The real estate industry relies on an intricate system of key players in order to thrive. A successful sale generally involves property managers, appraisers, contractors, home inspectors, bankers, mortgage loan officers, and government agencies. To keep the process a lot simpler for buyers and sellers, a real estate agent, along with a broker, will step in to ensure that their client’s needs are met in a timely manner.
Real estate agents are required to know how to play various roles depending on their clients. They can act as a negotiator, salesperson, analyst, business manager, buyer’s advocates, property researchers, or market researchers. Sometimes, they even set up photo shoots to market their properties on the internet.
Indeed, a real estate agent doesn’t only need to be well-groomed and well-dressed, but they also need to be familiar with the various processes involved in a successful transaction. Because they serve as their client’s main resource person for the entire sale process, they need to be well-versed in every role they have to play. None of this is can be reached if the agent hadn’t undergone extensive real estate pre-license training and had not passed their state licensing exam.
Being A Real Estate Agent: Is It The Right Job For You?
From a third-party perspective, working as a real estate agent looks like a very lucrative job for people who enjoy connecting with others. Naturally, some prospective applicants are attracted to the job because of high commissions, while others are simply passionate about helping people buy and sell properties.
As you become acquainted with various real estate agents, you’ll notice that some of them seem like they’re truly meant for it more than others. With them as your standards, you may feel like you don’t have what it takes to thrive in the industry in the first place.
However, it’s worth noting that your knowledge and skill levels at a job are never a static thing. You can always closely study what makes top agents in real estate the cream of the crop, and what makes their clients drawn to them.
Hence, if you really want to know How to Become a Real Estate Agent—the kind that clients would seek and refer to their friends again and again—listed below are 10 qualities that allow the best agents to stay at the top.
You can use this as a guide to assess yourself and think about whether real estate is the right career path for you.
Related: 10 Reasons Being An Entrepreneur Is Better Than Employment
1. Enthusiasm And Passion For Real Estate
This one may seem like a given, but this is worth reiterating since this job attracts a lot of people due to its earning potential.
From the outside, it’s easy to think that real estate agents are just an advanced form of salespeople, but what you don’t immediately see is that they’re also responsible for all the complicated paperwork that no one wants to do. This is one of the reasons why they rightfully earn as much as they do; it’s their job to take care of all the transaction’s complexities so their clients can simply relax while they wait.
Hence, it’s incredibly important that you’re not just driven to do your job for the money, but because you’re truly passionate about the process. Otherwise, it will quickly become a chore for you—another job that won’t make you feel fulfilled.
2. Drive And Determination
As your client’s representative, your main job is to help them win the deal that they want. While their preferences may change as better deals come along the way, your ultimate, non-negotiable goal is to always capture the best deal possible.
In short, defeat will never be an option in this arena. All deals are important, and it’s always about the client. Remember, closing successful deals doesn’t happen by accident; it happens when you consistently chase it.
Hence, if you know how to be relentless and stubborn to achieve something desirable, then this job might be for you.
3. Magnetic And Pleasing Personality
Real estate agents aren’t only responsible for selling properties, but they’re also working to sell themselves for future references. After all, if they can’t walk the talk, how can people expect them to close an important deal?
Hence, if you’re a real estate agent, clients should find it easy to talk to you; they must never feel dreadful about receiving updates from you. If they aren’t familiar with certain terms and processes, they shouldn’t feel afraid to ask you about it.
Additionally, you must also exude confidence when attempting to strike deals. You must appear convincing when you’re trying to sell something to your client. This is where excellent marketing skills come in. Eventually, this will all pay off when you get recommended in your client’s networks.
4. Great Listener And Client-Oriented
People who are looking for a real estate agent need someone who knows how to listen and take note of things that they deem important. Hence, in every part of the sale, you must always act in your client’s best interests.
Whether you’re representing a property buyer or a seller, you must always remember why they’re buying or selling in the first place. Sometimes, it’s easy to get carried away, especially when you think that a particular option is that good.
Although you may have collected various options for your client, and you think that one of them is truly the best, ultimately, the final decision is theirs. You’ve found what they wanted, and that’s already a win—even if you don’t agree with it.
5. Keen Attention To Detail
In relation to the 4th point, it also pays to be a little more observant as a real estate agent. Some clients may already be clear with what they need upfront, but others may remain undecided about what they think they want.
In such cases, paying attention to subtle nuances can help you figure out what the best options are for them. Sometimes, this can be accomplished by building rapport with your clients, as this often reveals details relating to their likes and dislikes.
6. Ability To Network And Collect Reliable References
You’d be lucky to land the exact deal that your client wants on your first try, but in most instances, this isn’t what happens. Thus, you’ll need a steady network of contacts so you can easily proceed to Plan B when Plan A doesn’t work out.
Building your contacts isn’t only limited to the professionals. You must also take note of your past client references so you can easily pull out the information when your current client asks.
Oftentimes, people will want to know how your deals went down in the past, so the more transparent you can be about this, the better your chances are of securing the deal.
7. Excellent People Skills
You may already know how to properly interact with your higher-ups, colleagues, and other people who are part of the whole transaction chain. However, dealing with clients can be a challenge since they aren’t all the same.
Hence, you must be comfortable switching your interaction style depending on who you’re talking to. It helps to be familiar with people from various demographics and socioeconomic statuses so you can easily adjust and appeal to your client’s preferences.
8. Patience to Negotiate
While having strong marketing and negotiation skills is a given, you also shouldn’t forget about patience. Sometimes, no matter how convincing you are, there are times when buyers or sellers are tough to crack.
Thus, not only do you need to hone your ability to negotiate, but you must also master the art of patience. The sooner you learn that some deals are marathons and not sprints, the better you’ll be at closing deals within your client’s desired timeframe.
9. High Familiarity With The Local Area
Since Plan A’s don’t always work the way you want to, you’ll need to be familiar with the local area to efficiently come up with new plans. This will reduce the time you need to spend on research, thus giving you more time to show your client around.
When you can easily think of other options within the area, you can close deals sooner.
10. Knowledgeable In Design And Architecture
This one isn’t necessary, but it could be helpful in certain situations. After all, people tend to be attracted to particular aesthetics based on their personalities.
For instance, because you’re a good listener and observer, you figured that a property in your listing would fit your client’s criteria based on its design. If they like what you chose, they’d be happy to refer you to others.
Success In Real Estate Primarily Relies On Your Ability To Communicate
Property sales push through when real estate agents aren’t only competent at their job, but they’re also easy and pleasant to talk to. Because their client’s convenience is their top priority, they can make even the most complex concepts understandable, which helps clients to decide on important matters faster.
On top of being people-friendly, ultimately, being a real estate agent requires patience, keen attention to a client’s preferences, and high levels of organization for it to work out.
If you think you have what it takes to succeed in this client-driven industry, start honing the necessary qualities of a real estate agent now so you can readily make your way to the top.
