The biggest bang for you buck would be a website with IDX. Create neighborhood pages with content and photos and before you know it, you'll be ranking in Google organically. No paid ads necessary. Business cards can only be given to the people you meet but a website has the potential to reach thousands 24/7. That's the kind of marketing to spend money on.

Get Business cards is definitely the first step. My cell phone was already there with built in Maps/GPS, so was the computer, all in one printer and camera both handheld and on my phone, so that cut down on those expenses. I took a lot of free routes being cash strapped. I still worked at my other business though in the process. I used free routes like creating a Facebook Business Page, Twitter Business Handle, Google Business and LinkedIn pages. I created my own logo right in Keynote on my Mac (redesigning it now). I did pay it forward when out and shopping and passed my business cards out to my sphere by  stacks of 5.

That all worked and I spent less than $100 altogether. The next ticket item was my CRM I needed something then that allowed me to have everything in one place I went to TP 8i but have since kind of shelved it and gone back to my brokerage version eEdge. I didn't door knock as I watched it annoy a lot of my neighbors myself included. Attend community events though and don't shout I'm an agent. Casually talk to everyone to gain insight on them. Chamber of Commerce is a great place to be. Start small to save on funds, the old adage you have to spend money to make money is not exactly true any more when you can touch anyone you want right online. That part of spending will come in later as you move to grow larger in real estate. My database went from 300 of just SOI to over 550 now with my online and free lead generating efforts.

Not every one of those people are ready to transact now but my free drip emails I know they know I'm in the business now.

Lastly do a PR release, it works too and if you're a REALTOR®, nothing like free advertisement with your nametag and REALTOR® pin.

I would go get an 8-5 job.  You need more working capital in this business.

I tried the business card / sphere of influence thing and it got me nowhere. Then I found AR and learned there is a whole new way to reach buyers and sellers through an online presence and blogging. I'm with Corinne Guest $1000 will get a newbie a website and IDX for a year. 

IF I ONLY HAD $1000

Step 1.  Ignore the ones who were condescending in their answers. 

Step 2.  I would do as Corinne Guest, Gita Batwal and others that were sincerely trying to help mentioned.  

ADMIN STUFF: 

I would start with a Google-friendly website that has IDX search and call-to-action buttons, business cards (they can be inexpensive like Vista print, but not flimsy), and nicely formatted easy-to-read uncluttered flyers, and handwritten letters sent out to friends and family. 

SPHERE OF INFLUENCE:
If the friends/family are homeowners, in addition to your handwritten letter announcement sent to them, I would attach the latest solds in their area (which you can get from your local MLS). If they are renters, then of course include the latest active info.  From that point on, send them a client report MONTHLY on the 1st to the point where they will start to expect it.  If you have their email addresses, import or scan and distribute to them on the 1st as well so you are in front of them twice a month.   In the email you may want to add something in addition to your general salutations, like, "If you have your own personal observations or know something about any of the homes currently listed, do tell!  I would love to hear your insights!"  This could prompt additional dialogue.  [This would be my "busy work" until I was actually busy because unless most friends/family are in a concentrated area, this could become costly.  At that point, I would then do this to specific farm areas only .] 

FARMING AND EQUIPPING ONESELF WITH KNOWLEDGE:
Go to broker previews, armed with latest Active list and take notes next to addresses of things that are NOT in the MLS description.  This will help you to talk to people in the same area with information they didn't get from online websites when they were being nosey about their neighbor's home that is up for sale. 

When discussing with them the current homes for sale, or recent solds in the area, do not say anything that could be construed as negative because the homeowner's house you bash could be the person they carpool with, or whose kids play soccer together.  Keep it to simple observations like unique floor plan, downstairs walk-in closet, ANYTHING that sounds like you know more than they do about the house and their local market trend. 

Walk the neighborhood, door knock if you have to, which I HATE, but it works when armed with info that homeowner wants to know, which are the latest sold, pending and active homes and prices in the area.  Again,  this would be the daily busy work until the agent is busy.

