Do you love watching the housing market? Can you find the key selling point in any home? Have you always wanted flexible hours or to work for yourself? Or do you want to earn some extra income? If you have ever given thought to any of these questions, then you might enjoy a career as a professional real estate agent with Precision Properties. As the market has slowed it may be counterintuitive to start a new endeavor. However, as many are leaving the real estate business it may be the ideal time to set your footing into the industry. Further, the market is so vast that there will always be opportunity for hard working people. The numbers also paint a unique picture. Nationally, for all of 2007, there were 5,652,000 existing-home sales, the fifth highest year on record. In Massachusetts, over the last 12 months, there have been over 73,000 homes that have sold with a total market volume of over $25 billion. So despite the current real estate correction, for the right individual there are many opportunities that exist and becoming a realtor can be very rewarding if you are good at it and work hard.
The basic function of a real estate agent is to help buyers and sellers in the process of selling or renting residential or commercial property. Some agents work with buyers, helping them find places to live and negotiating with sellers. Other agents work with the sellers. Real estate agents are usually independent sales professionals who contract their services to sponsoring real estate brokers in exchange for a commission-sharing agreement. The commission on a home sale varies by market but is roughly four to six percent of the sale price. This commission is split four ways among the seller's agent, buyer's agent and the sponsoring brokers with whom each agent is associated. Real estate agents can also earn a referral fee of up to 25% by sending customers to other brokers. This can be a simple way to earn extra income, with a limited amount of time expended by an agent.
To be a good agent you need strong interpersonal/networking skills and a good sense of finance. A good agent also needs to be organized, knowing enough about each phase of the buying and selling process to keep things moving smoothly. Handling clients is also of vital importance. People can get very emotional when buying or selling a house, and are often very nervous about the large sums of money spent or acquired. Because of these emotional factors, managing clients and their expectations is of crucial importance to the successful realtor.
The first step to success is building a client base. A smart agent will hit the ground running by tapping into his/her network of friends, family and colleagues. People who do not build a client base will not survive this profession, so it is important to make sure you get off on the right foot. To accomplish this, here are a few helpful tips for jump starting your real estate career:
Get organized. Keep a database of leads, clients, and sales;
- Learn time management skills;
- Be flexible. Your clients work full-time jobs. Those jobs restrict their viewing and showing times to after-hours and week-ends;
- Develop patience. Don't rush your clients, or look distracted when meeting them in person. Your clients are dealing with one of the biggest purchases of their lives and they need your compassion and patience to make the right decision for them-not you;
- Become a strong marketer.
- Learn to network. Whether you are in a checkout line at the supermarket, a Red Sox game, or at a family function, building a strong network is vital. Word of mouth speaks louder than any advertising you could ever pay for.
At Hawthorn Properties, we are always looking for agents who are honest, hardworking, self motivated and professional. We offer competitive commission splits that are not available at larger brokerage houses. If you are interested in learning more about a career opportunity with us, please contact us at (617) 590-8159 or send us an email to careers@p-properties.com