ORBIT, your AI partnerIn short
- Build your database in the first two weeks, before anything else.
- A daily follow-up habit matters more than any single tactic.
- Start a small farm early so it is working by your first anniversary.
- Learn from experienced agents at every showing you can join.
What the first 90 days are for
The first 90 days as a new realtor in Ontario are less about closing deals and more about building the base that produces them. Deals may come, but the habits you form now decide where you stand in a year.
Your brokerage and your broker are your first resources. Ask how they like offers, paperwork and marketing handled, and follow their processes from day one.
This plan covers practice, not exams or paperwork. It assumes you have joined a brokerage and focuses on the daily work of building a business.
| Weeks | Main focus | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Database and setup | Every contact is in your CRM with notes |
| 3 to 4 | Announce and follow up | Everyone in your sphere has heard from you personally |
| 5 to 8 | Farm and showings | Your first farm mailing is out and you have joined several showings |
| 9 to 12 | Website and review | Your website is live and your 90-day review is written |
Weeks 1 to 2: build your database
Your database is the most valuable thing you will build this year. Put every person you know into one CRM: family, friends, former coworkers, neighbours, people from your gym, your faith community and your kids' activities.
Add a note to each person about how you know them and anything you remember. Those notes make your first conversations personal instead of salesy.
Resist the urge to send a mass announcement first. A clean, complete list comes before any message.
- CollectGo through your phone, email and social contacts and list everyone.
- EnrichAdd where they live, whether they own or rent, and one personal detail.
- GroupTag close contacts, local homeowners and people who know many others.
- Set upLoad everything into your CRM and connect your email and calendar.
Weeks 3 to 4: start a daily follow-up habit
Tell people personally that you are now in real estate. A call or a personal message to each contact beats a single group announcement, and it starts real conversations.
Set a daily target you can keep, such as ten personal conversations, and track it. Consistency over 90 days matters more than a heroic first week.
End every conversation with a note and, where it makes sense, a next step on the calendar. That is how a database turns into business.
“Hi Farah, it's Sam. I wanted you to hear it from me: I've started in real estate with [Brokerage], working mostly in Ajax and Pickering. No need for anything now. If you or anyone you know ever has a question about buying or selling, I'd love to help.”
Weeks 5 to 8: start a small farm
Pick one small neighbourhood or condo building you know well and start reaching it every month. A first farm of a few hundred homes is enough to learn the work without straining your budget.
Make the first mailings useful: a sold summary, a local events list, a seasonal checklist. Introduce yourself at a community event or with a Saturday afternoon of door knocking.
Keep it running. A farm takes time, and starting in your first 90 days means it has momentum when your first year ends.
Keep a simple log of every touch and every reply. By month three you will already see which pieces people respond to.
Learn the craft of showings
Ask experienced agents in your brokerage if you can join their showings and open houses. Watch how they prepare, what they point out and how they answer tough questions.
Host open houses for other agents' listings when they offer them. It is one of the quickest ways to meet buyers and neighbours when you have no listings of your own.
After every showing you join, write down one thing you would copy and one thing you would do differently. Those notes become your own style.
- Learn how your brokerage books and confirms showings
- Practise walking a home and pointing out what matters to buyers
- Learn to read a feature sheet and a status certificate summary with your broker
- Follow up with every open house visitor within a day
- Keep a running list of questions buyers ask most
Weeks 9 to 12: launch your website and review
Your website does not need to be perfect, but it should exist. Clients and other agents will look you up, and a simple, accurate site makes you look established.
Start with a home page, an about page, a listing search, a home value page and a contact page. Add one neighbourhood guide for your farm area.
At day 90, write a one-page review: conversations held, appointments set, what worked, what did not, and your plan for the next 90 days.
TipWrite your About page as if you were talking to a neighbour over the fence: who you are, why you chose real estate and the areas you know best.
Build a daily routine you can keep
New agents often have more free time than they expected, and it is easy for it to drift. A simple routine turns open hours into steady progress.
Mornings work well for conversations, because people are fresh and your day has not filled up yet. Afternoons suit learning, showings and farm work. Evenings are for clients who work during the day.
Protect one full day off each week. Burnout in the first year is a bigger risk than a slow start.
- 8:30 to 9:00Review today's tasks, new inquiries and anyone waiting on a reply.
- 9:00 to 11:00Personal conversations with your database.
- 11:00 to 12:00Learning: contracts, market stats or shadowing a colleague.
- AfternoonShowings, open houses, farm work and content.
- End of dayNotes on every conversation and tomorrow's top three tasks.
Watch your money in the early months
The first commission can take months to arrive. Plan for that before you start spending on signs, ads and tools.
Spend first on things that support conversations: a good phone setup, a CRM and a simple website. Leave expensive branding and paid leads until your follow-up habit is solid.
Track every expense from day one. When the first cheques arrive, you will know exactly what it cost to earn them.
Questions
What should a new realtor in Ontario do in the first 90 days?
Build a complete database, start a daily follow-up habit, launch a small farm, learn showings from experienced agents and put up a simple website. Review your numbers at day 90.
How do new agents get their first clients?
Usually through people who already know them. Personal conversations with your sphere, open houses and steady follow-up tend to produce first clients sooner than paid ads.
Should I spend money on leads in my first months?
Be careful. Without a follow-up habit, paid leads are easy to waste. Build the habit with your own sphere first, then test paid sources with a small budget.
Do I need a website as a new agent?
Yes, a simple one. People will search your name, and a clear, accurate site helps them trust you before the first call.
What if I have no listings?
Host open houses for colleagues, work with buyers and focus on your farm while your listing pipeline grows. Every open house is a chance to meet a future seller.