By: Emma Miller

Starting a real estate career is exhilarating, and at times, humbling. The first five years teaches lessons no classroom can replicate. Agents deal with everything from handling rejection with grace to discovering that success requires more grit than glamour. YPN members are all too familiar with the wide swath of experiences that build and grow an agent in those early years. Chats with a few of them revealed that perseverance, systems and self-discipline are the foundations of a thriving career.

Commit Rather Than Compare

One of the most liberating lessons new agents learn? Stop comparing yourself to others.

“You never know where someone else is getting their business, how they’re running their business, or just how busy they actually are,” says Kate Wright, a past NAR Advisory Board member and associate broker with Engel & Völkers in Atlanta. “The Instagram highlight reel rarely shows sleepless nights or the months without closings.”

Instead of measuring yourself against other agents, Wright recommends using your early years wisely.

“Take as many classes as you can and beef up on continuing education while you’re building your business and have the commodity of time,” she said. “Engage in sales meetings, offer to help seasoned agents with open houses and caravans and soak up knowledge wherever you can find it.”

Build Systems Before You Need Them

Al Hooker, president of Metro South Association of REALTORS® and associate broker with Legacy South Real Estate Group in Stockbridge, Georgia, will celebrate his fourth year in real estate in 2026. He emphasizes the game-changing power of systems.

“Real estate moves fast, and without systems for time management, scheduling, follow-up and transactions, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed,” he explains.

Once he focused on creating systems, his day-to-day became more efficient and intentional, allowing him to better serve clients and create consistency in his business. YPN Georgia 2026 Vice Chair Cody Chembars, who is the broker-owner of Anchor Real Estate Advisors in Dahlonega, Georgia, echoes this sentiment.

“I think the biggest thing that I learned was that I was my own boss, and that if I wasn’t disciplined and actively working on my business, my business was not going to grow.”

It took Chembars three years before his business felt like it would succeed, which is a reminder that perseverance and grit are necessary components for survival in this industry.

Stick to Your Plan (And Your Budget)

In an industry full of shiny objects like new lead generation programs, expensive coaching services and flashy marketing tools to name a few, it’s easy to get distracted. Wright suggests sticking with what works.

“Create a business plan for yourself and stick to it. Do not let shiny things distract you. You can successfully build a business on the basics and a budget.”

Learn to Handle Rejection Like a Professional

Perhaps no lesson is more important than learning to handle rejection with grace. YPN Georgia Chair and NAR YPN Advisory Board member Matt Kelly suggests an open-minded approach.

“Handle your rejections with grace and learn how to improve on your mistakes. You do what you need to do to never burn a bridge in your life.”

Kelly, who is broker-owner of WRKHORSE Real Estate Co., in Augusta, Georgia, has seen clients who initially chose to go in a different direction return three years later, which he credits to his follow-up system.

“Plug them into your CRM and stay in touch,” he says, noting that a “no” today could become a “yes” tomorrow.

Get Involved Beyond the Deal

Hooker credits much of his growth as a real estate professional to getting involved in leadership and industry organizations.

“Involvement [in the association and community] opens doors you don’t even know exist early on in your career,” he says. “It gives you access to conversations, education and relationships with practitioners across the state and country, and it helps you truly understand why things like RPAC matter and how they protect our industry.”

For Hooker, saying “yes” to involvement led to opportunities and spaces that challenged and accelerated his business and leadership growth.

It’s Not Easy, But it is Doable

The first five years can feel challenging, but approached with a level of humility, a willingness to learn and a dose of determination, the years can also set you up for long-term success. Focus on building systems and finding a discipline that works for you. Rejection is inevitable, so you want to learn how to handle it with grace. Most of all, don’t compare your chapter one to someone else’s chapter twenty or even their chapter one. There’s a lot of noise on social media and it’s easy to get lost in what looks like success for someone else, but when you focus on your business, you can tune out the noise.

It’s important, too, to understand that your industry peers, leaders and a range of resources are available to you to help you along the way.

As Kelly says, “No amount of leads and support can help if you do not pick up that phone! Get calling!”

Lean on your local board, connections and YPN chapter for advice and stick to a routine that works for you. Find ways to get involved and see what opportunities come knockin’!

Emma Miller is the GAR Communications Manager