As one of Queensland’s leading real estate training organisations, REAA is often asked what are the best qualities of a real estate agent? As a result, we set out and engaged real estate leaders, recruiters and professional principals currently working in the Queensland Real Estate industry and asked what they look for when employing both new and experienced real estate sales agents.
The top three qualities of a real estate sales agent, is to:
> Be Resilient
> Have a purpose. What is your “Reason Why”?
> Have self-belief
Resilience:
Honestly, the real estate industry is full rejection. As a sales agent, you believe you have put down a reasonable price offering or demonstrated your best sale negotiation skills, but unfortunately they won’t be good enough for everyone. If you loose a sale, or don’t gain any new listings within a week, you will feel down but you have to get back up and show resilience.
Reason Why:
What is your reason for wanting to work 6 days a week, long hours and within a very high-demanding industry? What drives you? Whether it is your family, the desire to buy the best car on the market or that over seas holiday you have wanted to adventure on since you were 12, you need a driver. Choose it, stick with it and make it your reason to work hard and be one of the top real estate agents in Queensland.
Self-Belief:
Believe in yourself. If you don’t, no one else will have a reason to either. How many things would you try, if you knew you could not fail? Believe you can list and sell 12 houses per month. Believe you can please the client, with not just the price of a property, but with the best customer service you can provide.
How can you adapt these 3 best qualities of a real estate agent?
The most effective way to drive behavioural change and develop a new skill is to apply and practice it on the job.
A great learning and development philosophy to follow is that of 70/20/10*.
> 70% from real life on-the-job implementation of new skills, tasks and problem solving. This is the most important aspect of any learning and development plan. Many organisations agree in theory, but implementing it correctly is another thing altogether.
> 20% from feedback, mentoring and coaching.
> 10% of formal real estate training/learning so that you gain a solid base of knowledge and skills.
If you have the top 3 skills of a real estate agent, then you’re in. Other qualities of a good real estate agent can be picked up from on-the-job training, through the 70% implementation stage.
The other top qualities of a real estate sales agent which were found to be desirable include:
> Communication
> Proactive
> Listen
> Client motivated
> Adaption to client needs
> Time management
*70/20/10 learning concept was developed by Morgan McCall, Robert W. Eichinger, and Michael M. Lombardo at the Center for Creative Leadership and is specifically mentioned in The Career Architect Development Planner 3rd edition by Michael M. Lombardo and Robert W. Eichinger.