First, a quick market check: Are you making the most of the spring selling season to boost your professional arsenal and make sure you come out on top—and are you prepared for the rest of the year?
Your experience level dictates what you’ll need to make the most of the 2026 market. The business challenges for someone new in the industry will be different from that of an agent with years of experience.
With that in mind, here are ways any agent or broker can drive growth forward in the middle of a recovering market, regardless of where you are in your career journey.
New Agents
Being new in the business is defined as one to five years of experience. At this stage, your focus is on building credibility and consistent lead flow.
Your primary focus in these early stages? To become a trusted advisor in your market, increase word-of-mouth referrals and build your income levels.
Here are a few ways you can do that.
- Build your branding with a custom web domain (.RealEstate). A professional domain helps you stand out and strengthens first impressions.
- Utilize pass-through offers to build trust with new clients. Did you know that many of the special discounts and benefits offered through NAR REALTOR Benefits® can be passed along directly to your clients? Proactively reach out to past clients and potential leads throughout the year with seasonal savings on everything from junk removal to home insurance, boosting their confidence in your ability to anticipate their needs and provide discounted solutions.
- Start prospecting on social media. Your customers are online, and you should be too. Social media is a great place to display your expertise and let your community get to know you. You want to go into it with a plan and understand the legal and ethical specifics of using social media for your business.
- Find a CRM that you can trust to build your contact list. Once you’re bringing in new clients, make sure to keep them in one secure database. In most cases, that means a customer relationship management tool.
Before paying for tools yourself, confirm what your brokerage already provides. You also will want to familiarize yourself with all of the discounts offered through NAR REALTOR Benefits®. Double checking to see what’s available to you for free or at a discount will pay off big time in the long run!
Experienced Agents
After surpassing the five-year mark in the business, the challenges change. You’ve likely built a network and have a rhythm down, and now it’s time to refine.
During this stage in your business, it’s worth investing in the following:
- Enhance your skills through continuing education. NAR members have access to discounted educational courses, designations and certifications. Honing a specialty through education and certification signals to potential clients that you value professionalism and are serious about your work. Don’t know where to start? One of the most popular is an Accredited Buyer’s Representative designation.
- Keep building your social media presence. If you’ve been consistent in posting to your social media, chances are you’ve built a following. Now it’s time to do something that helps you stand out from the crowd. Some examples include:
- Custom market reports. Now that you’re an expert in your field and have market knowledge that other real estate professionals don’t have, create reports specific and customized to your market.
- Satisfaction surveys. It’s also worth developing your own satisfaction survey to share with past clients. Even ask for some video testimonials.
- Highlight your process in video. Show new potential clients why they should work with you when buying or selling property.
Seasoned Agents
High-powered agents are often those who have been in the industry for more than 15 years. Depending on your market, model and volume, this may be a time in your career where you are running a team or starting to specialize in a particular niche to stand out among your competitors. You might even be thinking about attaining a broker’s license.
At this stage, there are several things you can do to continue growing your career and income:
- Plan for retirement by investing in real estate. NAR members and their clients receive an exclusive discounted flat annual fee on Self-Directed Retirement Accounts through IRAR Trust, unlocking the power to invest in real estate—penalty free. Enjoy unlimited transactions and hold unlimited assets within your account.
- For brokers: Review errors and omissions (E&O) insurance options. This can help reduce risk exposure as transaction volume grows. Victor Insurance offers several premium credits, as allowed by state law, for NAR members or those holding NAR designations.
- Build a retention strategy. For top past clients, design high-intent, high-quality connections. Find shared events in your community, set reminders on your calendar of important birthdays and anniversaries, and never underestimate the value of a handwritten note or gift card to a favorite local spot.
- Consider a targeted business or finance course. Sharpen your knowledge and support scaling decisions. Ask yourself, “What would help me stand out in my market?” Then create a game plan that positions yourself as a trusted expert in that field by this time next year. Are more clients looking for second homes in your area? Learn about the resort and vacation market. Are you interacting with more buyers than sellers at the moment? Consider adding the Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR®) designation to your resume.
AEs and Staff Members
Whether you’re an AE, a communications director or an employee at a local office, your leverage comes from reducing friction and enabling agent execution. For example, you could:
- Invest in new technology at a discount for your office (Dell, HP, Lenovo). If your agents have more up-to-date, AI-powered computers, they’ll be more effective and efficient, and that’s better for everyone and the clients.
- Standardize e-signature workflows with Docusign for REALTORS®. This can streamline document routing and reduce signature delays.
You can also arrange for a free webinar with the NAR REALTOR Benefits® team to highlight all of the tools and resources available to your office.
Agents at any stage can benefit from relevant REALTOR Benefits® resources, especially when you operationalize them into onboarding and training.
