WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL REAL ESTATE AGENT?
We all want to be good at our jobs and we should always be striving to improve ourselves in our careers. Real Estate agents are no different - whether you're currently working as an agent, getting back into the game or thinking about starting a new career in the field, we've written up our top 5 skills that make really great estate agents.
Good communication skills
In the modern world, there are numerous ways that people communicate with one another, especially in professions like real estate. As an agent, you will need to be comfortable with formal business communication over both phone and email, as well as the more casual communication required on social media platforms and WhatsApp.
Your communication style and responsiveness are going to be the first impression that most of your potential clients will form about you, but it doesn't end there: every potential buyer will reach out to you first and your communication with them can make or break a sale. Learning to maintain the balance between being friendly and approachable, with professional and clear will be an invaluable skill in the industry.
Marketing and advertising
As an agent, you will be expected to market and advertise all the properties that come your way. In the modern market, it's become increasingly important to have a few marketing skills up your sleeve. Learning to write well will go a long way in helping you to get more viewings and increasing the chances of someone buying the property when they do get there. But it doesn't end with writing the advert: as an agent, you will need to know how to take good photographs and how to stage a home for photos and viewings. You'll also need to have a firm grasp on social media marketing and learn how you can use this and networking to make the most out of your career.
Industry knowledge and a willingness to learn
Of course, there's basic information that every agent will need to know in order to qualify for the role but the industry knowledge that you need to become a great agent goes far beyond that. You will need to learn a little bit about everything, from interior design to gardening to psychology so that you can make the most out of every property that you work with. And because markets change so often, you'll need to be prepared and willing to continue learning as you go, without relying solely on your experience from the past.
Organisation and systematic thinking
Real Estate requires a lot of networking and coordination. You will need to coordinate with homeowners and potential buyers to organise viewings, assist with negotiations on sales, and keep track of the legal processes for selling a property. If you're working with several properties at once, you'll need to keep track of each of these and learn from each viewing that you do so that you can improve the process for the next potential buyer. Being well organized and systematic about how you work will help you keep your costs down and ensure that you can maintain an excellent quality of service, as well as reducing the number of bumps along the road.
Knowing where to spend your time, energy, and money
As an agent, it's easy to get caught up in all the ways that we can get a higher selling price for a property or sell a property more quickly. And doing these things often make for a better experience for either buyers or sellers, sometimes even both. But these efforts can quickly add up to a costly investment that, ultimately, take away from the income that you take home. On the other end of the scale, it's easy to just snap a few photos, write up the basics and call it a day but this doesn't give you - or your clients - the best chance at a good sale. Learning to find the balance between good investments in terms of your time, energy and money and those that are unnecessary or not worth the cost will be an invaluable skill in helping you give excellent service, while also earning a good income.
At the end of the day, being a real estate agent is a lot about balance: learning to balance friendly and professional communication, managing your time and energy, and finding the right balance between what you know and what you can still learn. But if you like a challenging, exciting and ever-changing working environment, then finding this sense of balance will be one of the best parts of the job.
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