All Forum Posts by: Daniella Sanchez

Welcome to the real estate team! :D I am two years into real estate in the Chicagoland area, so it wasn't all too long ago I was in your shoes. First off, the fact that you're here on BP, asking for advice says ALOT and you definitely want to keep up that network momentum. 

As far as being an agent, the first two years are pretty difficult. FOCUS ON FAMILY AND FRIENDS. You want to get your SOI (sphere of influence) typed up or written down and saved. This includes names, phone numbers and their addresses. If you haven't already, send out your introductory letter saying something along the lines of "I've decided to pursue a career in real estate...please remember me for any and all of your real estate needs..." you get the idea. 

Other things to help kickstart your career:

Help out with open houses! Many of the agents at your office probably need help and this is a GREAT way to pick up buyers. 

Start farming. Pick an area (about 100-200 houses or 4x4 blocks or 2x6) close to you that you would like to consistently target. Send them out flyers or postcards, right now I'm sending out summer flyers (planting/landscaping tips), and other useful information you can send homeowners. 

As long as your continuously work on these tips, you should be just fine. Good luck and feel free to message me if you have any other questions!

I partnered up with a seasoned real estate agent over 2 years ago and she is now my full time partner. When I reached out to her (I had seen her winning awards at the managing broker's office I wanted to join and she has over 40 years in real estate), I could tell she was hesitant but open to mentoring me. 

Heres what I did:

ENTHUSIASM AND INITIATIVE. They want to FEEL how badly you want to learn. Remember they are practically doing you a favor especially if they are very successful, time is money, and if they feel it is time wasted they'll be the first to walk away. 

I was always offering my time and effort. If she mentioned an open house, I'd tell her I can host it. If she was considering a new home organization flyer, I'd be first to say let me get some templates together. "I read this great article with some unique tips I think we could share with your clients." You get the idea... 

Every single one of these moments you are learning, so take advantage and show them how much you want to learn. 

ASK QUESTIONS. Again this goes with the first point. It shows them you are genuinely interested and they will be attracted to that. 

BE YOURSELF. Be your authentic self, whether that be silly, curious, bubbly etc. Don't try to win them over with fancy words when you email them or talk to them. They will most definitely be turned off by wannabes. 

Overall idea. Think of this as not only a course in education but you get to make (hopefully) a long lasting relationship out of it. Be humble yet confident. And REMEMBER, if YOU don't feel like its a good fit, YOU CAN WALK AWAY. It's important you find someone you connect with and the feeling is mutual.

Podcasts and books was what worked for me. I would listen to a podcast every day on my way to and from work and then read books before going to bed.

 And when you are ready to jump in with both feet, and talk to a professional in this area, whether it be a real estate agent, an investor, a mortgage officer, you can definitely state you are beginning, but DO NOT sell yourself short. Always be confident and don't be afraid to ask questions for fear they'll think you're stupid. Congratulations on everything you've accomplished, and I'm sure you'll have no problem succeeding in life :) 

I always like to people them through some scenarios and see how they respond. Give them some hypotheticals involving emergencies and/or distraught tenants. 

My dad has worked in the pest extermination industry for over 40 years. Bed bugs suck like really suck. They are very difficult to get rid of and spread quickly. You'd be lucky if home treatments work but I highly recommend you get a company to come and treat the property (most times they return several times to make sure the problem is eradicated).

Definitely not worth it. I see signs all the time on the corners of intersections saying "successful real estate investors looking for trainees". Everything you need to know can be found through books, podcasts, and most importantly networking (AND HERE :). You can have him/her as a resource but don't pay someone to teach you, they're just going to reiterate everything you can access on your own, and charge you for it. 

 Your comment: "3. Handwriting is dead. Sub-literate scrawl can be offensive to those who have actually studied formal systems of cursive writing. Better a printed letter than one obviously penned by someone who has no idea what any of these systems look like and obviously couldn't care less about it."

I just got a call a few days ago from a guy who said he had received several letters from investors, all typed, and the only one he called was my hand written. His words not mine. Moral of story - please send out typed letters so I get the phone call you would have gotten. ;-)

I agree with you. Handwritten adds sincerity and authenticity. If everyone is typing out their letters, wouldn't the only one not typed stand out?  

Originally posted by @Jeff Bridges:

Forget the surround, what is a dehumidifier doing operating on top of the toilet:) Then they stuffed some tiny cabinet and tiled on top of it and put it directly in front of the already small space in front of the toilet? So many things wrong here:)!

I have a bathroom with same situation. Wood frames/windows in the shower area is ripe for water damage issues... It too is a rental. Ripping out a bathroom for 5-10k depending on your contractor connections or personal skills doesn't seem like a good pay off for a rental so I look for creative solutions for working with what we have...

There is prob no exhaust fan system so you either need to keep the window or install exhaust fan system. The least expensive path is to keep the window. Have your contractor rip out the rotting window trim and install PVC trim instead. its paintable and will resist future moisture. Then have him paint the trim with semigloss and then use waterproof caulk to seal the trim against the tile surround to make sure water doesnt seep into the surround. That tile is cracked because water intrusion is messing with the drywall and causing it to expand. I'd also use that tub/tile caulk to reseal that tile surround against the tub. Finally I'd pay a professional tub reglazer 200-250 to reglaze the tub white and maybe have him also reglaze the entire surround while he is at it to cover up the cracks and imperfections. most reglazing jobs by guys who know what they are doing last 3-5 years. I use a guy where reglazing tubs is all he does. Ask around in your neighborhood who is good at this. This way you have a working and clean bathroom without the thousands in gutting a bathroom. You can gut it when you are ready to sell.. that's my take... others might do it differently if this was a flip of course..

Here is what I did with my situation. This is post rehab with PVC window trim, sealed, and tub reglazed. Looks all new...:

Original state. Plenty of other stuff wrong here, but note the rotted windows and stained tub:

 I noticed those things too lol. Bearing those things in mind, maybe a gut rehab wouldn't be a bad idea. 

Just out of curiosity, what kind of work are they including in this bid? 

Getting bids from professional companies is the best thing to do, considering this is your first time and you're learning too. 

I'm not sure what the basement looks like now but if you strip it down to bare concrete you can do your best to seal it that way. It won't be as promising as digging on the outside, but it won't be as expensive either.