It’s never too soon to start developing skills for success. Perhaps you just recently enrolled in classes to obtain your sales license. Maybe you recently passed your South Carolina license exam (in which case, we congratulate you!) or, perhaps, you’ve been working as a real estate agent for several months now but feel like something is missing—like you need to do more to stand out from your competitors.
This blog post provides several helpful tips for real estate agents, whether you’re just starting out or simply looking for new ways to boost your existing business. Experienced agents understand that building a successful business means building relationships. You don’t just want to generate a lead, close a deal and be done with it. You want to stay connected to your clients, so they will refer others to you and will return to your business when they have real estate needs in the future. These tips will help you stand out as an expert in your field.
Become a go-to real estate agent for information about the local market
How many houses have gone under contract in your local sales area in the past month? Of those, how many went to closing? Approximately how many homes are for sale in your area in specific price ranges? These are basic market questions that an experienced real estate agent should be able to answer when prospective buyers want to know.
In addition to listings, market trends and sales data, if you want to stand out from other agents in your area, become as knowledgeable as you can about the history of your community, as well as its current amenities. A buyer might want to know how well a local high school football team has done in the past five years or what the political demographic is in a specific neighborhood. Your goal is to be a go-to for information, which means you should always be researching, studying and learning as much as you can.
Be a good listener and act on what you hear
The most successful real estate agents usually sit down with new clients to discuss their needs and goals. If you want to establish a superior reputation as a sales agent, develop your listening skills. Take notes and create a bullet point list of each client’s needs, hopes and goals. Then, construct a home-search that aligns with those details.
Learn to get it right the first time
If you’re working as a listing agent, you will stand out from competitors if you excel in getting list prices right the first time around. This helps you build a successful track record. If your sellers are always over-pricing or underpricing their homes, prospective clients are less likely to entrust their homes to you to sell. Learn to use comparative analyses and other available tools to assess the fair market value of a house and price it accordingly.
Your appearance, demeanor, confidence and communication style
You can master all the real estate agent skills relevant to listing and showing homes, as well as negotiating offers. However, if clients do not find you personable, it will be difficult to achieve success. If you want to stand out, it’s imperative that you present yourself in a memorable manner.
The best agents exude confidence, they smile and make direct eye contact with their clients. They are courteous and helpful and willing to go above and beyond to help people achieve their real estate goals. Think of the qualities you would want a real estate agent to have and develop these attributes as you take the necessary steps to build a successful real estate career.