Becoming a top producing real estate agent usually takes years or even decades of grinding it out in the business. Rarely does someone brand new to the industry shoot right to the top within their first few years. But that’s exactly what Adrian Quijano has accomplished in the ultra-competitive San Diego market.
Just 2.5 years after getting his real estate license, Quijano has already emerged as the number one agent at top San Diego team Whissel Realty. He's on pace to complete 60 transactions this year and recently surpassed $500K in GCI.
So how did Adrian pull this off, rocketing to success as a total rookie? What's the secret sauce?
Bryan Koci, Director of Marketing at Whissel Realty, recently had Adrian on the Whissel Way podcast to get the inside scoop on his rapid rise to the top. After hearing Adrian’s story, it's clear his accelerated growth is no fluke. He's simply been relentless when it comes to implementing proven real estate best practices.
Let's break down Adrian’s keys to new agent success:
You Must Truly Believe You'll Be #1
According to Adrian, the very first step on your path to rookie stardom is complete, unwavering belief in yourself. You must envision yourself as a top, ultra-successful agent and completely buy into that identity.
A lot of newbies fall into self-doubt and limiting beliefs like "I don't have the experience" or "I'll never be able to compete with these big producers." Adrian says you must ditch those negative thoughts immediately. Have rock solid faith that your hard work will make you #1 and never waver from that vision.
You need to look at the top agents in your market and say "I'm going to be you very soon." The confidence must be there from day one.
Be Prepared To Outwork Everyone
However, confidence alone clearly won't get you there. You can visualize success all day long, but without hard work it's just a pipe dream. As Adrianbluntly put it:
"To be successful in real estate your career is like a plane taking off - 60-70% of the fuel is going to be used up just on takeoff."
When Adrian first started, he was putting in a whopping 12-16 hours per day on real estate. That's the level of effort and hustle required in the beginning. While he's pulled back on hours now that he has some momentum, he still grinds out 8-10 hour days minimum.
This is the kind of work ethic that's essential if you want to be near the top within your first few years. You must be prepared to outwork the competition and be obsessed with income-producing activities. No time or energy can be wasted.
Have Laser Focus On Helping Others
Here's an interesting stat - despite being just 2.5 years into his career, Adrian already gets most of his deals from repeat clients and referrals. This is almost unheard of for a new agent. So how did he build loyalty and a reputation so quickly?
Simple - he completely shifted his mindset to view himself as being in the "people business", not the real estate business. Adrian aims to treat every single client like family and do what's in their best interest, even if it means walking away from a deal or commission.
For example, if clients want to buy a house that Adrian knows isn't right for them, he'll steer them away from it. Or if market conditions mean it's better for clients to wait 6 months to sell, he'll advise them to wait rather than rushing into a listing. This genuineness and loyalty builds incredible word-of-mouth.
The bottom line is that at the end of the day, real estate is about helping people fulfill dreams. Keep that your driving motivation and success will follow.
Track Just One Number
Here's a pro tip from Adrian that every agent should implement - only track one metric each month.
Most real estate agents obsess over tracking all kinds of numbers - dials made, emails sent, contacts generated, etc. But Adrian says this is counterproductive. It creates stress and overwhelms you.
Instead, he simply tracks the number of escrows he opens each month. That's it. This keeps him focused on the one metric that matters most while ignoring all the noise.
Once he knows how many escrows he needs to open that month to hit his goals, his brain then works backwards from there figuring out how to generate those deals. This One Metric focus helps him tune out distractions and hyperfocus on what needs to get done.
Leverage Mentors On Your Team
Adrian is also a firm believer in surrounding yourself with mentors and experts, rather than trying to figure everything out alone. He credits Kyle Whissel and his other teammates for much of his rapid success.
Rather than let ego get in the way, Adrian was a sponge soaking up all the information and guidance he could get from veteran agents on his team. He leaned heavily on the systems and training Whissel Realty provided while bringing relentless drive and work ethic.
That's a winning formula - proven systems + hard work + guidance from mentors. Too many new agents try to do it all themselves, which slows progress. Swallow your pride and seek knowledge from anyone willing to share it.
Have The Ambition To Be Legendary
Finally, Adrian says you must tie your work ethic to your bigger life vision. Don't just mindlessly work - have your "why" fuel your effort.
As inspirational speaker Gary Vee says, you should work 20 hours a day if you have the ambition to own the New York Jets one day. But if you just want to make 40K a year and relax, working 20 hours a day may not be necessary for your goals.
The point is, your ambition and life's mission should align with and support your real estate work ethic. Adrian’s "why" was providing for his family and making his mark on the world. That's what enabled his wild work output.
If your ultimate vision is to become a legend and make an impact, that purpose will put rocket fuel into your new agent efforts.
Final Thoughts
The success principles that propelled Adrian to the top as a rookie may seem simple on paper, but implementing them ruthlessly day after day is brutally hard.
However, we now have living proof from Adrian that this blueprint works. He went from zero real estate experience to celebrating as the number one agent on one of San Diego's best teams in just 2.5 years. His results speak for themselves.
For new agents, Adrian should provide inspiration and belief that massive success is possible within a short time frame. Of course, very few will have the work ethic necessary to actually replicate his results. But by objectively studying what Adrian did right, newbies can now map out their own path to rapid success.
When asked what one key trait or action new agents should focus on, Adrian emphasized having genuine passion for helping people fulfill their dreams. If your "why" for getting into real estate is big enough and you truly care about clients, the motivation to put in 60+ hour work weeks and grind through the tough times gets much easier.
At the end of the day, real estate is a people business. Make your passion for helping others your north star and you can achieve elite agent status, even as a newcomer to the industry. Adrian is proof.
Want to dive deeper with us? Learn more ways to grow your business at https://www.thewhisselway.com/
