A Few Things To Know About Real Estate Agents
Education, Qualifications and Certifications
A real estate agent must be licensed in the state in which he or she operates and also earns continuing education credits to maintain an active license status.
In addition to these requirements, most agents pursue real estate certifications and designations to improve their credentials and marketability. Although earning and maintaining a license, certification and/or designation will not be a part of an agent’s daily schedule, it is part of many agents’ plan for improving their skills, proficiency, knowledge and marketability as a real estate professional.
Generating Leads
Searching for clients is important for a real estate agent’s success in the business. Without buyers and sellers, there would be no transactions and no income. A trending, popular way to build contacts and generate leads is through a real estate sphere of influence (SOI) strategy that focuses on generating leads through the people the agent already knows, such as family, friends, neighbors, classmates, business associates and social contacts.
Because most people will sell, buy or rent property at some point in their lives, every person that an agent meets is a potential client. This means that a real estate agent’s day often includes meeting and speaking with lots of people, giving out business cards, and keeping track of contact information for a growing sphere of influence. However, meeting people and handing out business cards is only one step in cultivating new leads. It shouldn’t end there. It is important to follow up the clients with periodic phone calls, emails, or text messaging to keep the agent’s name fresh in the minds of all potential clients.
Working with Clients
Whether working on behalf of a buyer or a sellers, real estate agents spend time each day working directly with the clients.
For example, a seller‘s agent, may make appointments or meeting for a listing presentation, take digital photographs of the property, etc.
A buyer’s agent, on the other hand, may spend time searching to find appropriate listings, printing or emailing the listings to the potential buyers and showing the property to interested buyers.
Real estate agents also accompany clients to inspections, meetings with loan officers, closings and other activities where their presence is either required or requested.
Meetings and Tours
Real estate agents work for and under designated brokers. They work in the same office with other real estate agents and brokers. Regular office meetings allow agents to share their new listings, update other agents on price reductions or increase and discuss buyers’ needs. Such meetings help agents line up buyers and sellers.
Some agents go on tours to view the new listings for each week or each month. This can help agents in their search for a buyer. Such tours can also be beneficial to agents who are working with sellers; for example, after seeing the competition, it may be easier to determine a good listing price for the seller’s property.
