Agent Profile: Launching Your Real Estate Career with Cody Ramirez

Cody Ramirez knew from a young age that real estate was in his future. To no one’s surprise, he would go on to earn his license as soon as it was legally allowed. Flash forward to 2021 — he’s a year into his real estate career and determined to find success at the age of just 19. 

After completing a mentorship program with his brokerage, Cody turned to SellWell and Aaron Hodson for guidance as he established himself in the market and looked to land more listings. Today, we’re picking Cody’s brain on all things starting out in real estate and finding a path to success.

How did you know you wanted to be a real estate agent from such a young age?

I’ve always been an entrepreneur, and started flipping cars in high school. I had 60 cars by the time I was 19. I knew real estate investing was next for me, and I decided to get my license as soon as I was allowed. I started the process at 18. 

As a new agent, how did you go about knowing what to do on day one? What people and tools helped you lay a foundation for your business?

When I got started at Realty Executives, I was in their mentorship program and was extremely lucky to have a great mentor to lead me in the right direction. She was always there to answer questions and walk me through the transaction process. It was through my mentor that I was introduced to Aaron, and thought SellWell was the perfect opportunity to continue learning (the mentorship program ended after a year). At that point, I didn’t have any experience in lead gen, and knew SellWell could help me build that side of my business.

How did you approach using the online program as a new agent?

I went through the entire program from start to finish the first time and started implementing right away. Since then (over the past year), I return to it often but in a different way. I’ll go back to specific sections that I want to work on or am dealing with in my business. The agent objections and listing presentation sections are especially useful. I didn’t have a listing process at the time, and I definitely feel much more confident now. I also use the marketing templates, farming letter templates, and worksheets constantly. 

You’ve also attended group coaching sessions with Aaron on Zoom. How are these different from the online program?

Yes! While the online program really dives into the specifics of how to deal with certain situations and build your client base, the Zoom sessions are really helpful for getting a pulse on the market. I like to hear what’s currently going on with other agents.

As a new agent, is there any one piece of marketing that you use most often?

I didn’t have a personal profile before joining SellWell, and I now use it all the time. I have it at all my open houses and give it to clients when I meet them. I also include it in my pre-listing kit. I got my first transaction while hosting another agent’s open house, so it’s definitely important to have something professional to give people when you’re just starting out. I used the template included in the program to create mine.

What advice would you give to a new agent just starting out?

Something that’s shocked me about this business is the high turnover rate. So many of the people I’ve seen get their licenses since I started have already called it quits. I would tell any new agent that this job is hard work. You need to be ready to put the work in and be patient. It took two months for me to get my first transaction, and it takes some agents even longer. 

It’s also important to find help and mentorship. Lead generation is a challenge, but it gets easier as time goes on if you understand how to stay in front of people and get referrals. You have to meet a lot of people and know how to put yourself out there. I’m definitely glad that SellWell and Aaron led me in the right direction.

About the Author

Katy Peer writes about all things content, marketing, and real estate branding. She is the Head of Content Marketing for SellWell, lead editor for The Well, and a former copywriter and senior editor for a spattering of tech and media brands. Find her articles on social media, writing agent bios, and more here on The Well.