From Zero Transactions to a Full Pipeline: One New Agent's First 7 Months

Jason Schrank passed his real estate licensing exam around Halloween of 2025. Seven months later, he's closed one transaction, has another under contract, and has several more in active conversation. He joined Meredith Fogle on "So You Want to Be a Real Estate Agent" to talk through what actually worked in those first several months.

His first client came from a dog park

Before any structured prospecting strategy took hold, Jason's first signed client came from a genuinely casual interaction: a conversation at a dog park where he wasn't trying to generate business at all. That pattern repeated throughout his early months, meeting people at the grocery store, the playground, out walking, simply by being open to conversation rather than treating every interaction as a pitch.

"You're only one nice gesture away from your next opportunity," he said, describing a mindset of helping people without any expectation of return.

Getting comfortable being uncomfortable

Jason was candid that his early open houses were harder than he expected, particularly the instinct to avoid "bothering" visitors who seemed like they wanted to be left alone. Over time, and with repetition, he learned to ask more direct questions rather than hold back. That shift led directly to booking an appointment from an open house visitor who initially seemed reluctant to share much information at all.

His advice mirrors a common insight in sales: most people who walk into an open house or answer a call aren't looking to be ignored, they're often waiting for someone to engage with them first.

Expanding beyond phone calls

While cold calling was part of his early routine, Jason found that texting often worked better, particularly with people who were hesitant to answer an unfamiliar number. At a recent buyer seminar, all three attendees had responded specifically to a text message rather than a call or email, reinforcing that different people respond to different outreach methods, and it's worth trying more than one.

Realistic expectations going in

Jason entered real estate already accustomed to unpredictable hours from previous work experience, which he credits with helping his transition. His clearest piece of advice for anyone considering the field: understand upfront that this isn't a nine-to-five job, and that being available for clients, sometimes on evenings and weekends, is part of the work rather than an exception to it.

One assumption that turned out to be wrong: he initially thought most agents operated within a strong team structure where support was always available. Working within a collaborative team environment, where colleagues cover for each other during showings or open houses, turned out to be less universal than he expected, and something he now recognizes as a real advantage.

Building visibility beyond one-on-one conversations

More recently, Jason has started exploring social media and video content, an area he admits felt uncomfortable at first given he wasn't previously active there. He's also planning a community trivia night as another way to meet people in a low-pressure setting, not with a specific business outcome in mind, but simply as another avenue for genuine connection.

If you're considering a career in real estate, or you're early in your career and looking for the kind of structured support and mentorship that helped shape Jason's first months, reach out to The List Realty to learn more about what that path looks like here.

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Watch: What Jason Schrank Did Differently in His First 7 Months