10 Traits of a Successful Estate Agent

Becky Martin, writer

Published at 30/07/2019, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 7 min

10 Traits of a Successful Estate Agent — Photo © estate-agent.jpg

If you’ve always been on the fence about starting a career in the estate agency industry and aren’t sure if you’ve got what it takes, this is the article for you. Today, we consider what traits make a successful estate agent to help you decide if you’re right for the role.

We’re all familiar with the basics of an estate agent’s role: to manage the processes involved in buying and selling property and land. But something we might not be as familiar with is what traits makes them successful. Buying or selling a property can be a big event for people, and is often the outcome of a huge amount of consideration, research and personal expense. If a real estate agent does their job properly, they can have a long-lasting positive effect on clients’ lives.

Becoming a real estate agent, then, requires a certain skillset and personality. You should be able to guide clients through a process that is often highly stressful and emotional with confidence and professionalism. Let’s now consider what makes estate agents successful in more detail.

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10 traits of a successful estate agent

1. Persistent

Key to succeeding in the estate agency industry is following every lead through. Make the most of technological advancements with innovations like automation that can easily track any potential leads. Apps are another easy way to keep on top of leads, so ditch the notepad and embrace the digital world.

2. Hard-working

Potential clients will want to see that you have the right attitude and are committed to getting them the best deal. Drawing on the previous skill, it’s important to not give up and fight for what’s best for your clients.

3. Knowledgeable

You need to show your clients your high level of expertise. If they ask you a question about the local area that you don’t know, they’re not going to trust you in getting them the best deal. By researching different local areas in depth, you can supply advice to your clients, and they might also consider a property a bit further afield.

It also goes without saying that you’ll need in-depth knowledge of the real estate industry, as well as an awareness of the local, regional and national housing markets. Trends change all the time, so you’ll need to keep abreast of the latest news by carrying out regular industry research. This will be invaluable when it comes to offering your clients the best deals and customer experience.

4. Honest

You should also have the ability to show real estate in its best light. Potential buyers and renters will want to see potential in a property before they sign on the dotted line, so knowing how to make any building more marketable will serve you well.

However, being untruthful or immoral in any way can ruin your career. Buying or selling a property is a big decision, so both parties are likely to do thorough research before hiring an agent.

Word spreads quickly both in the industry and in local communities and the last thing a buyer will do is pick an agent with a tainted reputation. Therefore, always operate with integrity, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also for the sake of your career.

5. Passionate

You don’t need us to tell you that you should greet clients with a ‘can-do’ attitude. The more you put yourself out there and demonstrate your willingness to help them, the happier they’ll be – and the higher the likelihood that they’ll recommend you to someone else.

If you enjoy what you’re doing, it really comes across to your clients. You should be eager to serve people and show them the best possible properties within or around their budget.

Have you ever seen a successful estate agent who looks angry or bored with their job?

Being enthusiastic, organised and presentable should not only fuel the success of your career, but it will also help buyers’ dreams come true.

6. Able to show they care

You should take the time to learn about your individual clients’ requirements and preferences. In doing so, you’ll develop a positive reputation and show your clients you really care.

Also, when working with clients, attempt to find out a little about them and their reason for buying, selling, renting or letting. This should affect the way in which you carry out your duties; for example, someone selling their late parent’s home should be treated with more compassion than an investor selling one of the 10 properties in their portfolio.

7. Organised

You need to have organisational skills to follow the process through to the end. This involves following up on queries and notifying clients whenever new developments occur. Real estate is an incredibly time-sensitive industry, which means that transactions within it can often be stressful. As a result, clients will appreciate being kept in the loop, no matter how seemingly insignificant the information is.

8. Willing to let their personality shine through

Don’t be afraid to show your personality. Clients will appreciate a friendly and confident real estate agent; there’s no need to appear so professional that you’re robotic. Demonstrate your knowledge through open conversations with your clients and enjoy the fact that you can help people make huge changes in their lives for the better.

9. Able to make connections

You’ll need a strong group of contacts to offer your clients the best properties out there. Make the most of local networking events to meet key players in the industry and build a relationship with them. You should work to develop a collection of other real estate agents, as well as valuation professionals, property inspectors and mortgage lenders and brokers.

You could also identify potential buyers and sellers in the local area so you’ve already developed a rapport by the time they choose to take action. This way, you’ll be on their radar when they choose a real estate agent to help them purchase or market their property.

10. Familiar with rules and regulations

Real estate agents sometimes have a bad reputation. Clients often perceive them to be twisting the truth and concealing negative features. This is why it’s particularly important in this industry to adhere to high ethical standards. Compile a list of principles and stick to them, or – even better – join an official body that accredits upstanding real estate agents or agencies.

Rules and regulations can vary between areas, so an estate agent needs to check up on them. Otherwise, you run the risk of giving inaccurate information to clients. Property owners rely on estate agents to guide them through all the legal technicalities, as they probably don’t possess an in-depth knowledge of real estate laws.

Have you got what it takes to become a successful real estate agent?

If you think you’ve got the traits to be an excellent real estate agent, you could consider investing in a franchise and operating under an established brand. The majority of estate agency franchises don’t require candidates to have any previous experience either, so you can enter the industry from any background.

Let’s take a look at one of our top franchise picks currently looking for franchisees with Point Franchise.

>> Read more:

Successful Franchises: Seven Steps To Promote Your Business
Traits of a Successful Franchisee
How To Achieve The Right Mind Set To Be A Successful Franchisee
Top 5 Habits of Successful Franchisees
How self-confidence can equal success for franchisees
Traits of an entrepreneur

Century 21

Century 21 offers the chance for investors to join one of the largest residential estate agencies in the world. It’s owned by SDL Group, which offers a range of services, including surveying, risk management, auctions, property management, estate agency and insurance broking. Across its network of around 8,000 offices, Century 21 employs 111,000 sales professionals in 81 countries.

Becoming a Century 21 franchisee: Industry experience is not essential for new franchisees, as this multi-national company values drive and determination more highly among its new recruits, relying on its comprehensive training scheme to cultivate the best possible workforce. You can learn more about becoming a Century 21 franchisee by clicking on their profile page.
How much you need to invest: Franchisees must make a total investment of £100,000.
What you get for your investment: When you join, you’ll be enrolled onto an extensive management training programme and get 1,500 days-worth of annual training and ongoing professional development support.

In summary…

Most employers and franchisors tend to look for individuals that possess these 10 traits rather than qualifications, as you don’t actually need any or any experience to be able to work as an estate agent. Whether you want to start working for another estate agent business or invest in a franchise and start your own, we recommend reading ‘6 Tips for Becoming a Successful Estate Agent’.

We also have a number of other estate agency franchises on our books. Make sure to check out Nicholas Humphreys, No Letting Go and Redstones.