Real Estate Brokers

Overview

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Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Education

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Job Training

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Examples

Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators.

Operate real estate office, or work for commercial real estate firm, overseeing real estate transactions. Other duties usually include selling real estate or renting properties and arranging loans.

Yearly Salary

High: $174K
Median: $60K
Low: $25K

Demand

Career Demand by State Career Demand by State Legend

Core Tasks

  • Sell, for a fee, real estate owned by others.
  • Obtain agreements from property owners to place properties for sale with real estate firms.
  • Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers over property prices and settlement details and during the closing of sales.
  • Supervise agents who handle real estate transactions.
  • Generate lists of properties for sale, their locations, descriptions, and available financing options, using computers.
  • Compare a property with similar properties that have recently sold to determine its competitive market price.
  • Manage or operate real estate offices, handling associated business details.
  • Maintain knowledge of real estate law, local economies, fair housing laws, types of available mortgages, financing options, and government programs.
  • Monitor fulfillment of purchase contract terms to ensure that they are handled in a timely manner.
  • Check work completed by loan officers, attorneys, or other professionals to ensure that it is performed properly.
  • Rent properties or manage rental properties.
  • Arrange for financing of property purchases.
  • Maintain awareness of current income tax regulations, local zoning, building and tax laws, and growth possibilities of a property's area.
  • Arrange for title searches of properties being sold.
  • Give buyers virtual tours of properties in which they are interested, using computers.
  • Appraise property values, assessing income potential when relevant.
  • Review property details to ensure that environmental regulations are met.

Technology Skills

Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Accounting software
Intuit QuickBooks
Analytical or scientific software
RealData REIA
Customer relationship management CRM software
Real Estate Assistant REA
Data base user interface and query software
Yardi software
Electronic mail software
Microsoft Outlook
Geographic information system
Google Earth Pro
Graphics or photo imaging software
Adobe Photoshop
Internet browser software
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Office suite software
Microsoft Office software
Presentation software
Microsoft PowerPoint
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
Web page creation and editing software
Facebook
Web platform development software
Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP
Word processing software
Microsoft Word

Tools Used

Tool
Example
Computer Equipment and Accessories
Personal digital assistants PDA
Hand tools
Measuring tapes
Motor vehicles
Passenger vehicles
Office machines and their supplies and accessories
Laser facsimile machines
Photographic or filming or video equipment
Digital cameras

Top 10 Knowledge Required

Sales and Marketing
90%
Importance

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.

Customer and Personal Service
86%
Importance

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.

English Language
83%
Importance

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

Law and Government
80%
Importance

Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Administration and Management
79%
Importance

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.

Economics and Accounting
71%
Importance

Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

Computers and Electronics
68%
Importance

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Mathematics
67%
Importance

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Communications and Media
65%
Importance

Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Administrative
64%
Importance

Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Top 10 Skills

Speaking
80%
Importance

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Listening
78%
Importance

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.

Critical Thinking
78%
Importance

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension
78%
Importance

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Active Learning
73%
Importance

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Negotiation
73%
Importance

Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Persuasion
70%
Importance

Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Judgment and Decision Making
68%
Importance

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Social Perceptiveness
68%
Importance

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Writing
68%
Importance

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Top 10 Abilities

Oral Comprehension
80%
Importance

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression
80%
Importance

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Written Comprehension
80%
Importance

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Deductive Reasoning
73%
Importance

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Near Vision
73%
Importance

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Speech Clarity
73%
Importance

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Speech Recognition
73%
Importance

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Written Expression
70%
Importance

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Problem Sensitivity
68%
Importance

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Inductive Reasoning
65%
Importance

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

Getting Information
88%
Importance

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
87%
Importance

Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
86%
Importance

Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Working with Computers
78%
Importance

Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
77%
Importance

Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Communicating with People Outside the Organization
76%
Importance

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.

Performing Administrative Activities
76%
Importance

Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.

Selling or Influencing Others
76%
Importance

Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.

Analyzing Data or Information
75%
Importance

Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

Documenting/Recording Information
75%
Importance

Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Contract real estate to clients.
  • Prepare sales or other contracts.
  • Review accuracy of sales or other transactions.
  • Appraise property values.
  • Negotiate prices or other sales terms.
  • Obtain property information.
  • Review laws or regulations to maintain professional knowledge.
  • Help clients get needed services or resources.
  • Monitor market conditions or trends.
  • Oversee business processes.
  • Supervise sales or support personnel.
  • Create images or other visual displays.
  • Enter information into databases or software programs.
  • Assess compliance with environmental laws.

Education

Interests

Enterprising
92%
Importance

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

Conventional
81%
Importance

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Social
43%
Importance

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

Realistic
38%
Importance

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Investigative
22%
Importance

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

Artistic
15%
Importance

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.

Work Values

Independence
72%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Achievement
67%
Importance

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.

Relationships
67%
Importance

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.

Recognition
62%
Importance

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.

Working Conditions
62%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

Support
48%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.