Realtor. Skills
A realtor is a specialist who carries out real estate transactions.
The level of his earnings depends on the monetary reward he receives for the work done; he needs to constantly improve in order to compete well among other representatives of the profession. The professionalism of a realtor lies in the totality of his professional skills, knowledge and abilities. Basic knowledge includes four blocks: law, psychology, advertising and evaluation . Basic knowledge for each of the blocks is necessary for work; later, according to the degree of relevance and specificity of the work, it will become clear in which direction of the listed components it is worth studying in more depth.
A good realtor should be able to do everything
Before considering the necessary skills and abilities, it is worth mentioning that there are certain qualities of a realtor that contribute to success in the profession . These include:
- politeness;
- stress resistance;
- insight;
- sociability;
- mobility.
Without these qualities, it will be difficult for you to establish a connection with the client and cope with difficulties in your work. But, even if you have discovered all of the listed qualities of a successful realtor, you need to understand that without the necessary skills and abilities you will not be able to achieve success.
How to become a successful realtor?
Many people mistakenly believe that a real estate agent simply searches for suitable listings online and guides clients through viewings. But this is far from true. The first step towards success in the real estate business is understanding the amount of work.
It’s good if a novice agent has experience in sales - as a consultant, insurance or travel agent, or marketer. The skills acquired at work in any field where there is constant communication with clients will also be useful to a beginner.
Marketers, psychologists, people of creative professions and teachers also receive an additional “bonus” at the start of their real estate career.
But, as the experience of real estate agency managers shows, women often become successful realtors after returning from maternity leave and dreamed of realizing themselves in an interesting business.
The main keys to success in this area are activity, determination, patience, perseverance and a willingness to constantly develop. Humor, the ability to learn from your own mistakes and a focus on positive results will also definitely help.
Key skills of a realtor
- Communication skills . The skill of building contact with people is the main thing in the work of a realtor. The ability to negotiate, listen, win over an interlocutor and convey the necessary information to him is based on a wide range of knowledge in the field of psychology and rhetoric. The success of the transaction will depend on your ability to connect with a wide variety of people.
- Creativity . The ability to approach a given task creatively makes it possible to find more ways to solve it. Non-standard ideas are very often more productive than those that have been tested by experience.
- Organization . Proper planning of your time, punctuality and responsibility should become an integral part of your life.
- Integrity . Among realtors, there are so-called “black” realtors and those who simply do their work dishonestly, guided by the desire to get maximum profit, or simple laziness. Doing your work honestly and efficiently, approaching the task at hand with all responsibility is not so much a character trait as a full-fledged skill. Don’t forget that when working with clients you earn not only money, but also your reputation.
Read on topic: We advise you to enrich your knowledge base with the most useful information! Each of you should know about the responsibilities of a realtor
Professional skills of a real estate agent:
- Legal skill . The ability to quickly and correctly work with the necessary documents to complete a transaction comes with experience, but the sooner you learn this and can confidently advise clients on issues related to documents, the better for you.
- Sales skill . To sell real estate you need to be a good advertiser. The concept of how to effectively present the object being sold and your services is formed and changes throughout your professional activity. An advertising campaign for each object must be developed for each object individually, taking into account all its features.
- Economist skill . Studying the supply and demand market, and knowledge in matters of real estate valuation is just the knowledge base necessary to get started. Indeed, a competent realtor must be able to predict the rate of price growth and navigate the approximate time frame for the sale of a property.
Listed here are the main skills that influence the assessment of a realtor as a specialist. If you are applying for a job at an agency, do not forget to indicate your professional skills as a realtor in your resume. Regardless of whether you have these skills or not, they always need to be developed.
How to become a realtor? 8 Habits of a Successful Real Estate Agent
Yuri Gallyamov June 24, 2021 About the profession
Hello, friends!
I found you thinking about how to become a realtor (from the English rieltor) or, as they call it in Russia, a real estate agent? An outsider's view of this profession usually differs significantly from reality.
