Before entering real estate Andy was VP of Sales/Marketing for a national homebuilder in Dallas. Prior to that, he served as Regional Marketing Associate for Greystone Communities, managing the marketing for senior living communities. In earlier years Andy was a caseworker with the Texas Baptist Children’s home. He holds a degree in Social Work majoring in Gerontology and an MBA from the University of Texas.

Because of his background, Bearden’s business plan included working directly with homebuilders. He thinks it is a good partnership and so does the largest real estate company in Texas, Ebby Halliday Realtors®…and with 4 billion in closed transactions last year, they should know. The company will now utilize their network of 27 offices across the entire Dallas Ft Worth area to implement Bearden’s plan of multiple services. Bearden will spend his time working with builders, setting up new accounts and new programs.

According to Bearden “Numerous sponsors of the grants of the Apprentice Program helped me with ideas and guidance that I could implement immediately, especially items such as the iSucceed mentoring program and various real estate books from Thomson Publishing. Even the application process for the Apprentice Grant helped me solidify my thoughts and business plan. “You must map your real estate career with a business plan and treated it like a serious enterprise not just a hobby,” he said.

One of the biggest issues facing new rookies is the struggle to jump from a salary to a commission based income. According to Andy “The primary thing is to realize that you are starting a business. If you are going to open a bakery you must buy an oven. If you go into real estate you will fail if you do not make a proper investment and get the right tools such as business cards, signs, good education, and join a mentoring program, etc.”

“Many people get into the real estate business because they want the freedom but then have difficulty disciplining themselves to do the work necessary to succeed.” Andy always comes to the office early in the morning just like he was working a regular 8-5 job. He does this to meet veterans, and learn how the business works. Often times because of fear, people don’t spend the money that they should. Andy does agree and provides the following advice for new agents “Invest in yourself, create a plan, execute on it and don’t forget to apply for the Real Estate Apprentice Grant Program,” he said.