RSPJ.co.id – How to be a successful real estate agent? A career as a real estate agent can be a very interesting option for all types of professionals, from those who have just graduated to those who want to change the sector.
While there is no one way to become an agent, there are certain common guidelines, goals, and considerations that all applicants should be aware of.
To help you make your decision, we’ve put together a guide where you’ll find information about the time and money you’ll need to invest, as well as strategies and answers to frequently asked questions that will give you all the context you need.
How Long Does It Take To Become A Real Estate Agent?
The time it takes to become a real estate agent depends on many factors, such as the region in which you live. Although in most Latin American countries and in Spain it is not necessary to have a license, you should consult the specific requirements of the country and of the area where you are going to operate (for example, in Colombia or Argentina ).
It also depends on your availability, because even if you don’t have to get a license, you should invest the time and resources to find the right training and career guidance.
If you have enough flexibility to attend courses, seminars and professional events, your progress will be much faster than if you take your new career as a mere side job.
Both in Latin America and in Spain you will find official and private entities that offer a wide variety of courses of all kinds, from those that only require a few hours to those that last several months.
Once you have the right knowledge of the sector, it is best to find a real estate agency to work with for the first two or three years of your degree, but this process can also take considerable time depending on your availability.
If you only want to work part-time, finding an agency can be more difficult, as many will be wary of working with agents who will obviously generate less income than full-time ones.
In addition, you may need additional training depending on the type of agency you work for, the type of properties you sell, and the requirements of the region where you operate.
For example, national franchises, local agencies and virtual real estate will have their own preferences and requirements that you will have to adapt to.
The time it will take you to gain enough experience to work on your own will depend on the agency you choose, but is usually between six months and a year.
Therefore, to become an agent, you will need to invest a total of one to three years minimum.
How Much Does It Cost To Become A Real Estate Agent?
As you can imagine, working in the real estate market not only requires a continuous investment to acquire the necessary experience and knowledge, but also a significant financial investment.
We have already pointed out that in different countries it is necessary to have different levels of training, so this investment may vary depending on where you live and the educational level you want to acquire.
Training courses leading to a professional degree usually cost between USD 500 and USD 1,200 (or the equivalent in your local currency), so you may need to dip into your savings to stay afloat during the first phase of your race.
If you work on commission for an agency, you may also have to rely on your savings until you start closing your first sales.
If you want to have a certain margin of safety, you must have enough savings to cover your expenses for six months or a year, or until you manage to sell as many properties as it takes to reach an adequate level of income.
You can also join an agency that pays you a salary instead of working on commission, or even find a source of additional income until you can make a living from your new real estate career.
Advantages Of Being A Real Estate Agent
Real estate comes with a host of career benefits, including the ability to work flexible hours and manage your own schedule.
This flexibility is essential for Sonia Álvarez, executive director of Santa Marta Residencial.
However, being able to manage your own schedule does not mean that you will work less, since you will have to be available during busier hours, such as late afternoons and weekends.
Despite this, the real estate sector is still a relatively flexible option, since it allows you to take a week off from time to time or take advantage of the mornings to take your children to school.
Santiago Cadenas, president of Grupo Raíces, and insists that the flexibility of this profession does not mean working fewer hours than in traditional working hours.
According to Santiago, “working with real estate can be a very lucrative profession, with considerable benefits, but now that technology keeps us permanently connected, those who want to succeed must be available to their clients practically 24 hours a day.”
Personal interaction is another of the great advantages of this profession, since properties are not bought or sold by email. In order to understand the interests and needs of customers, it is necessary to deal with them face to face, making it the ideal sector to establish personal connections.
Achieving success as a real estate agent depends largely on the motivation and dedication of each person, and one of the greatest incentives is undoubtedly the possible economic benefits.
In fact, in this profession the salary is practically unlimited, since it depends on the commissions and the effort you want to put into it.
