Born and raised in Placerita Canyon, Mike Bjorkman comes from three generations of Santa Clarita homeowners. As a young man, he personally witnesses firsthand as his small community grew all around him. It was an inspiring sight to see and, when it came time to pursue a professional career, real estate seemed like the only option.
He began his career in earnest in 1991 and immediately became a top-ranked agent with Re/Max and Keller Williams. After that Mike joined EXP Realty for 3 years with 2000 agents in his organization and coached some of the top agents in the country. Bjorkman is currently running a boutique brokerage.
Because of this, he’s witnessed first-hand how the real estate industry has grown and evolved over the years. He’s seen the changes that have happened in the market and, crucially, he’s seen the mistakes that young agents tend to make. That’s not to say that he didn’t make similar mistakes himself in the early days of his career – rest assured, he had. But for Mike Bjorkman there are a few key pieces of advice that he believes that new realtors need to know in 2022 and beyond.
The Shape of Things to Come
Especially in today’s fast-paced market, one of the most important things that new realtors need to know is that you always need to be able to prove what value you bring to the table.
Currently, the market is arguably as hot as it has ever been. Since the onset of the still-ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, interest rates are at an all-time low. Inventory is low. Therefore, homes are moving incredibly quickly. Some people aren’t just skipping necessary steps of the process like appraisals – they’re skipping inspections as well.
Therefore, you’re going to see a lot of situations where a home is “For Sale By Owner” – and that becomes your biggest competition. The fact of the matter is that in this market, you don’t need to have skills to succeed. You just need to have a property that someone wants to buy.
At that point, the question becomes: how do you stand out in a market that is essentially stacked against you? Thankfully, the answer is simple. Show someone what you can do that they can’t. Provide them with the value that they couldn’t generate on their own. Prove your worth, even in small ways, and you will be able to earn both their business and their trust.
Along the same lines, Mike Bjorkman believes that you need to A) find your specialty in the world of real estate and once you do, you B) need to remain as focused on it as possible for the foreseeable future.
Essentially, you need to identify one or two things in the industry that you excel at and once you do, lean into them. If you’re good at previewing homes, by all means, continue on that track. If you’re good at meeting with sellers, hit that market hard. It will certainly take some time to find out where your strengths lay but once you do, it’s in your own best interest to continue with them for as long as you possibly can.
Have you read?
CEO Spotlight: Lightricks CEO Zeev Farbman on the Evolution of the Creator Economy.
6 Ways to Prevent Fraud in Your Company.
Tech Leader Emil Michael on Building a Global Business.
Venus Global Chain Lists on P2PB2B on April 11th.
