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AGENT ESSENTIALS
Five Skills Successful Real Estate Agents Need
Use These Five Skills to Increase Your Success as a Real Estate Agent We already know that the best real estate agents never stop learning, but have you wondered which skills will help you dominate your local market? We’ll break down the fundamental skills all successful agents have mastered so that you can feel confident as you take on the world of real estate. What Five Skills Do Real Estate Agents Need to Thrive? 1. Knowledge of the Industry This skill might seem obvious, but it's too important not to mention. You might run into a well-versed client or two who have been around the real estate block, but most are clueless about the steps involved in buying or selling a home. It's your job to help your clients make sense of the process through hands-on assistance. Plus, providing credible and valuable information establishes your expertise so that you can become a go-to source for new buyers. Combine your Pre-Licensing education with experience and creativity to overcome any new, unexpected challenges that you face in this ever-changing industry. Areas of Specialization Of course, you can't expect to learn everything. For example, you might specialize in selling or buying vacation homes, allowing you to hone in on the relevant education, certifications, and connections you need to build your sphere of influence within that specialty. Whatever your niche might be, study it to the tiniest of details. Becoming a jack of all trades is near impossible for most, but mastering one area of specialization can be done, and your clients will appreciate your expertise. In-depth Local Area Knowledge Moreover, get involved with your community, town, and state. Familiarity with amenities, schools, and local businesses will help you stand out and become a reliable, trustworthy source of information. 2. Communication Skills Clients are as essential to your business as the property that you're selling. You must listen to them to understand what they need. Don't assume their preferences; demonstrate that you see them as people, not numbers on your balance sheet, by being attentive and transparent in your client dealings. After all, the purchase of property is often the largest expense anyone undertakes in their lifetime - and each client’s home should fit their specific needs. If a client is looking to find an apartment, this site is all about real people and local agents. Check out the successful competitors or well-known names in other areas to see which elements of their branding you can incorporate into yours. Make good use of your website and social media profiles to set a solid foundation for a fruitful relationship. Dedicate an entire page to who you are and what sets you apart from the competition. If you need help building your website or feel unsure about what content to post therein, check out our free resources below: How to Create a Killer Real Estate Agent Website That Boosts Lead Generation A Real Estate Agent's Guide to Creating Marketable Content Optimize Your Social Media Marketing in 2021 As you flesh out your website and social media presence, remember that no two clients are alike. They'll have differing sets of needs and preferences. Meet them where they are, whether that means communicating through text or lengthy phone consultations where you explain the ins and outs of a home purchase. You are your client’s guide through the thorny world of real estate, and clear communication will bolster your reputation as the top agent around. 3. Adaptability Real estate often changes as new laws and legislation are passed. That’s why agents are required to take Continuing Education courses to maintain their licenses - so that they can take in industry changes and respond accordingly. Technology is a notable example. It continually integrates with the sector in new forms, making it challenging yet vital to determine which tech-based solutions to embrace. Luckily, The CE Shop is here to help answer all of your real estate tech questions. Check out our free ebook on easy-to-use technology tools that can grow your real estate career to get started. 4. Networking Skills Networking is essential for real estate agents. You're a representative of your community, so you both depend on and can thrive from the connections you make. Tune into our podcast episode on networking embedded below to learn all you need to know about this crucial aspect of real estate agent success. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Subscribe with Apple Podcasts Subscribe with RSS Download this episode 5. Professional Integrity To succeed long-term in real estate, you must have integrity. It's the only way to develop and maintain a reputation as the go-to expert in your field. That’s why REALTORS® are required to remain transparent in all transactions and interactions. Useful transparency-boosting strategies include: Asking for testimonials to publish on your website. Posting stories of successful, happy clients. Responding quickly and proactively to negative reviews. Sharing comprehensive reports of the local area, even if they're negative. Charging reasonable rates and openly comparing yourself to prominent competition. Providing transparent agreements to each client. All of these actions might seem small at first, but they add up to build a reliable image that your clients will appreciate. The best agents are constantly learning, so keep working at these five foundational skills to find success in real estate. And don’t worry - The CE Shop will be here to help you through every stage of your career, whether you’re just joining the industry or you’ve been selling houses for decades.
