Insights

Starting Your Career In Real Estate

guest blogger • Oct 20, 2021

Written by our Guest Blogger, Grant Bates from Hamptons.

I work in real estate, but I think these tips are pretty universal.

Experience: You don’t have it, you can’t learn it, experience happens over time. Will you make mistakes? Yes. Will you know the answer to every question? No. There is no shame in saying “I don’t know, I will come back to you”, never “fluff” and risk your reputation.

Strengths: Play to your strengths. If you are charming, be charming. If you are analytical, be analytical. Don’t pretend to be an experienced realtor when you’re not…yet. Manage the metrics you can, be on time, be polite, work hard and always put the right advice for the client ahead of any potential commission. If this is a career be objective, look long term, and realise how important word of mouth is/will be.

Hours: You might not want to hear it, but you need to be available at all times. When you’re building a brand, you need to show clients your drive and willingness to deliver the right result for them. That means early starts, late finishes and working on the weekend. Time off is a luxury you can afford yourself when you get where you need to be and when you have the skill to better manage your time. Skill that comes from experience, experience that comes from hours worked.

Mentor: I say this a lot. Get yourself a mentor. Look for someone senior in your company that is respected by your peers. Ask them to mentor you. Having an experienced sound board is crucial. They will be flattered, and you will gain an invaluable ally.

Be Nice: It sounds simple but treat everyone with respect and courtesy, client or not. My first boss used to say treat every client like your Nan. While you shouldn’t take that literally, that would be weird, the premise is true. It’s a people industry and clients want to deal with people they like and trust.

Personal Brand: Social media. A strong following leads to referrals and recommendation. As the industry changes individuals will become as important as the brand behind them.