Other great advantages of working with real estate are the following:
- You have the opportunity to see fantastic properties
- You can work from home and you don’t need to spend all day in the office
- you can dress as you want
- You can manage your own work
- You don’t need an academic degree
Reasons To Be A Real Estate Agent
Now that we’ve covered some of the pros and cons of real estate, it’s time to ask yourself if this profession is right for you.
Obviously, only you can answer this question, but if you have trouble deciding, you can ask someone who already works as an agent to let you accompany them for a day, or talk to different professionals who can give you more information about the sector.
As with any other job, there is no guarantee of guaranteed success, but if you are motivated and creative enough, and if you are good at solving problems, this could be your ideal profession.
Also, although this career can be very lucrative from an economic and personal point of view, it is not usually easy, and requires a large dose of independence, motivation and mental agility, since you will not have anyone telling you what to do and Reaching your goals will depend exclusively on you.
There are many types of real estate, such as residential, industrial, commercial, and undeveloped land.
- Residential properties: are all properties intended to serve as housing, such as apartments, houses and duplexes.
- Commercial properties: These are all properties used for commercial purposes, such as hospitals, gas stations, and restaurants.
- Industrial properties: are all properties used for industrial manufacturing, production, distribution or storage, such as warehouses, factories and power plants.
- Undeveloped land: are all those lands that can be used to build or to extract natural resources.
When you’re wondering if real estate is right for you, you should also consider what type of real estate you want to work with.
In addition, residential properties have different niches that you could focus on, such as luxury homes, apartment buildings, new construction, single-family homes, beachfront homes, properties with historical value, or even certain neighborhoods.
So not only do you need to consider whether this profession is right for you, but you also need to decide what types of properties interest you and which ones you want to specialize in.
If you’re not sure, take a look at the keys to success in real estate that we include below, where you will find professional advice to reach your goals and information to get the most out of your work.
If you already know that real estate is right for you, now is the time to focus on the steps you need to take to jump-start your career.
Steps To Become A Real Estate Agent
- Check your country’s regulatory requirements
- Register for a training course if you consider it necessary
- Look for an agency where you can gain experience
- Sign up for the official registry of real estate agents, if your country has one
- Design your own marketing materials, such as business cards or brochures
- Start building your professional network
Since the regulatory requirements depend on the country where you will be operating, and the educational requirements depend on your current level of education, the level of education you want to achieve and the time and money you can invest, we will skip the first two steps.
As for the third step, you should look for a real estate agency in which to gain professional experience during the first phase of your career.
As we have already said, there are several types of agencies that you can work with, such as national franchises, local agencies and virtual real estate that operate exclusively online.
Once you have found the right agency, register with the official registry of real estate agents in your country, if there is one. For example, if you live in Peru, you should register with the Real Estate Agent Registry of the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Sanitation, or with the Real Estate Agents Registry (RAIN) if you are in Spain and operate in Madrid.
In some countries it is not mandatory to register in the official registry, but if you do register you could find new business opportunities and additional income. Remember to check the regulations and requirements of your country or region.
Next, you should design marketing materials such as business cards and brochures, as these personalized resources will help you present a more professional image and develop your personal brand to get more leads and increase your customer base.
This brings us to the last step, the development of a professional network, for which it is essential to establish relationships with the right people to gain notoriety and to establish yourself professionally in the real estate scene in your area.
For any agent, making new contacts is a great opportunity to generate leads and expand your customer base, so you should always be on your toes.
Always keep a business card handy to give to anyone interested in buying or selling property, and don’t hesitate to chat with potential clients or co-workers whenever you get the chance.
On the other hand, you can design a professional website where you can promote your properties and your profile to give your career an extra boost, since having an online presence is essential to demonstrate the value of your services and for visitors to get an idea of Who are they going to work with?
Also, potential clients will trust you more if you provide them with information about your career path and what they can expect working with you. For example, this is the profile of Ana Martínez:
Requirements To Become A Real Estate Agent
As we have already mentioned, the requirements to work in this sector vary by country. Depending on the region where you are going to operate, you may have to comply with the following:
- Have a professional degree or a certain level of training
- Get an official license
- Find an agency to start working with
- Register in the official registry of agents
- Register with other professional associations
Keys To Success In Real Estate
Not everyone who embarks on this career manages to build a reputation in the marketplace. In order to stand out as an agent and be successful in buying and selling real estate, you must take a number of additional steps.