Briefly about the profession
Most candidates, when attending an interview at a real estate agency, admit that for them a realtor is a person who:
- puts apartments up for sale and then conducts transactions, while having a lot of free time (flexible work schedule)
- doesn’t overload himself with work, and still earns quite a decent amount of money
Well, what can you say - not a dusty job! Is it true?
In reality, the agent is selling services, not real estate.
Yes, a real estate expert has a high income and a flexible schedule, provided that:
- the skills necessary for success have been formed and honed
- acts and applies these skills daily in working with clients
- he is engaged only in this business and does not combine it with another
The day of a successful expert is scheduled minute by minute! Therefore, he manages to do everything - successfully run his business, spend time with loved ones, engage in hobbies, and travel.
That beautiful picture that the average person sees does not convey the essence and content of the profession. Behind it lies daily work, ups and downs, successes and failures.
This profession is also interesting because:
Each situation of homeowners is unique in its own way; there are no similar stories. And that’s why I call the residential real estate market a kaleidoscope in which the pictures are constantly changing
So, a novice teapot will have to shed more than one liter of sweat to master the basics of the skill! And only after this, a few months later, get the first financial results.
Probably someone reading these lines already got scared and ran away, no?
For those of you who are left, I will tell you in this article what a beginner who is inspired to learn a new profession and become a successful real estate agent should prepare in advance for!
What are the current requirements for a realtor today?
Education required for a realtor
In order to become a realtor, you do not need to have any specific experience or education. Experience shows that people who come from completely different professions achieve success here.
You won't believe it, but I know a former tram driver who today works as a real estate expert and has a huge flow of clients!
I know a former taxi driver who, having become an agent, showed excellent results. Today he is a successful sales manager! And there are a lot of such examples that can be given. The secret is that education is not as important as your skills!
In your profession, you will need the skills of a seller, negotiator, appraiser, psychologist, manager, lawyer, photographer, analyst...
It would take a long time to list the skills and talents that a professional has, they come with experience, let’s look at the key ones.
Skills and qualities required by a real estate agent
Punctuality
“Everything needs to be done on time. Yesterday was too early, tomorrow will be too late."
Bernard Werber
A successful realtor understands what it means to be on time! How important it is to call, write, or come to a meeting with a client exactly at the time agreed upon with him.
This is not easy, because an expert often needs to solve several problems at once. But
It is punctuality that increases the value of a professional in the eyes of the client!
How to manage everything? This is discipline and planning your time. In short and quickly: setting the clock back 15-20 minutes helps many “late people”!
But it happens that one meeting was delayed, another was postponed, some kind of force majeure arose... What then?
For example, if I didn’t make it to a client on time, I always called in advance and warned about it. Having apologized for this situation, he rescheduled the meeting to a time convenient for both parties. It's simple! Thus, I killed two birds with one stone - I maintained interest in meeting with me and emphasized my punctuality!
Do you want to kill two birds with one stone? Then let's move on - because for this you also need to be a sociable person.
Communication skills
Communication skills presuppose the ability to easily approach any person. Moreover, do this under any circumstances and in any environment. This skill allows a realtor to always have a solid client portfolio.
He makes contacts and connections that are useful for business, and expands his social circle.
When I was just starting my journey in this profession, I had one very active and positive colleague. But she couldn’t become a good agent for a long time. No contracts were concluded, money passed her by... As in that song: “The crocodile cannot be caught, the coconut does not grow...”
However, she had an enviable sociability and handed out her business cards to literally everyone! She managed to make acquaintances wherever she was. So what's the end result? Less than a year and a half later, her photograph was proudly displayed on the honor board of the best realtors in the office.
Responsibility
Responsibility is the ability to adequately answer for the results of one’s actions.
People are divided into two categories - responsible and victims.
The victim always looks for someone to blame for all his failures and mistakes. And a responsible person takes and corrects mistakes and achieves a positive result.
If you're not sure what you'll do, don't promise. Promised, agreed - do it!
It is important to get to the heart of the problem that the client has asked you to solve! After all, the responsibility fell on your shoulders.