WHAT YOU DO TODAY, WORKS TOMORROW 

Oh and BLOG on real estate related sites that will allow links back to your own site where the landing page allows for home search or photos. 
I am writing this to you as well as myself.   

I absolutely believe the above helpful comments coupled with perserverence can be performed and can promote newbie business for under $1000!

GOOD LUCK! 

Don`t think you need to get another job ! Get your business cards and get with some experienced agents shadow them and ask them if you can hold Open Houses every weekend. Be surprised  how fast you will grow your business.

The most inexpensive thing is for the newbie agent to get business cards and write a letter telling her sphere of influence about her job and enclose the cards. Then follow up with a call. Also hand out cards every day and knock on doors in a subdivision in her market area. This will not cost $1000. 

Facebook landing page. If you're smart about it your $$ should last & you should get some biz.

You can get a website w/IDX at Placester.com for dirt cheap & they are pretty easy to set up btw.

A quality Wordpress site with good IDX.  This could be done for less than 1G.  An IDXpress is cheap and effective IDX for one web site.   After that I would pay for an AR Blog.  Not sure what they charge now per month.  

The most important thing you need to do is figure out who you want to work with; buyers, sellers, investors, all, and find a niche. You can easily throw away $1,000 on a ton of things, but if you don't know why you are using them, you are doing just that, throwing the money away. Figure out why you think you might need a website, figure out who your are trying to attract with your business, what sort of flyers do you want to create. You need to have some sort of direction before you just go out and spend money.

Once you figure that out, find ways to get in front of those people you want to work with. Best thing is to find a mentor and copy what they do, but your money needs to go towards finding the business/clients. Without clients, you have no business.

Before spending any $$$, make sure to have your BIG Why? Continue to ask yourself, why you are doing what you are going to do each day, until you have your answer. You need to have passion/drive in this business of helping others each day and to keep you focused on what you need to do.

Develop a Lead Generation System and Lead Follow-up System: 

• First buy Gary Keller's books, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent & The One Thing, to get you on the right track. I wish I had purchased and read these books before I had started my business 16 years ago. This will provide you with an overall picture of how to build your business with the right models and systems with the right focus/intentions.

a) Next...look at your sphere and also look at everyone that you have come or can come in contact (ie. from A to Z...your Accountant, Auto, etc.) and do an "Introduction Letter". Also do media release and put it out to Social Media;

b) Get an Active Rain Account and blog regularily. Get familiar with the custom page templates (Subdivision Information/Your Farm Area) and use them regularily as you blog post and post to facebook/social media.

c) Start a facebook business page with your branding. Invite all of your sphere to it.

d) Get familiar with the market in a certain area of regular turnover and become the expert in that area. Door-knock regularily around the 'Just Solds" and 'Just Listed's' providing information about these properties and see if they are thinking of Selling/Buying.

e) Sign-up to Mail-Chimp for FREE (it tracks which links your receivers are opening, or if they are opening your emails at all. ie. measuring their interest) and start campaigning with it along with Listings to Leads Market Report pages to your Sphere and Farm through email as well as social media.

f) Subscribe to Top Producer CRM to manage your lead generation drip email and mail campaigns, lead follow-up, as well as customer service. You need this to keep you organized.

g) Send out on the first Friday of every month in email format and through social media to your "Mets" (people that you have already met) "Who do you know that is thinking of Selling?" Have a list of criteria of what various buyers of agents from your office are looking for and where? ie. Buyer#1 for XYZ Subdivision: Wanting Detached, 2 storey, 4bedroom, 3.5 bath, Looking $600K to $750K range. This email/social media post will attract Sellers to email/call you if they, or someone they know is thinking of selling. The third Friday of every month, send an email out to your Mets, titled "Who do your know that is thinking of Buying?" You will ask permission from other realtors in your office to advertise three(3) to six(6) very brief descriptions of their listings (until you have your own). This email/social media post will attract Buyers to email you/or people to call you if they, or someone they know is thinking of Buying.

h) After your first sale (keep in mind ongoing, that your overall monthly expenses should be 10% of your gross), start budgeting for creative pop-bys to your Mets on a quarterly basis with your branding. You want to stay 'top of mind' with them that anything to do with real estate, that you are the one! Check out Buffini & Company to see what pop-by gifts are all about or google real estate pop-by gifts.

