How New Real Estate Agents Can Get Clients Quickly: The Fast-Track Guide to Building Your Book of Business

Starting a real estate career is exciting—but truthfully, it can also feel overwhelming when, on top of getting everything set up for your business, you realize you have to get clients quickly. The good news? There are ways you can do this as a new agent without a massive marketing budget to attract leads. You need to focus on getting intention, being consistent, and building a strategy for simple actions that compound quickly.

Here’s how you, as a new real estate agent, can start generating clients right away.

1. Start With the People Who Already Trust You (Build Your Database)

Your database (sometimes called a sphere of influence)—friends, family, co-workers, past colleagues, neighbors—should be your first source of business. But you can’t just announce that you got your license (what most new agents do). You must offer value!

For example, instead of saying:

“Hey, I’m a real estate agent now!”

Say something like:

“I just launched my real estate business, and I’m putting together free home value reports. Want one?”

This shifts the conversation from self-focused to value-focused, which makes people more likely to use and refer you.

If you want to learn how to build a database quickly, my books go into detail on how to do this (along with teaching you how to build a successful real estate business from scratch), check them out HERE!

2. Use Social Media as a Daily Visibility Machine

You don’t need 10,000 followers to start getting clients. You just need consistency.

Post daily, even if it’s simple:

• Market updates

• Behind-the-scenes of your business

• Quick tips for buyers and sellers

• “Just learned this as a new agent…”

The more you show up, the faster people remember you as the real estate professional in their world.

TIP: Don’t only post real estate content. Show your personality. People hire agents they feel connected to. Plus, people relate more to personal posts than real estate ones.

3. Leverage Open Houses (From Other Agents)

Open houses are the fastest way to meet active buyers and curious neighbors—both incredible lead sources. As a new agent, you likely won’t have many listings, so ask to sit in other agents’ listings in your office!

Then maximize every open house by:

• Arriving early, ideally to door-knock the surrounding 20–40 homes

• Use a sign-in form that collects phone + email (or a free application like Open Home)

• Offer a buyer's guide or list of similar homes—something to provide more value.

• Follow up within 24 hours (don’t forget to provide more value)

Open houses can be a great lead-generation opportunity. When done right, you can fill your pipeline with people ready to move.

4. Partner With Local Businesses

This is a massively underused strategy (and one I wish I had used when I was selling).

Go to local places such as:

• Coffee shops

• Gyms

• Hair salons

• Insurance agents

• Mortgage brokers

• Moving companies

And say:

“I’d love to put together a local VIP partnership. I’ll promote your business to my audience if you do the same.”

This creates cross-exposure fast—especially with businesses already serving homeowners.

5. Join Community Groups & Actually Participate

It is easy to want to do everything online, but don’t forget the power of showing up in person.

Attend:

• Chamber of Commerce events

• Networking breakfasts

• Meetups

• Volunteer events

• Local classes or workshops

When you become a familiar face, you build trust, and trust leads to clients.

6. Create Simple, Value-Driven Marketing Pieces

Even as a new agent, you still can (and should) offer people resources:

• A free buyer guide

• A free seller guide

• Monthly market updates

• Neighborhood home value reports

• “Homes under $400k in ___” lists

• Relocation guides

• A weekly email newsletter

These tools position you as an expert—even if you’re just starting out.

TIP: To make them look professional (and to showcase your brand), create them in Canva.com—there’s a ton of free templates there you can use if you are not graphically savvy!

7. Be the Most Responsive Agent in Your Market

We live in an instant gratification world where people expect responses quickly.

Nowadays, most consumers reach out to multiple agents, and the first one to respond typically gets the client.

Make it a rule:

Respond within 5 minutes—calls, texts, DM inquiries, you name it.
Speed builds momentum, and momentum builds clients.

TIP: If it is a lead drop, everything and respond immediately! Like Ricky Bobby says in the movie Talladega Nights, “If you’re not first, you’re last!”

8. Follow Up Like Your Business Depends On It (Because it Does)

Leads aren’t a “one call and done” situation. Most clients require multiple touches before they’re ready.

Put together a real lead follow-up plan in place and make sure to execute it for every lead you get!

Follow up with:

• Personal texts

• Voice messages

• Social media touches

• Emails

• “Checking in” home lists

• Invitations to events or open houses

The agents who persist (professionally—not annoyingly) win.

9. Know Your Scripts and Practice Them Daily

Confidence comes from preparation. Speak to veteran agents and ask them questions on how to respond in different situations to help you find your voice. Then go over them often so they become second nature.

Practice scripts for:

• Warm calls

• Open house conversions

• Buyer consultations (build your presentation and know it like the back of your hand!)

• Listing presentations (build your presentation and know it like the back of your hand!)

• Objections/rebuttals

The more comfortable you are with conversations, the quicker you’ll convert leads into clients.

10. Set a Simple, Daily Prospecting Routine

If you want clients quickly, you have to go out and get them. You can’t just expect people to find you!

Here’s a proven formula for new agents:

• 10 conversations/day

• 5 social media DMs

• 1 video message

• 30 minutes of follow-up

• 1 piece of content

It is all about consistency—and doing a routine like the one above is the best way to guarantee pipeline growth.

The Bottom Line: Getting Clients Fast is a Daily Activity

You don’t need to know everything (and you never will). You also don’t need years of experience. You simply need to show up every day, add value, and build relationships with people

If you commit to even half of the strategies above, you can start generating clients faster than most new agents ever do!

If you are looking for more resources, check out my New Agent Resources page with things like a commission calculator, what expenses to expect, and how to make sure you are joining the best brokerage for your business.