Back to School for Real Estate Agents
Real Estate School Is in a Class of Its Own It’s back-to-school season for kids and adults alike! Whether you’re a future agent launching a new career or an existing professional ready to tackle your CE, don’t fall behind this autumn. In the back-to-school spirit, we’ve compiled a few tips to make completing your real estate education as simple as ABC. Register for Courses The first step in going back to (real estate) school is actually enrolling. First, you’ll want to determine exactly what kind of real estate education you need to purchase this fall. Pre-Licensing Pre-Licensing is the regulatory education required by each state’s real estate commission for getting your license and working in the real estate industry. Obtaining an approved Pre-Licensing course is the first step that future agents must take when launching a real estate career. Exam Prep If you’re studying up for a licensing exam, whether starting out as an agent or working on reciprocal licensure, Exam Prep might be right for you. The CE Shop’s experts took apart each state’s candidate handbook and simplified it for the best study experience. You can expect unlimited practice exam questions that are mirror image examples of what you’ll see on the test, and we believe in our Exam Prep Edge program so much that we guarantee a full refund if you demonstrate competency in all sections but do not pass the exam. Post-Licensing Some states require certain courses for your first renewal after you become a licensed agent. If you’re approaching one year in the field, you may need to invest in Post-Licensing education. States That Require Post-Licensing Education: Alabama Arkansas California Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Kentucky Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Continuing Education (CE) Continuing Education consists of the coursework required to retain your real estate license. While your license renewal date and specific CE requirements will vary depending on your home state, each and every agent must complete Continuing Education to maintain their licensure. Luckily, The CE Shop offers an array of state-specific courses and engaging electives that follow current trends and issues in the industry. Shop for School Supplies Once you’ve found the right education, ensure you have the perfect supplies on hand. Designated workspace Like most professional and educational undertakings, real estate school requires time, dedication, and focus. A designated workspace can clue your mind into study time and help make learning more productive. Whether it’s an ergonomic chair in one corner of your bedroom or a fully outfitted home office, remember to prioritize your physical learning space. Laptop, tablet, or smartphone Of course, you’ll certainly need one or the other if you choose to take courses online. Here at The CE Shop, you can study up on any device, making it more convenient than ever to learn on your time. While exploring your new career path, you may want to look up terms, check local market data, or type notes, so be sure to have a device on hand that supports your learning style. Books If you’re learning offline, you may need to purchase some clunky or expensive textbooks before heading back to real estate school. When you opt for a fully online company like The CE Shop, however, you can shop around for a few fun reads to supplement what you’re learning instead. Our favorites include The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller of Keller Williams, The Book of YES by Kevin Ward, and Real Estate Success in 5 Minutes a Day by Karen Briscoe. Pen and paper Whether you’re jotting down concepts to come back to or working through some of the trickier math questions, you can’t go wrong with good old pen and paper. Be sure to have plenty on hand so you never have to jump up and interrupt your learning. Complete the Required Reading While your courses will cover the more logistical side of the job, real estate can be a complex and ever-evolving industry. Luckily, The CE Shop’s experts spend countless hours researching trending topics, tips, and advice designed to help grow your business beyond your real estate courses. This fall, explore some of the resources below to develop an informed and well-rounded approach to real estate. Getting started: The Top 5 Reasons Agents Quit and How to Overcome Congratulations, You’re a Real Estate Agent! …Now What? Assembling Your Sphere of Influence Grow your business: Discovering Your Real Estate Market Niche Buying and Selling Eco-Friendly, Energy-Saving Homes Building Your Real Estate Team From Scratch Hot topics: Great Agents Can Make or Break a Sight Unseen Sale U.S. Cities Offer Incentives to Lure in Remote Workers Across the U.S.: What Does $500,000 Get You in Real Estate? Industry news: Natural Disasters and Real Estate Land of the Renters: U.S. Homeowners Pay More Per Month Vacation Home Sales Skyrocket During COVID-19 Pandemic Technology: Using Social Media to Grow Your Real Estate Business 5 Reasons Why Real Estate Agents Should Use VR 10 Things Your Real Estate CRM Should Do for You Make Friends No matter the stage of your real estate career, success takes a village. Remember to socialize as you’re heading back to real estate school. Network When it comes to growing your sphere of influence, there’s no time like the present! Make a point to network with your fellow agents and local industry thought leaders to grow your knowledge. After all, sometimes peers are the best teachers. Join a real estate group You may already be a part of PTA, but what about NAR? There are also hundreds of national and local real estate organizations that can supplement your learning this fall. If you’re looking for something a little more casual, perhaps consider joining one of The CE Shop’s Facebook groups. While you may not get a gold star these days, following a few simple back-to-school steps can help make your real estate education a breeze. After all, nothing should lesson your enthusiasm for going back to school!