Stick with positive minded people in your office and agents that are already successful. Continue to ask and learn from them (so you don't have to spend and make the same mistakes....speaking from personal experience! :) )

Hope this helps in some way!

All the best!

Find a great mentor in your office.  When you get some business, give them X % and have them teach you how to become successful!  Of course you needs some cards etc.

All great suggestions and even some refreshers for seasoned agents like myself.  My suggestion would be to join a good networking group; you may not get  business immediately but the seeds planted today will flourish later on.  If you participate in any sports or recreational activities, this'll will get you out in front of people and you can let people know you are a realtor.  Door knocking, floor time at your office, sit open houses, etc are all free ways to get going and rustle up business.  Good luck!

I would find a top producing agent that works in the office and try to find a desk near to their desk.  When that top producing agent gets on the phone with a buyer/seller, listen in and learn different techniques and lingo about how to properly talk to clients and be professional on the phone.  This will also give you a chance to learn about what the most FAQ when it comes to buyers and sellers.  In addition, all the advise from the post of these wonder Realtors are a step in the right direction.  Also, fins a Broker with no desk fee (which often means a higher split for the broker).  Go to the Chamber of Commerce and try to get a relocation list of people that asked about information on your area and make some calls... Google ad words is a good starting point as well. :) 

I wouldn't.  I would save it and I'd go to a broker where I could find an experienced professional that would allow me to apprentice with them for initially a small fee.

Some great ideas here.  I think the best is just get involved.  Volunteer, go to area events, join the Chamber of Commerce.  Meeting people is the key to this business. But please DON'T introduce yourself as a Realtor®.  Remember how annoying it is when people jam their job down your throat.  Treat others with interest and respect and you'll earn theirs back. 

Phone bill, gas bill, and enough flyers to canvas the neighborhood.

I would not spend it ~ I would invest it.  I would want to get a return on that investment, so I would invest in education or marketing.  However, if I needed the money for my family, I would invest in the care and betterment of my family.  I can always get more money by investing my time in Dollar Productive activities.  Easy question, common sense answer. ;~ )

No idea.

Lead generation.

This is a borderline, invalid question.

Real estate is the most dynamic, fantastic business on the planet. There are SO MANY WAYS to make money through real estate, licensed or unlicensed, that any effective respond requires a description of the questioners business.

A business plan is the newbies responsibility. If no business plan exists, they are practicing accidental real estate. Does not matter where you spend the money, the results will be purely accidental. Many top notch very successful people will share being lucky is more important than being knowledgeable.

Last Sat Morning 4 am, 49 Deg F, I'm in my silky running shorts to start the Best Damn Race in Safety Harbor FL. I was miserable! And when the race ended, I was more miserable, sweaty, smelly and freezing my *** off. (NOTICE: runners euphoria, runners high, and all such nonsense are nonsense...they are Urban legends and do not exist except in the mind of non-runners.

It never fails that someone will share they've always wanted to run, but they just can't do that. And they are right, they can not run a marathon today, but I can get them closer if they are willing be endure a bit of struggle, some misery, and embrace the hope that tomorrow you will be doing what you never thought you could do.

So you need to figure out where to start. In the 'train me for a Marthon' example, the first task it to get them to where they can run 3 miles. 

So you run/walk them in in less than 30 days, they can keep their jiggly body in motion for the entire 30 minutes. This is GATE 1 containing 3 milestones. CELEBRATE!

The trainee is smil'n and welcoming more pain.

Real estate newbie agent. are you serious? Are you ready to pay for the ticket into the club? Keep your money in your pocket. What I want to see is your willingness to do what ever is necessary to succeed in this business you must define for yourself. There is one training ground that requires all the skill needed for your success. The real cost is your willingness to feel the pain.

