Not everyone who embarks on this career manages to build a reputation in the market. To stand out as an agent and succeed in buying and selling real estate, you must take a series of additional steps.
To identify the most effective strategies, HubSpot 's US academy consulted experienced agents who made the following recommendations:
1. Prepare each visit well in advance
Santiago Cadenas states that it is essential to take the necessary time to consult as much information as possible about a property before showing it to potential buyers.
"A real estate agency is like a dating agency, because you need to know which properties are right for your clients, not waste your time or theirs sending mass emails, and carefully plan your strategy to promote only the properties that meet their needs," says Santiago Cadenas, president of Grupo Raíces.
"Knowing as much as possible about a property's history, and demonstrating that knowledge during the visit, is what gives it a truly professional touch. As we tell our agency clients, our real job isn't to sell houses, but to sell stories," he points out.
In addition to gathering as much information as possible about the value of the property you are selling, the neighborhood it is in, or nearby amenities, you should consider what makes each home truly unique and be able to convince potential buyers that it will be the perfect home for them.
2. Develop your communication skills
The most important thing for working in real estate is connecting with people. According to Santiago, those who succeed in this sector also have excellent communication skills, because knowing how to inspire trust and develop close relationships is fundamental.
Julia Navarro, from Alianza Inmobiliaria Sureña, asserts that "having exceptional communication skills is one of the main keys to success. You have to meet with clients in person and talk to them about any topic, not just business.".
"You must listen carefully to your customers and show them that you not only know the market you work in well, but that you also care about their interests.".
Listening to customers is also a skill that develops over time. To truly listen to someone, you must avoid distractions, silence your mobile phone, and give them your full attention instead of constantly thinking about what you're going to say next.
In addition, your customers need to feel heard. Show them you're paying attention with brief expressions of confirmation or relevant questions about what they've just told you.
Ultimately, the most important thing for success in the real estate market is to sell as many properties as you can, so practicing your communication skills is absolutely essential.
3. Remember what you are passionate about in this profession
In this industry, the only certainty you can have is that there will be months, or even years, when you won't earn as much as you'd like. That's why most of the people I've spoken to insist that it's essential to have enough savings to sustain yourself until you have a large enough client base, to weather periods of market instability, or even to become independent and start your own agency.
The real estate market is a particularly volatile sector, so one of the keys to success and staying afloat when things get tough is to remember what you're truly passionate about in this profession, besides the money.
Santiago told us that "to stand out in this sector, you must be very clear about why you chose this career in the first place. This will be your motivation to provide exceptional service in both good times and bad, and what will help you develop a solid business model for the future.".
4. Collaborate with the right agency
At the beginning of your career, it's best to work at an agency that provides you with the experience, connections, and guidance you need.
To find the ideal agency, you should ask each of the candidates if they are willing to offer you training, if they will pay you a fixed salary, or if they will share their commissions with you.
According to Santiago, "collaborating with the right agency during the first 18 months of your career is fundamental, as a quality real estate agency will offer you training and guidance so that you can develop your own client portfolio.".
However, you shouldn't rush into making a decision, as finding the ideal real estate agency takes time, and you should talk to at least three to five agencies before deciding on one.
5. Always stay at the forefront of technology
Today, some customers will want to receive updates about properties they are interested in via text message, while others will prefer to receive them by email, see notifications on your website, or receive a personal call.
In this regard, Santiago tells us that "to be successful, you have to stay up to date with the different technologies that customers use to communicate, because only in this way will they be able to contact you quickly and in the way that best suits them.".
To avoid falling behind, ask your colleagues what methods they use, sign up for courses on new technologies, or ask your clients directly what method they prefer.
Furthermore, to ensure you don't miss any details about your clients or the properties you manage, you can invest in a CR platform to keep your contacts organized, optimize your email and social media strategy, and improve your SEO ranking.
You can also use an SMS messaging service to manage the automated sending of messages to clients, such as notifications about the time and location of visits to different properties.
This is everything you need to know to start a successful career in real estate trading.
Whether you're just starting out or have been working in the industry for decades, remember that continuous learning is essential in this profession to help clients find or sell their dream home.
Source: HubSpot
Photo: HubSpot
