Macdonald Realty’s Vancouver agent Lucy Cao was awarded with the Rookie of the Year award. Read on to find out more about her experience so far working in real estate at Macdonald Realty, and what her advice would be to those who are just starting out in the industry.
Why did you decide to pursue a career in real estate? First of all, my family has been involved in real estate for many years, which influenced my decision to join the industry. Second, I’m getting more and more used to life in Vancouver after the pandemic years, and feel that it was time to start my new career in this lovely city.
How did you go about securing your very first client in the real estate industry? My first client is a builder who has a lot of experience in real estate. We’ve known each other for years. My first listing was from him; it was a single house in the Vancouver West area. During the transaction, I experienced multiple offers, backup offers and collapse offers, which was stressful and exhilarating at the same time. With strong support from my Managing Brokers, I worked closely with my client and was able to close the listing. As a real estate agent, even working with a client and/or friend who you know well, we still had to go over all the processes including CMA (comparative market analysis) and market statistics. Keep your client informed in every step and let them know that you are working hard for them. As a new real real estate agent, don’t be ashamed to say things like “I don’t know” but follow that up with “let me check and go back to you”.
What strategies or tactics do you believe contributed the most to your success as a rookie? I can only say that I have been very lucky so far in my career as a real estate agent.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting in real estate, what would it be? Be resilient. The real estate industry is very competitive and unpredictable, so your ability to bounce back from setbacks and stay focused on your goals will be key to your success. I know from speaking with some successful realtors that, if you can survive in the first 3-5 years, success is within your reach.
What Macdonald Realty resources or training programs did you find most helpful when starting in real estate? MacResources* is like a treasure box for me, I can always learn so many things from it. I found Macdonald Realty’s training library to be one of the most useful resources when I started working as an agent.
*MacResources is Macdonald Realty’s online resource centre for agents. Here, agents can discover the company’s newest marketing offers, documents, digital tools, connected learning info, and other helpful information.