The money spent is not your plan but simply a resource to enable the plan to be implemented fully.

Where to spend it, on protein drinks, energy supplements and gazillion dollar florescent shoes, styl'n Tees, depends of if you are striving for a 5k or your eyes are focused o the 206 mile Ragnar.

Define your business then a real plan can emerge with a few responses to intelligent questions. Many accomplished real estate professionals have forgotten how they started and believe the process they learned to master is  now unnecessary. You have already read several such responses. 

If you had $1,000 I would suggest you use it to buy a resource that delineates you from others or presents you as the true visionary beyond the scope of the real estate tradition. A book, a guide, CIS Score are all ways to distinguish yourself. Now what are you willing to do to shout it from the roof tops. 

NOTE: If during this reading, in your mind appeared a list of things you will not do, you really should spend that $1,000 on someone who is important to you. IDWDT (I Don't Wanna Do That) syndrome is the anchor that will seal your fate.

Hook up with an established agent and learn from them. Volunteer to do open houses, gets you used to talking to strangers and answering questions about real estate. The most important, ANSWER YOUR PHONE, most agents don't.

Business cards and a membership to a networking group that will allow you to grow your business.  

A quality "email drip" contant contact newsletter service/database, 10 nice large (all metal) open house signs, a good "all around" training course like the GRI, and business cards.

D

GET A COACH. Though I wouldn't hire Coach Pete Carroll if I was you. He is somebody that you don't want to RUN to-LOL. Though I'm probably one of the few people in this country who think that Seattle should've passed the ball instead of running it.

GET A COACH. But right now Pete Carroll is a coach you want to RUN from-LOL. Though I still one of the very few people who believed that he should've passed the football instead of throwing it.

I will say spend some of that money in coming up with a simple but effective website and page, a blogging page with a landing page.  If you are new, borrow some lisitngs from your company and put them on your site. Networking with business groups in your area to get your name and face in front of people is also a great idea.  Get some listings soon so your signs do the talking.

You have a license, you are still wet behind the ears as a newbie. Better cherish the 1000 and before you spend it, you have to be ready to see the return. Cut your teeth by door to door, chasing FSBO's, property tax mailings to out of state property owners, joining local civic clubs so they know you in the community. Squeaky clean car, labeled, parked on the end of the big box store and anywhere to stand out. Listings are king and nothing like selling what you have inventory to make that 1000 dollar stack of dead presidents grow, multiply.

First of all, find the company who will provide you and pay for signs, business cards, liability insurance, and will help you with some marketing costs.

If you have a good smart phone, computer,  a website, and a car~ you are set to go.

Invest every cent in marketing ( in addition to a lot that you can do for 'free' by yourself: creating website, blog, etc. online presence)

Invest in a Lead Generation system and take a quick course in prospecting.  The path of least resistance in this business is working buyers, and your job description is simple:  Get in front of Buyers and Sellers.  With that in mind, you need leads, and you need to understand that, "Tthe language of Business is numbers!"  In order to put some on the wall , you have to reach out and touch some one.  Learn prospecting, sell benefits and provide excellent service.  That's your foundation, and prescription, for a long career in this business.

A website with idx and start promoting your local communities.

If all MLS dues are accounted for in other expenses, I'd go for annual plan at ActiveRain - and blog for business Russ Ravary . No other avenue can generate better ROI!

I think a website is crtical. that's where your money should go first.

This is actually a very hard question because all of us know that it takes more than a $1000 to market yourself in this business. Heck that's one round of flyers for some people.

Good question!

We applaud all of the great advice presented here to NEW agents starting a real estate career!

 We KNOW HOW you can "JUMP START" your real estate business for less than $35 per listing!!!

A new agent will eventually cover the basics like ordering their business cards, their name badge and organize their real estate company printed hand out information along with securing their listing presentation materials.... plus there are those fees for board of Realtor associations, Realtor.com, lock box key and lockboxes, training classes, multiple listing service fees (if the agent's real estate company doesn't pay), office or desk fees, etc.