The paradox is that often a novice agent, having concluded an agreement with the owner of the apartment, considers his work completed! He may not call the client for weeks, and to the manager’s question:
“Why don’t you call,” he will answer:
- What for? After all, there is no buyer yet... Why would I bother a person?
Do you think this is correct? Let's find out!
After all, the owner actually expects responsible and proactive actions from the agent from the very beginning! For example:
- placed high-quality advertising - call the client,
- did a posting in the area - tell the owner,
- Called potential buyers - bring them to view the apartment!
I will no longer write here about serious things about how to prepare for a transaction and conduct it responsibly. More on this in other articles. It is important to be responsible for the results at all stages of the contract!
And then, you can count on the effect of word of mouth, because people will definitely tell their loved ones and acquaintances about the responsible specialist.
Empathy
Empathy is the expert’s ability to understand how another person feels and what problem bothers him. However, he himself does not experience these feelings. He simply hears the client like a doctor listens to a patient.
For a successful realtor, this opens up the opportunity to actually solve a client’s problem. It becomes obvious to the client that only this expert can understand and help him.
A case from my practice
I remember an incident from my practice as a manager, when one of my agents had a deal planned for the next day fall through.
The owner of a Moscow three-room apartment, an elderly woman, 80 years old, intended to sell it and buy herself a one-room apartment.
But, on the eve of the transaction, her daughter called the agent. She said that they would not agree to the deal and would most likely refuse it due to the poor health of the owner.
Three months of the agent’s active work ended on such a minor note... Naturally, I understood that he needed help in the negotiations.
Therefore, we went to meet the owner together. It was important to talk to her and clarify the situation completely.
Entering the apartment, we saw suitcases, boxes, bags - people were clearly preparing to move. We were met by a client and her daughter, and we talked in the kitchen for literally 10-15 minutes.
I had to find out the motive for the move. Perform the work that the agent needed to do before concluding an agreement with the owner. It was important to do this in order to manage the situation and understand what chances we have for the deal. And most importantly, does the client really need it?
— What happened to your health, Larisa Ivanovna, how are you feeling? – I asked.
“Well, we started sorting things out, getting ready to move, memories came flooding back, I felt bad... I just don’t have any moral strength, I don’t have the mood to make a deal...” the client answered.
— Please tell me why you decided to sell your wonderful apartment? How did you come up with this idea? – I asked.
“My late husband really wanted to give his beloved grandchildren certain amounts of money during his lifetime that would appear after this transaction. Life decreed otherwise, and he did not have time to realize his dream. I took this task upon myself, but apparently I don’t have enough strength...
My daughter is sitting next to me, and I turn to her:
— Tell me, Olga... how did you feel about your mother’s decision to sell the apartment? Did you support him?
“For me, my mother’s words are law,” Olga said, “so we took up this issue, but since in my heart I didn’t make this decision for myself, it turns out I don’t support it.”
“You know,” I summed up, “when I make an important decision, I need the support of my loved ones. Without feeling this support, it is also difficult for me to move towards my goal.
I have been in similar situations more than once, so I understand your situation.
We have done the work that you entrusted to us and are ready to carry out the transaction. But since you are not feeling well right now, the most important thing is to restore your health.
After that, I will be glad to hear your final decision. Give up this idea, or you will find the strength to carry out your plans.
With this we said goodbye.
The daughter called the next day:
“Mom is feeling better, and we are ready to make a deal!”
And already at the deal, Larisa Ivanovna asked me:
— Yuri, tell me, are you like this in real life or is it professional?
“Larisa Ivanovna,” I answered, “to find out and understand the client’s problem to the end and solve it is my job.”
“Thank you for helping me fulfill my dream,” a grateful smile appeared on Larisa Ivanovna’s joyful face.
Showing empathy means you understand the customer's problem. You see it from the outside, quite clearly. This means you can find and offer the most optimal solution or several options for solving the problem.
When this happens, the realtor’s value in the client’s eyes increases dramatically.
