Do You Have the Right Personality to Be a Real Estate Agent?

When you see real-estate agents in action, their industry looks stylish and fascinating. They show off houses for a living and reap the rewards. There’s a lot more to real estate than just a smiling agent, however. These professionals take pride in their work, and it takes a lot of effort to be truly successful. Becoming a real estate agent is possible when you have the right personality for the job. Explore these traits that agents must have so that they can make the deal on each listing.

A Salesperson’s Mindset

Buying and selling houses takes effort. The rewards are often lucrative commissions, but the journey to closing day requires a salesperson’s mindset. The best salespeople can sell items to people who really don’t need those products. A sales pitch can be incredibly effective when the salesperson knows how to wield their talents.

Agents evaluate their clients at first. They get to know their needs, and note any dislikes when it comes to property features. With these tools, agents can narrow down the available homes for a potential sale. It’s hard to say “no” to an agent who’s using logic and influence without any negative drawbacks to the conversation.

Regional Knowledge

A trait that’s based on experience is regional knowledge. Agents cannot sell a home to the right buyer without knowing the area in great detail. Crime statistics, school-district quality and other regional features are crucial to any sale. Families want to know that their children are safe as they head off to school. Other buyers want certain amenities in the area, such as community pools. Effective agents learn and continually add to their knowledge base so that matching the right people to the region comes naturally.

Detailed Work Habits

Agents cannot be lackadaisical about their listings. Attention to detail is a personality trait that’s required for any success in this business. These professionals dress and tidy up properties so that any listing photos look spectacular online. They suggest furniture changes and household additions that will spark interest in buyers, such as removing personal photos and borrowing attractive artwork. Missing any detail can mean the difference between a sold or stagnant property.

Your agent keeps up with industry trends that impact the home, such as landscaping options in the front yard. If potted plants are the latest craze, talented agents will use them strategically around the property.

Networking Contacts

When you have the right personality in the real-estate world, contacts come naturally. You work in the same region as several colleagues. There’s a healthy level of competition, but you also work together when it comes to the good of the sale. Maintaining these contacts takes some effort because it’s a continual bond that’s periodically strengthened through meetings, lunches, and other gatherings. If you’re too closed off from others in your industry, these relationships aren’t possible. Leads and insider knowledge are dramatically lacking in your business, which drives your sales success downward.

Consistent Follow-Up

Top agents don’t allow things to simply happen. They make them happen. Consistent follow-up includes calls to buyers, sellers and other agents working certain properties. They want to know if buyers and sellers appreciate the properties, and if there are any concerns. Successful agents strike a balance between being helpful and available while not appearing pushy. Aggressive types tend to drive off their prospective customers.

Every follow-up conversation is another sales opportunity. Agents dig deeper into their clients’ psyches in order to meet their needs while improving their sales profits.

Strategic Use of Social Media

It’s nearly impossible to make consistent sales today without the Internet. Savvy professionals have personalized websites and active social-media accounts. They advertise their listings with pride, but agents also know how to mix up the information. Fun posts, how-to explanations and other descriptions create followers who want to hear about the real-estate world. Successful agents know that clients come from almost any corner of the world, including a single follower from another town entirely. Social media gets properties moving in little time.

Forthright Personality

Agents cannot be shy, and they can’t bully their clients into a sale or purchase. There’s a fine balance between being pushy and confident about a listed property. Having a strong and approachable personality allows clients to feel comfortable around the agents. Refining this leadership role takes time and education, however. If you lack these traits, taking real estate training online is a step in the right direction. Create a professional personality that draws in customers while guiding them to the next, great property.

Neat Appearance

Showing up to any appointment with clients requires a neat appearance. People who believe that working as an agent gives you more freedom in the wardrobe department are mistaken. Both men and women must wear business attire as they work with clients. A neat and attractive haircut, along with simple accessories, tells your clients that you’re there to professionally guide them to the next step. Wearing jeans and a tee-shirt to an appointment shows that you don’t take the work seriously. The listing might go to another agent as a result.

Passion for Real Estate

Getting into the real-estate industry for the money won’t equate to a long-term career. Your personality must reflect your love of people and real-estate details. Passion might develop out of your need to place families in the perfect home. You might love the neighborhood that you represent, and you want to share those features with the world. This passion turns into a career that you can be proud of each day. There won’t be a sale every workday, but you can be sure that you’re helping people through the buying-and-selling process at every step.

Certain personality traits are inherent to the person’s mind while others can be acquired through school. Don’t forget to take advantage of real estate classes online. Learn about the tricks of the trade that really benefit the beginning agent. In a few years, you’ll look back and realize that class was the turning point for your career.