Looking to start a real estate business? The real estate sector presents exciting opportunities for both established and new players.
While the market is crowded in 2025, a smart strategy will help you create a niche for yourself and succeed as a realtor.
Here are some steps you can follow to set up your real estate business.
Steps to Build a Successful Real Estate Business
Know the Market
One of the first things you might want to look at is whether the real estate business is profitable. Home prices went up by 24.8 percent in June 2020.
The number of homes that were sold also increased at the same time by 20.6 percent. According to experts, the real estate market is set to face a surge in demand from millions of millennials who are starting families and are looking to buy homes from 2024 through 2025.
As economies recover, the real estate market will continue to pick up while regional and local conditions can vary. Researching the market in the area you want to operate in is the first step.
Define Your Objectives
Before you go ahead with writing a business plan, it is important to think about some of the basic aspects.
Consider these questions before writing the business plan:
- What skills and strengths do I have?
- What skills set me apart from others in the field?
- What is the purpose of starting a real estate business?
- Who will I cater to and in which location?
- Where will the physical location of my business be?
Knowing the city and neighborhoods where you will work is a crucial part of starting your real estate business. You will also need to determine if you need a physical location for your business or if you can do virtual real estate investing.
You may be looking to target a particular group with a certain income level or you may want to sell luxury homes in a particular area. Here are some of the niche real estate areas to consider:
- Commercial real estate
- Residential real estate
- Resort homes
- Condos
- Income properties
- Rental property
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Develop the Business Plan
Studies show that a strong business plan boosts the chances of business growth by 30 percent. As a strategic roadmap, the business plan includes details on
- Market analysis
- Business objectives
- Financial plan
- Services you offer
- Marketing strategy
- Operating and management plan
Get Your License
You will need to have a real estate license to start your business in most states, A separate certification is needed to sell commercial real estate. You can take the pre-licensing course in real estate that includes topics on property ownership types, fair housing laws, titles, contracts, deeds, and fiduciary responsibilities.
You will then need to pass the licensing exam and submit your license application to the real estate board in your state.
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Determine the Capital
The first step to determining how much capital you need is to calculate your initial and recurring expenses. These can be related to
- Business registration (if setting up an LLC)
- Office space (not needed for virtual real estate investing business)
- Website design and hosting
- Licenses
- Marketing
- Business equipment
- Taxes
You can then determine how much capital you need and the source of your funding. If you intend to operate from your home, the investment required can be lower. If you need a bank loan or investor funding, your business plan will serve as your investment pitch.
Invest in Branding
Right from your business name, website, logo, tagline, and branding colors to business cards, it is important to pay attention to all aspects of branding. While there are free website creation tools, working with a professional web designer will help you create an attractive and user-friendly website.
Apart from business branding, building a successful real estate business is also about branding yourself. Highlight your USPs (unique selling propositions), and be authentic and honest to build your reputation.
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Market Your Services
Implement the marketing plan you created in your business plan. Create a mix of marketing strategies that range from attending trade events, networking, social media marketing, email marketing campaigns, and banner ads to blogging.
You can leverage your existing network as the first step to building your client base. Once you get a few clients, ask them to refer others or provide recommendations that you can feature on your website.
Real Estate Investing Coaching
As with any other business, starting and building a successful real estate business is challenging given the high level of competition in the field.
Taking up real estate investing coaching from a mentor or an experienced realtor is an ideal way to get expert insights and tips on becoming the owner of a successful real estate business.