You may ask, how can this be? Why didn't the agent show empathy when concluding the contract with the owner? In fact, this realtor has all the qualities that are important for success. Except one. He is not an empathic person.
Determination
If you have determination, there will always be a goal. There is a goal - there will be results!
I remember my favorite movie “Sorcerers” from childhood. When a person sees a goal, believes in himself and does not notice obstacles! Any goal becomes achievable.
I had almost the same experience as the main character Ivan. I knew nothing and could not do anything in this profession, I started from scratch. But I set myself a goal for the first six months of work. It looked quite laconic and simple: carry out 7 transactions in 6 months.
As a result, thanks to my determination and having a goal, I achieved this result!
Of course, after completing the first 7 transactions, I moved towards new goals with the same determination and achieved them!
Stress resistance
Real estate is one of the most stressful professions.
A realtor communicates with different people every day. Its success depends on the quantity and quality of contacts. At the same time, stress accumulates!
Therefore it is important:
- try to minimize stressful situations
- have a positive mindset
- respond correctly to failures
This will allow you to always be in excellent physical and psychological shape, charge yourself and those around you with positive energy.
Energy
Energy is a set of several qualities:
- high vitality
- performance
- activity
- persistence in achieving goals
- determination
I will say more - a realtor is an energy seller! Yes, I didn't make a mistake.
In fact, the real estate agent sells his services vigorously! If he does it sluggishly, tiredly and without energy, then who will buy them?
We conclude - customers buy energy!!!
Self confidence
Self-confidence is a skill. It is practiced by getting out of your comfort zone! This is the result of getting rid of fears of failures and refusals, complexes and cliches!
Many beginners believe that they need to gain knowledge and then confidence will come to them. This is wrong.
Confidence comes only with training and practice communicating with clients!
My first meeting with the owner of the property took place in the first week of my employment with the agency. Did it end with the conclusion of an agreement? No. But if there had not been her and similar meetings, there would have been no success.
Only actions bring results!
I'm sure you're familiar with all of these key skills. That's not the point. Knowing and doing different things, right? Test yourself how developed this or that skill is? How do you behave in stressful situations? What three goals have you achieved in life that you are proud of? Can you hear your interlocutor?
Do you doubt that you have all of the listed skills and qualities? Dont be upset!
Make sure that 5 or more of the 8 skills and qualities listed in the article are characteristic and close to you! If you intend to develop the remaining qualities, I can congratulate you! This profession is for you!
The right start from scratch. Let's get ready!
So, today we figured out:
- What is the profession of a realtor?
- what education does a real estate agent need?
- what qualities and skills are needed to succeed in this business
How suitable is this profession for you?
For those of you who have chosen it for yourself, now is the time to learn about the stages that will allow you to make a powerful breakthrough at the start of this business! Read about this in my article “Are you a new realtor and don’t know where to start? 9 stages of a successful start! Read before you make the final decision to become a realtor and join a real estate agency.
I wish you success and cheerful mood!
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If you have any questions, ask in the comments!
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Sincerely,
Yuri Gallyamov
Exercises to develop realtor skills
- Exercise “sell the plane” . The exercise requires one seller and about five buyers. The essence of the game is that buyers must set for themselves the conditions under which they can buy the aircraft. Everyone turns away from the seller, who, in turn, must voice proposals, anticipating the possible desires of clients. If the client hears an offer that satisfies his needs, he should turn around. The seller has three minutes to interest customers, if after this time everyone is turned to face him, the training has been completed successfully.
- Exercise "oriental bazaar" . Each participant writes his name on eight pieces of paper (everyone must have the same sheet of paper), they are folded so that the name is not visible and placed in a common box. After this, the presenter distributes “notes” equally to all participants. The essence of the game is that the winner is the one who is the first to receive eight pieces of paper with his name back; he can persuade, argue and exchange existing “goods”. During the exercise, you should pay attention to your own and other people’s behavior strategies in achieving the goal.
The proposed exercises help develop communication skills, sales skills and practice psychology by observing the actions of other participants.
