that owned several tracts and asked me to help. If I hadn’t taken the time previously to meet the attorney and take time to foster a business relationship with him, this opportunity probably wouldn’t have come up.

Don’t Give Up

My last two years as a Land Professional with National Land Realty didn’t come without any challenges. At first, I was getting some of the lowest valued tracts of land in the area. But within two years, I made a huge jump. I went from listing some of the smallest tracts of land in my area to listing some of the largest properties in southwest Alabama.

I can clearly think of a time when not giving up gave me a huge opportunity. There was a very large property in Baldwin County that was owned by a family that was friends of my family. Basically, I grew up with these folks. The family had made several attempts to sell this property with other land brokerage companies but didn’t succeed in doing so.

I never thought I had a shot at their business as a new land agent. However, after some time, my broker and I got the call from them saying they wanted to list the property with us. Little did I know, the family was watching my journey as an agent and saw the passion I had for my job, which turned out to be the reason they considered me for listing their land.

So, remember, you never know who’s watching and what opportunity could come your way!

Build Your Team

I wouldn’t have learned the industry as fast without having a good mentor to lean on. This tip is probably the biggest one that stuck throughout the years. My managing broker, Clint Flowers, played a big part as a mentor to me. From seeing his drive and his attitude of not just taking no for an answer but instead working to identify the problem or the goal and solving it, I learned how I can provide solutions and value to my clients above all else. Whether it’s someone you know personally or just through work, it’s important to have someone who can be helpful, honest, and do what’s best for you, no matter what.

Having a mentor gives you one-on-one time to learn from the best, but you’ll also want to build a team that will always be behind you. Having a team that you can trust to run a meeting or presentation when you have an emergency and can’t make it is vital. Your client is important, so you want to make sure that even in the rare circumstance that you can’t be there to help, you have people that support you and your business.