Once the above investment is in motion, the new agent will move on to their individual business plan which might include transportation expenses, home computer, cell phone, software, web site, Internet marketing for their property listings, etc.

Reviewing the above may make your head spin ... but there are NOT many business opportunities that allow one to start a business for so little!

The above may also separate agents who truly want to build a business and who are willing to work hard, from agents who may not be as serious. Since the Interent plays such a huge role in the real estate business... home buyers and home sellers will eventually learn which camp an agent resides in.

So if we all agree that the Internet is very important to one’s real estate business, so how does a new agent get his or her real estate business truly started???

To get started as a listing agent, you need a listing! If you are NEW… and sellers will know (if meeting you In person) that you are new, making it challenging for you personally to secure a listing. So what is a new agent to do?

If your license is ACTIVE and with your current real estate company… Immediately SEARCH your office listings. Look for a listing that is located near your home, that looks great, is priced at a fair market list price and is in a price range that would best attract the most potential home buyers.

NEXT… after finding just the right office property listing, go to the listing agent and ask PERMISSION if you can assist them with the marketing of their listing on the Internet… as a SHOWING AGENT! Which by the way, is YOUR title when showing other agent’s listings! Agents in your office should be very receptive to YOU helping them find a buyer for their listing! TIP: keep your broker in the loop.

NEXT … with permission from all parties concerned, have UNLILMITED digital still photos taken of the property listing inside and outside of the home plus amenity photos like pool, lake and tennis and any areas of interest near the listing, like a historical area, stores, etc.… OR you can save money and use your own camera to take your own UNLIMITED still photos. TIP: invest in the best digital camera that you can afford. 

NEXT… Choose HomeScenes.com “Do-It-Yourself”Tours for your Real Estate Internet Marketing! After registering with us (no charge), you can upload your UNLIMITED photos to us and we will build you an impressive virtual tour INSTANTLY with two different size slide show presentations with optional background music. No software to purchase. Per your request we can adjust your title on the tour to display “Showing Agent” so you are properly disclosing to the public... that you are the showing agent not the listing agent.

Choosing HomeScenes.com virtual tours exposes your property listing (s) to the Atlanta, GA real estate market and beyond! THOUSANDS OF ON LINE VIEWERS from around the world view our tours!

With $1,000... at $34.95 per property tour you could have for example TEN property tours on line at the same time for the world to see for a total amount of $349.50... leaving you $650 to spend elsewhere! OR when you have consistent listings, you could choose our monthly subscription... $29.99 per month for UNLIMITED listings with UNLIMITED photos by selecting our 5 Star Agent Subscription Service - no contract, no software to purchase plus an agent web page and bells & whistles included!  

Successful Closings translate to the number of listings you market or the number of home buyers you work with ... the more listings with your name displayed increases the odds of more potential buyer opportunities!

Agents nationwide can choose our “Do-It-Yourself” tours or our monthly 5 Star Agent Subscription Service. We are syndicated so we can also send your tour link to numerous web site portals! We provide access to IDX tour links for your multiple listing service.

We offer a FREE on line flyer program and more Internet marketing tools! We are an authorized partner with Realtor.com so agents can order tour links to be installed on Realtor.com listings!

Your “Do-It-Yourself” virtual tour advertised on HomeScenes.com is like having an Open House 24/7! Just $34.95 per property!

Jump start your real estate business by finding a way to quickly connect your name to properties for sale on line so interested parties can contact you. Have back up properties for sale ready so you are prepared, when interested parties communicate with you!

Do-It-Yourself Tour & 5 Star Agent Subscription Service CLICK To Learn More!

Good Luck All! Never Give Up on Your Dreams!

Free Coaching & Assistance!

HomeScenes.com Agent Support Services – 877-594-1193, Option 1 – Help@homescenes.net

Get your own website, link to your blog, also buy some personal note cards to send out  when appropriate--pp love getting personal notes.

