Finding your career path can be tricky, especially if you are not sure what you want to do or where you would like to go. Luckily, real estate is a great field that does not discriminate against gender or race.
Many people start their careers as real estate agents and then move onto other professions such as owning a house or business themselves. Becoming an agent is a way to make money, build a career, and develop skills that will last a lifetime.
While some people find it easy to become successful real estate agents, doing so takes work and dedication. It requires you to be organized, able to handle lots of different tasks, and keep up with all of the rules and regulations for the profession.
Finding a job in real estate may feel difficult at times, but there are ways to get started! In this article, you will learn about some simple steps to become an agent. Keep reading to discover more powerful tips than we had room for here.
Develop your brand
Being able as we mentioned before, to easily create our own identity through our online presence, is one of the most important things you can do to get noticed as an aspiring real estate agent. When you are looking for work, people will look at your social media profiles, website, and voice to determine if they want to work with you.
If they don’t like what they find there then chances are they won’t pick you over someone else who sounds and looks more similar to them. You would be surprised how many agents never take the time to update their personal profile or website photos, so when recruiters are trying to evaluate whether or not they should invite you to apply, they aren’t seeing that person clearly.
Take some time this week to review yours and make any needed changes! More than likely, people will notice the difference. If you are already working in real estate, spend some time reviewing and enhancing your LinkedIn profile and adding content to your other websites and blogs.
Blogging is a great way to enhance your professional image while providing helpful information to others. Creating a real estate related blog and posting about topics such as answering student questions, offering tips for being successful in business, etc. is a good way to attract attention.
Create a great resume
A few things that can get in the way of you finding your dream job are poor resumes, lack of follow up, and not having enough in-depth interviews with potential employers. All three of these can be avoided or corrected if you put some effort into them!
If you are looking for employment in real estate, creating a great resume is the first step towards landing your dream position. Your resume should tell someone’s reading it who you are as a person and what kind of career you want to have. It also should highlight all of your strengths and experiences so people will perceive you as an expert in those fields.
Your resume is one of the most important tools you will use in the job search process, which is why it needs to be done properly. Take your time to make sure each element of your resume is perfect before moving onto the next one.
Practice interviewing
Even if you are already working in real estate, practicing your interview skills is never too early or too late. You will always have opportunities to hone your talk-chat-conversational skills, and most employers appreciate it when candidates work to keep things professional and courteous.
Interviews are a mix of questions about you, what they’re looking for in employees, and conversations that touch upon issues important to them. Most people are very aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, so asking thoughtful questions and listening intently to the answers are great ways to learn more about someone and how they functioned before coming into contact with you.
Getting through an average phone screen or face-to-face meeting takes around half an hour, so plan to spend at least that much time preparing. No matter what kind of job you’re seeking, networking is a valuable tool in success.
Dress the part
If you want to be seen as professional, then show up dressed like it! When people ask about your career, what line of work you are in, or how to get into real estate, having good dress clothes is a great way to emphasize that you are indeed working in an area that requires professionalism.
Investing in quality dress shoes will have your colleagues commenting on them every time you walk by. Casual business attire does not convey message of seriousness for anyone but yourself.
Dress shirts with leather sleeves or French cuffs are also more expensive, but they last longer than cotton ones that may need to be washed repeatedly. Leather always looks classic and formal, so if you are looking to make a statement, invest in some nice leather clothing!
Blouses and dresses can easily be re-fitted, making them cost effective long term investments. Even better, most retailers offer at least one budget friendly wardrobe staple — such as a white button down shirt or black pants — which you can tailor fit to match your dress code and style.
Find the right place to work
As we mentioned before, being able to put your career in real estate into effect is going up against an ever-growing pool of applicants. This means that there are never really empty positions at any level, which makes it difficult to find employment anywhere!
Finding a job in real estate can be tricky, but you’ll get through it if you know where to look. Luckily for you, we have gathered some helpful tips here for how to get a job in real estate.
Know your market
As we mentioned before, being familiar with the area you’re looking to work in is one of the most important things when it comes to choosing your career path. Make sure that you know what areas are heavily populated with people and look for opportunities there!
Knowing the local real estate markets will help make an impression about whether or not someone hires you as an agent. People who have worked in the field for some time now have built up relationships with other agents so they know if someone is worth hiring.
By talking to others, finding out their tips and tricks, and studying their success, you can get some great insights into how to be successful too. There’s no reason to start working in the industry without knowing at least the basics of the business!
Making friends in the community and proving yourself by helping others will win you many rewards including more employment opportunities. Many companies rely on referrals from existing employees to recruit new ones.
Running your own team of professionals will strengthen your reputation in the field and give you the chance to show off your skills while educating and inspiring those under you.
Be proactive
Even if you are not planning on becoming an entrepreneur or a professional real estate agent, being active in the industry is one of the best things you can do to grow your career.
There are always people with openings at companies, as well as positions within individual organizations. By reaching out to these individuals directly, you make yourself more relevant to the job market.
Interviews are usually a two way street, so by asking about the company and its growth prospects and offering yours will put you ahead of the game.
By establishing relationships with others in the field, you show that you have invested time into learning about the business and what it takes to be successful in it. This is an easy way to gain credibility for future interviews.
Stay positive
A lot of people make the career change from non-profit employee to real estate agent way too quickly. This can cost them their confidence when trying to find employment as a real estate professional.
Thinking about giving up your job seems stressful, but you have to remember that this is actually a good thing for you.
Real estate is an ever changing field that requires you to be constantly learning new things. You will always need someone else who has knowledge of the market and the tools needed to succeed.
Landlords and sellers are looking for people who know how to do business so having a degree or certification in real estate is great marketing material.
Keeping yourself motivated is also very important since it takes time to find work as a real estate agent. It is helpful to understand that there are still many other positions within the industry that person with your skill set could fulfill.
Overall, being negative about your future career choice won’t help you achieve your goal.
