Real Estate Sales Agents

Also called: Agricultural Real Estate Agent, Apartment Leasing Agent, Apartment Leasing Consultant, Apartment Rental Agent, Building Consultant

Varies

estimated salary

Real estate sales agents rent, buy or sell the property for clients. Perform duties such as study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property sites, discuss conditions of sale, and draw up real estate contracts. Includes agents who represent buyers.

  • Prepare documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds, and leases.
  • Present purchase offers to sellers for consideration.
  • Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers, generally representing one or the other.
  • Generate lists of properties that are compatible with buyers' needs and financial resources.
  • Confer with escrow companies, lenders, home inspectors, and pest control operators to ensure that terms and conditions of purchase agreements are met before closing dates.
  • Promote sales of properties through advertisements, open houses, and participation in multiple listing services.
  • Compare a property with similar properties that have recently sold to determine its competitive market price.
  • Coordinate property closings, overseeing signing of documents and disbursement of funds.
  • Interview clients to determine what kinds of properties they are seeking.
  • Contact previous clients for prospecting of referral business.
  • Review property listings, trade journals, and relevant literature, and attend conventions, seminars, and staff and association meetings, to remain knowledgeable about real estate markets.
  • Answer clients' questions regarding construction work, financing, maintenance, repairs, and appraisals.
  • Coordinate appointments to show homes to prospective buyers.
  • Contact property owners and advertise services to solicit property sales listings.
  • Advise sellers on how to make homes more appealing to potential buyers.
  • Advise clients on market conditions, prices, mortgages, legal requirements, and related matters.
  • Display commercial, industrial, agricultural, and residential properties to clients and explain their features.
  • Accompany buyers during visits to and inspections of property, advising them on the suitability and value of the homes they are visiting.
  • Arrange for title searches to determine whether clients have clear property titles.
  • Develop networks of attorneys, mortgage lenders, and contractors to whom clients may be referred.
  • Review plans for new construction with clients, enumerating and recommending available options and features.
  • Inspect condition of premises, and arrange for necessary maintenance or notify owners of maintenance needs.
  • Visit properties to assess them before showing them to clients.
  • Investigate clients' financial and credit status to determine eligibility for financing.
  • Evaluate mortgage options to help clients obtain financing at the best prevailing rates and terms.
  • Appraise properties to determine loan values.
  • Contact utility companies for service hookups to clients' property.
  • Solicit and compile listings of available rental properties.
  • Conduct seminars and training sessions for sales agents to improve sales techniques.
  • Arrange meetings between buyers and sellers when details of transactions need to be negotiated.
  • Rent or lease properties on behalf of clients.
  • Secure construction or purchase financing with own firm or mortgage company.
  • Locate and appraise undeveloped areas for building sites, based on evaluations of area market conditions.
Work Context
  • Electronic Mail — 100% responded "Every day".
  • Telephone — 95% responded "Every day".
  • Contact With Others — 95% responded "Constant contact with others".
  • Level of Competition — 85% responded "Extremely competitive".
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 73% responded "Every day".
  • Structured versus Unstructured Work — 81% responded "A lot of freedom".
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 67% responded "A lot of freedom".
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Work Activities
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Selling or Influencing Others — Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Identify potential customers.
  • Contact current or potential customers to promote products or services.
  • Negotiate prices or other sales terms.
  • Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.
  • Prepare sales or other contracts.
  • Negotiate prices or other sales terms.
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Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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Skills

Active Listening
  • Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
  • Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Negotiation
  • Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Social Perceptiveness
  • Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
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Abilities

Oral Comprehension
  • The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
  • The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Recognition
  • The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Speech Clarity
  • The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Document management software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat Hot Technology
  • Microsoft Word Hard to Find Contracts
Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel Hot Technology
  • Spreadsheet software
  • IBM Lotus 1-2-3
Web page creation and editing software
  • Facebook Hot Technology
  • Social media sites Hot Technology
  • LinkedIn Hot Technology
  • Web page creation and editing software
  • Microsoft FrontPage
  • MediaVue
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