Top Tips for Career Switchers Considering Real Estate
Most Agents Say Real Estate Wasn’t Their First Career Switching careers can feel intimidating, but if you’re considering making real estate your second or even third career, you’re certainly not alone. Many prospective agents enter the industry later in life, bringing skills and experiences from previous careers that make them top-tier real estate professionals. A March 2021 report from the National Association of REALTORS® found that the majority of REALTORS® are in the second or third stage of their careers: Among commercial agents, 34% said real estate was their first career, 37% said it was their second career, and 29% said it was their third career or more. Among residential agents, 17% said real estate was their first career, 49% said it was their second career, and 34% said it was their third career or more. Jessica Stone, an agent in Charleston, South Carolina, is one such professional who made a major career change earlier this year when she switched from education to real estate. She shared her story with The CE Shop, offering tips for others considering making the leap into a new career in real estate. Stone’s Start in Real Estate Stone’s career in real estate was inspired in part by her cousin, who works as an agent. Stone and her husband were her cousin’s first clients. “My husband and I bought our first home and had our first kid, and then we were getting ready to have our second kid and debating on whether we should renovate or move,” Stone said. “My cousin had just relocated to Charleston and was coming on board in real estate with her mom, who had been doing it for decades. “We were her first transactions. We bought and sold, and she was able to learn the ropes through that process.” Fast-forward to 2021, when Stone was forced to consider a new career because she was laid off from her job in education. As she was deciding what to do next, Stone’s cousin encouraged her to try real estate. “I was getting my resume together to maybe think about a different path … and she was like, ‘No, come do this with me! You’ll love it, it’s so fun. It’s really just about helping people, and you do that all day every day. You get to be your own boss,’” Stone explained. “She just really had the right words, the right level of encouragement, to [help me] take this really big leap of faith.” Stone said that although it might not have felt like it at the time, getting laid off might have been a blessing in disguise because it led her to real estate. “If I had not been laid off, I don’t know that I would have [made a career change],” Stone said. “So, I think it’s important to remember that really good things can come from really bad experiences, where you think you’ve just hit rock bottom, and so you just go a completely different way.” With the help of The CE Shop, Stone was able to complete her Pre-Licensing education while staying home with her two young kids. “The CE Shop was instrumental in helping me do this, because I was able to do it completely on my own time,” she said. “The coursework was great — I was able to get everything I needed to get that license and just do it completely at my own pace. Really, the only way that I could have pulled this off was through [The CE Shop].” Tips for Launching a Real Estate Career Stone entered the real estate industry at a time that presented unique challenges, such as the incredibly hot, low-inventory housing market that has been booming in recent years, but she said she’s enjoying working as an agent because “no two days are the same.” Switching careers isn’t always easy, but Stone said it’s been incredibly fulfilling. “For people that haven’t considered going into business for themselves, it’s a transition, but to me, it’s just so worth it,” she said. For others who are considering launching a career in real estate, Stone has three pieces of advice: Plan ahead for expenses that will arise while you complete your education and start as a new agent. “Be prepared to dip into your savings or work that side hustle [as you build your client base] — it’s just going to happen,” she said. “You’re kind of just paying yourself forward. It feels uncomfortable, but if you’ve got the savings, feel good about [using] it. It’s there for you to use to do this incredible thing for you and perhaps your family.” Get to know other new agents as you begin your journey into real estate. “It's important to have your mentors and the people who have been in the field for a long time, yes, but I also think there’s a lot of power in just being able to commiserate with someone who gets it 100%,” Stone said. Do your research before joining a brokerage. Stone recommends “making sure that the person that you pick is there to look over the contacts that you’re signing; is there to answer your calls, your texts, your emails; is there to provide you with training… Most of us are not going to feel very confident in those first few transactions, so having a Broker that’s mindful of that, has steps in place to help you feel better... [is crucial].” Becoming a Real Estate Agent Looking for more tips on switching careers and becoming a real estate agent? Check out our ebook, The Career Switcher’s Guide to Real Estate, an ebook that walks you through the process of becoming a real estate agent, including the education and exams that you’ll take on.
