Real Estate Sales Agents
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.
Rent, buy, or sell property for clients. Perform duties such as study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property site, discuss conditions of sale, and draw up real estate contracts. Includes agents who represent buyer.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $25K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $33K
Median Salary: $49K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $76K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $112K
Demand
Core Tasks
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.
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.
Generate lists of properties that are compatible with buyers' needs and financial resources.
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.
Promote sales of properties through advertisements, open houses, and participation in multiple listing services.
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.
Advise clients on market conditions, prices, mortgages, legal requirements, and related matters.
Advise sellers on how to make homes more appealing to potential buyers.
Contact property owners and advertise services to solicit property sales listings.
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.
Investigate clients' financial and credit status to determine eligibility for financing.
Review plans for new construction with clients, enumerating and recommending available options and features.
Evaluate mortgage options to help clients obtain financing at the best prevailing rates and terms.
Inspect condition of premises, and arrange for necessary maintenance or notify owners of maintenance needs.
Appraise properties to determine loan values.
Visit properties to assess them before showing them to clients.
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.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
97%
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
94%
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
87%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Law and Government
79%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Clerical
75%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Administration and Management
74%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Communications and Media
69%
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Computers and Electronics
69%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Mathematics
69%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Building and Construction
68%
Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
80%
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
80%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Negotiation
78%
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Coordination
75%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Social Perceptiveness
75%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical Thinking
73%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Persuasion
73%
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Service Orientation
70%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension
68%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Time Management
68%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity
78%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
78%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension
78%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression
68%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning
65%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Category Flexibility
63%
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Far Vision
63%
The ability to see details at a distance.
Inductive Reasoning
63%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Top 10 Work Activities
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
93%
Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
88%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Interacting With Computers
88%
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
87%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
86%
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
86%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
86%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Selling or Influencing Others
86%
Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
85%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
84%
Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Detailed Work Activities
Prepare sales or other contracts.
Negotiate prices or other sales terms.
Obtain property information.
Coordinate activities with suppliers, contractors, clients, or other departments.
Develop content for sales presentations or other materials.
Appraise property values.
Coordinate legal schedules or activities.
Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.
Identify potential customers.
Contact current or potential customers to promote products or services.
Attend events to develop professional knowledge.
Advise real estate clients.
Schedule appointments with prospective customers.
Explain technical product or service information to customers.
Deliver promotional presentations to current or prospective customers.
Develop professional relationships or networks.
Develop proposals for current or prospective customers.
Recommend products or services to customers.
Examine condition of property or products.
Verify customer credit information.
Arrange delivery of goods or services.
Train sales personnel.
Contract real estate to clients.
Direct fundraising or financing activities.
Identify investment opportunities or strategies.
Work Context
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Level of Competition
To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?
Structured versus Unstructured Work
To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Education
Interests
Enterprising
100%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional
77%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Social
53%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Realistic
48%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Artistic
24%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Investigative
19%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Top 10 Work Styles
Integrity
97%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Dependability
93%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Stress Tolerance
93%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Initiative
92%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Achievement/Effort
88%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Attention to Detail
88%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Persistence
88%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Cooperation
87%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Independence
85%
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Adaptability/Flexibility
84%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Work Values
Achievement
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Relationships
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Working Conditions
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Support
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