I would say create an online presence with a website and blog first. Become really knowledgeable on one or two areas, put out flyers in those areas and become the specialist that people want to deal with. Blog about them and have good infromation pages on your website. Give them something of value and you will start getting listings and then buyers will see your signs and the sales will begin.

On Business Cards... You dont need  money to get business in the door but you do need some basics.  business cards printer, sign for your car or even just keeping your car clean for the clients you will get.  

The money you will spend or the money you see seasoned agents spending is to keep business coming in the door.  Learn the basics first before worry about spending money.

I would pay one of my outstanding bills ! Being a REALTOR® is causing me to go broke.  

But seriously, I would,  and have used it on generating leads.  I know it hurts in the beginning (boy do I), but you should spend some of that money on advertising outside of your circle of friends and former colleagues for most of them have homes or are not ready to trust you with that responsibility yet.  Advertising is the way to go.

You'd be surprised what a new suit and shoes can do for your outlook and maybe a professional detail on the car. You'll have plenty left over to pick your farm area and start meeting people in the neighborhoods you wish to be servicing. Everywhere you regularly frequent will become sources for business. Eventually the topic of Real Estate comes up and you'll be there to help answer their questions, however, use discretion first! 

Russ Ravary this is a great question and as one can see from the responses, $1,000 can go along way for a marketing budget. Better to have more for working capital, but $1,000, some good direction, and effort can go along way to success in this business.

You've had some great advice here.  You are on AR... so off to a good start.  There is a lot of free and quality information on this site.

SOI can work if people know you as being a go getter who is smart and dependable. But this should be free.  

I'm assuming $1,000 would be marketing - and not basics or living expenses. There is no silver bullet in real estate.  You could spend $2,000 in postcards and not get one sign.  You could spend $1,000 in a Facebook targetted ad and get nothing but clicks and dead ends.  

The best advice... go out and meet people!  Get involved with the community, show people who you are.  Do all the free stuff too (blogs, market reports, etc).  But at the end of the day, most of us get most of our business from referrals.  You need to be in front of people.  

Do whatever it takes to get in front of people. Whether thats with farm mailings, attending networking events or doing "pop-byes" in your sphere, do things that make people remember you.

Create biz plan, biz cards, smart phone, website landing page, laptop and seek partners or investors to capitalize my business. 

Get a good computer and cell phone that has the ability to see email and text clients. Pick a niche market and learn as much as you can and market that group

Depending on where you are when you begin. 

* Invest in a great smartphone that can do email, GPS, text, access all the aps you need, etc. Today's smartphones accomplish a lot

* If you have a good phone, next make sure you have a basic website with IDX. I agree with many folks on here. It was the first thing I invested in myself. 

* Then get to blogging! 

I personally think you will need more than $1,000 to get going it you really want to be effective. Just the board, office and MLS could eat that up.  It's just alot slower without the funds. If not getting a part time job to fund your new career could be very helpful.  I spent alot of money when I first started and it continues to this day, but at least I have it to spend now.

websitebox.com is excellent for an affordable website with IDX - $99 total, period. You add on more features as your business grows. 

Vistaprint.com for business cards - fast, quality cards.

I'd have a regular job to give supplmental income to my business and take the $1,000 to purchase leads to get started right away. I'd also work on finding good referral sources to make those leads turn into sales.

I would assume you would already have business cards.

RE agents have a tough time building credit when self employed. I would put it in the bank, then take out a loan from same bank to purchase a CD. Put it on automatic monthy bill pay so you never miss a payment, when CD matures, do it again next year. The money will work for you to build good credit in the long run, and will be there if you need it at the end of the year when MLS dues and other year end expenses arrive during slow season.

Acquire specific targeted data from 3rd party with phones and call, Go door to door, and finally manage your day to the last minute since you don't have any deals working at this point to occupy your day

Business  cards and create an introductory flyer to hand out in a neighborhood they want to work. And of course smart phone is a given.

Business cards, flyers to hand out in a neighborhood and blog, blog, blog.

Smart phone is really a necessity this day and age.