What are the first things I should be doing as a new agent?

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@Kevin Phu there are a few other professions that are allowed to access the MLS you would have to check with your state to find out the complete list. If you liked the forum response I just posted a blog post that was inspired by my comment here. The link is below.https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/51717-how-to-get-started-as-a-real-estate-agent

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@Brandon L. Great post! I find it very helpful even though I am not an agent. I am considering getting my license though. Do you need to be officially under a broker to access the MLS or can you get MLS access once you get licensed and are looking for a broker to work with?

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@Hari Mann @Eddy Dumire I got licensed recently and I am taking some time to set a foundation for generating business, before I go out there and start flailing around like I see some new licensees doing. There is so many approaches it can be overwhelming. This is what I have come up with for myself.I am going to specialize in FSBO properties, buy and hold/flip investors, facebook ads, and FB group posts for buyer leadsI created a pretty lengthy "how to sell your home" guide for FSBO properties, I plan to stay in front of other agents by actually knocking on doors, and delivering the guide to them in person, and then using that to set up a follow up appointment when I can deliver a free CMA. People do business with who they know, like, and trust, by approaching the FSBO in this way I will be ahead of all the other agents who just call and call waiting for the owners to list with them. I will be developing a relationship where I am providing tremendous value to the owner, and if they do sell the house thats great too because it will generate referral business.I have already set up the MLS to send me updates that are possible candidates for flips, because I am personally looking to flip my first property. Being up to date on everything coming on the market that is an investment candidate puts me in a great position to get deals that meet my criteria, as well as keep an eye out for properties that may meet other investors buying criteria. I have created squeeze pages that will be coupled with free buyer guides I get from a service that I subscribe to. With facebook I can specifically target the ideal buyer I want to work with all the way down to income level, and zip code. I will drive this traffic to the squeeze pages, capture the lead info and follow up to set appointments and get the contracts signed. In addition to all this, networking online and offline is a top priority. The more people I meet, and can add to my personal fb page the better. Having them there allows them to see the type of person I am, which all goes back to people knowing, liking, and trusting me. I am looking to start a group with newer agents in the area so we can pool our knowledge and shorten the learning curve so we all can close a lot of sales so we do not become statistics haha, hit me up privately if you are interested in networking and learning together.

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Hari, sounds like you're off to a great start. Keep up the great work. My advice: get a coach. Kevin Ward is THE MAN. He has a lot of great content on YouTube that will help. Start there.

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@Brandon L. Sounds great! I sent you a message.@Deren Huang I had not heard of circle prospecting before. Great suggestion! I have a lot of research to do when it comes to being effective at marketing myself.

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@Hari MannKeep working that COI! It's amazing how that works, for that listing, looking into "just listed" postcards to the neighborhood, and when it comes time to "just sold" cards. Look up something called Circle Prospecting, you can use it and really zone into where you had your listing.Pick some more ways to generate leads and hammer them out! Word of mouth/referrals are amazing but only one way you can get buyers/sellers.

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Get a good mentor!

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I'm not in any position to offer advice as I just became an agent myself. Good luck to you though. I do business in Stafford and Fredericksburg so maybe we'll cross paths.