I start school on Monday and have been reading these boards for a few days. It appears the key early on is your SOI. But what happens in this situation. I recently moved from the north east to Arizona. Honestly the amount of people I know here I could count on both hands. And most of them its not that well. I work out of my home now so its not like i have a group of people at work i know.

Is the best thing to do start joining groups like the chamber and rotary and such? I was in politics for a decade so i have no problem going out and knocking on doors and joining organizations etc.

The SOI is critical for new agents but IMHO it's just a bit over-rated at times. One of the good things about the SOI for new agents is they're fairly comfortable talking to their close friends, family, fishing buddies, or hairdresser about their new real estate career... so it can be good practice to talk to them. If they ask you a question you don't know the answer to... it's a great learning experience.

But many are DEATHLY afraid to walk up to a stranger and talk about real estate.

And in the end, the only way you're going to generate enough leads to sustain you, unless you are as popular as Paris Hilton, say, is to meet new people every day. Stop and chat with neighbors you've never met. Walk into local shops and introduce yourself to the owners. Meet your local bankers and lenders! Make courtesy appointments with local attorneys to chat about how you might help their clients (think divorces.) And of course, there's always the open houses, opportunity time at the office, FSBOs, expireds, relocation companies... a million ways to pick up business.

Of course, every time you meet a new person try to get their card. If they don't have one keep a note pad handy and immediately afterward write down everything you can remember about them.. spouses name, where the kids go to school, where they grew up as a kid, what's their favorite restaurant (you'll be taking them there later!) Then load all this information into your tracking software at the end of the day. And you'll have SO MUCH more to talk about next time you bump into them! "Hi George! Great to see you again! How's your daughter's horseback riding lessons coming along? By the way.. are you and the wife still considering picking up an investment property?"

I think the most important approach is to become well-rounded. Some agents find a niche and become so successful that they don't have to do anything else. If that works, great. But it's always dangerous to put all your eggs in one basket.

Now, back to that SOI. I've got new agents in my office who've been working that SOI for months without one lead. One mentioned she's not tried 'phone time' yet. I asked her why. She said she didn't feel comfortable with it yet. Ouch.

Your SOI = People who know you and know you do real estate.

I did not send out any dorky letters to everyone saying I'm a realtor, but every person I met I somehow managed to get it to them that I was an agent (sometimes it was as subtle as wearing my nametag.)

Now, I have to improve in getting their own info. So many times I happily chat with them give them my card, and forget to ask them for their email address.

Der.

Everyone you meet can become your SOI - it does not just have to be your friends and family. The person who cuts your hair, the person in the wine store, the cashier at the supermaket, the waitress at the diner...etc.

I agree with her about the phone. You should be good on the phone to get leads. English is my second language and I don't feel comfortable on the phone too. I prefer knocking on the doors and personal contacts. As you could guess I don't have a big SOI as well. Everybody needs to know their strong and week side. I have done a lot of phone time and I could not get a serious lead from there.

Viktor, I understand that those with English as a second language have some challenges. But so much of what we do in this business is over the phone... not just the 'opportunity time' in the office. What if you get a call on a sign or a flier or a business card someone handed out? Is that any different from taking a phone call in the office? Do you have a plan to improve your phone abilities? And wouldn't working the phone every so often help you to practice and become better over time?

Yes, it is different. This person is calling in and definitely wants info - whereas cold calling someone may result in them cutting you off and hanging up on you if they don't want to hear what you have to say.

Perky I guess I was getting all confusing again. I was talking about 'phone time' in the office. That's where an agent sits in the office and answers telephone calls coming in at the desk phone. These calls are generally coming in from signs or ads or the Internet and sometimes they are very interested in buying. I don't think that's the same as cold calling. Not in Texas anyway. At least I've never heard anyone refer to it as such. I know they use different terminology in different parts of the country. But here I am getting cerebral again. My apologies.

I'm sorry, I guess I misunderstood - I thought you were talking about cold calling vs. answering the phone. My bad.

No problem... I suppose any agent who has difficulty with English is going to face obstacles in this business. No doubt there are 'niche' agents who specialize in working with clients who speak different languages. That might even be very lucrative for some...

But for many it is a hinderance. I know a very good new agent who is from England. Her Manchester accent is fairly easy to understand in person, but for some reason it is nearly impossible for me to understand her on the telephone! I'm sure it's problematic for her clients as well.