To identify the most effective strategies, we have asked agents from different countries for advice, and this is what they have told us.
1. Prepare Each Visit Well In Advance
Santiago Cadenas told us that, in his opinion, it is essential to take the time to review as much information as possible about a property before showing it to potential buyers.
In addition to seeking as much information as possible about the value of the property you’re selling, the neighborhood it’s in, or nearby amenities, you need to think about what makes each home truly unique, and be able to convince buyers. prospective buyers that it will be the perfect home for them.
Santiago explains it this way: «A real estate agency is like a marriage agency, because you must know which properties are the right ones for your clients, not waste your time or theirs sending them mass emails, and carefully plan your strategy to only promote the properties that fit your needs.”
2. Develop Your Communication Skills
The most important thing to work in real estate is to connect with people. According to Santiago, those who are successful in this sector also have excellent communication skills, because knowing how to inspire trust and develop close relationships is essential.
Julia Navarro, from Alianza Inmobiliaria Sureña, assures that “having outstanding communication skills is one of the main keys to success. You have to meet customers in person and talk to them about anything, not just business.”
“You have to listen carefully to your clients and show them that you not only know the market you work in well, but that you also care about their interests.”
Listening to customers is also a skill that develops over time. In order to really listen to someone, you need to avoid distractions, mute your cell phone, and give your full attention instead of continually thinking about what you are going to respond to.
Also, your customers should feel heard. Show them you’re paying attention with short confirming expressions or pertinent questions about what they just told you.
After all, the most important thing to be successful in the real estate market is to sell as many properties as you can, so practicing your communication skills is an absolute must.
3. Remember What You Are Passionate About In This Profession
In this sector, the only certainty you can have is that there will be months, or even years, in which you will not earn as much as you would like. That’s why most people I’ve talked to insist that it’s essential to have enough savings to sustain yourself until you have a large enough client base, to weather periods of market instability, or even to go off your own and start an agency. own.
The real estate market is a particularly fickle industry, so one of the keys to being successful and staying afloat when the going gets tough is remembering what you’re truly passionate about in this profession, other than money.
Santiago told us that “to stand out in this sector, you must be very clear about why you chose this career in the first place. This will be your motivation to deliver exceptional service in good times and bad, and will help you develop a strong business model going forward.”
4. Collaborate With The Right Agency
Early in your career, it’s best to work with an agency that provides you with the experience, connections, and guidance you need.
To find the ideal agency, you should ask each of the candidates if they are willing to offer you training, if they will pay you a fixed salary or if they will share their commissions with you.
According to Santiago, “collaborating with the right agency during the first 18 months of your career is essential, since a quality real estate company will offer you training and guidance so that you can develop your own client portfolio.”
However, you should not rush into making a decision, as finding the ideal real estate agency takes time, and you should talk to at least three or five agencies before settling on one.
5. Always Stay At The Forefront Of Technology
Today, some clients will want to receive updates on the properties they are interested in by text message, while others will prefer to receive them by email, see notifications on your website or receive a personal call.
In this regard, Santiago tells us that “to be successful, you have to be up-to-date with the different technologies that customers use to communicate, since only then will they be able to get in touch with you quickly and in the best way for them.”
In order not to be left behind, ask your professional colleagues what methods they use, sign up for courses on new technologies or ask your clients directly which method they prefer.
Also, in order not to lose detail about any of the clients or the properties you manage, you can invest in a CRM platform to keep your contacts organized, optimize your email and social media strategy, and improve your SEO ranking.
You can also use an SMS messaging service to manage the automated delivery of messages to clients, such as notifications about the time and place of visits to different properties.
This is everything you need to know to start a successful career in real estate trading.
Whether you’re just starting out or have been in the industry for decades, you need to remember that in this profession, continuous learning is critical to helping clients find or sell their dream home.
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