How to Find a Job at a Top Real Estate Agency

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New Real Estate Agent Job

As a fledgling real estate agent having just completed your internship, you will now be looking for a job at a reputable and vibrant estate agency.

You will be looking to join a real estate company which would normally mean becoming part of a franchise of one of the large real estate companies in South Africa. Some of these include Rawson’s, Pam Golding or Seeff, which are all South African franchises. There are however also international franchises operating in South Africa such as Remax and the new kid on the block, Keller Williams Ignite.

The principle or owner of the franchise will be looking for diligent, honest, forward thinking employees to help run their business. Keep this in mind when you are looking for that perfect place to settle down and begin your exciting new career.

Here are some tips for landing your first Job as an Estate Agent:

Have a Good Mindset

Your prospective boss is going to be looking for people that he can rely on to keep the best interests of the business at heart. You will want to project a sense of responsibility and commitment, so that your prospective employer will recognise those qualities.

Understand the Job Description

Make sure you understand the job description. You don’t want to be applying for a position that at the end of the day is not for you. There are many functions of a real estate agent and you should be able to fulfil everything that the job description requires.

Much of your practical internship work and your online estate agent learning should prepare you for most positions in an agency.

What to Expect in Interviews & How to Prepare

You have already submitted your CV outlining all your experience and coursework. Now you will find yourself face to face with your new boss in an interview. Bear in mind that he has read your CV and is now not only listening to your answers to his questions, but also watching your body language closely.

You might also have to go through several interviews with different partners of the business.

John Lees, author of The Interview Expert: How to Get the Job You Want, suggests you develop a real script in preparation for your interview. You can probably predict a number of questions that you’ll be asked such as Why should we hire you? Why do you fit this role? I notice some gaps in your resume … Think about how you’ll answer these questions and practice saying the answers out loud.

John also suggests you prepare for questions you want to avoid by developing short, upbeat answers. If you’re asked something that throws you for a loop, ask for a minute to think about how you’ll answer. Also, make sure you’re actually listening to the interviewer.

Read What You Should (and Shouldn’t) Focus on Before a Job Interview for more great interview tips and advice from John.

Embrace Your New Workplace & Follow Instructions

If you get the job you will now most likely have to go through training period. You might find this frustrating as you are probably raring to get going. Things will probably be a lot different than your internship. Be open-minded and embrace the way your new workplace is run. Try to keep to instructions and make sure that you are clear on all directives.

This will ensure that you will be able to do the best job you possibly can.

Once you have qualified as a full status estate agent, you will have fulfilled the Services SETA requirement, the EAAB examination, your (online) estate agent course work and your internship. All these as well as a new position at a good agency should be the springboard you need to start you off on a successful career as a real estate agent.

If you have any questions about finding a job as an estate agent, or you have any tips and advice that have worked for you in the past, please share them in the comments below.

Finding the Right Internship in an Estate Agency

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Now that you have decided that real estate is something that you want to pursue, you will need to become qualified. Not only will you have to achieve certain qualifications to begin your education as a real estate agent, you will also be following online training as well as completing an internship.

Find the Right Internship in an Estate Agency

An internship is a process of learning while you are working. You will find a real estate agency that will take you on as an intern and then work under the mentorship of an agent with at least three years experience and recognized as an official mentor by the EAAB (Estate Agency Affairs Board).

Fidelity Fund Certificate

You will be licensed to operate as an intern with a Fidelity Fund Certificate.
The great thing about the intern programme in the real estate industry of South Africa is that it gives the aspirant immediate hands on experience. You get to jump right in feet first. Interns can get down to work immediately. You can begin to show clients property, create and execute marketing strategies, and as soon as you have the hang of it you can, through your mentor, even advise clients on legal matters, costing and price negotiation. Of course you will also be learning to keep up with all the administration that is expected of a real estate agent.

In total over the entire year the intern will probably log up to 1500 hours in formal training. The bulk of these hours can be clocked while at work, but interns will also be expected to study and do courses in conjunction to the practical side. Most interns will opt for the online training for estate agents. This allows you the flexibility to study at your leisure and fit your courses and classes into your schedule. After this internship period, you will complete your NQF level 4 portfolio of evidence and be found competent by Services SETA. Then you will be required to pass the EAAB’s examinations (the EAAB”S Professional Designation Examination), PDE level 4, and if you are aspiring to become a principal (to own your own business) the NQF level 5 and PDE level 5.

You can, however, also apply to earn credits for previous education and ‘prior learning’. This means that you can gain credit for diplomas or national certificates that hold in other fields sectors that could pertain to real estate. Inquiries about exemption status can be directed to PropAcademy who assist you in completing the required EAAB documentation.

One thing that you will need to be aware of as an intern is that you must always make the client or customer aware that you are in fact an intern. This must be transparent at all times. Failure to do so can result in disaster!

When asking the seasoned and successful agents in the field today how to go about finding the right internship, the answer is pretty much the same across the board. Find a mentor who embodies the ethical standards and code of conduct expected from a well qualified estate agent and then cultivate your own set of standards. You can’t go wrong.

Proven Tips for the Successful Real Estate Agent

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Tips for Real Estate AgentsThere are some small but very important tips that any seasoned Estate Agent will pass down to the rookie. These tips may seem negligible, but many are proven time and time again to be the backbone of success in the business of property rental and sales. Here are some pointers to put you on the path to success.

  1. Know Your Area
  2. Put Your Boards Up
  3. Forward all Calls

Know Your Area

This has actually been proven by a formal analysis carried out by one of the leading South African real estate companies. After carrying out a survey they found that agents who stuck to a relatively small geographical area and knew their neighborhood well were the agents who made more sales. It is a common misconception that if you spread your ‘territory’ over a large area you will boost sales. Sales seem to be contingent on an in-depth knowledge of small niche areas. The combination of knowing your sellers, landlords, buyers, and tenants puts you in the position of being an expert in a neighborhood and prospective clients will seek out the expert every single time.

Put Your Boards Up

Even though there has been a huge transition of the property market to the internet, the conventional methods of marketing still seem to be very effective. One would think with the advent of online property marketing services, old fashioned methods such as signage and putting up boards would become a thing of the past. It is true that prospective buyers would rather search for new property from the comfort of their own home than drive around looking for real estate. It is also common that sellers prefer to have prospective buyers make an appointment than to open their house so that strangers can wander in and out. All this said, having a board up on the property that is for sale still generates inquiries and still brings in sales and prospective buyers, enough so that boards are still considered very effective marketing tools and should be utilized.

Forward all Calls

Make absolutely sure that every call that comes into the office about a listing or property that is your mandate gets forwarded directly to you. These calls should not be handled by anybody but the expert, namely you. It is unlikely that anyone else will be able to answer any questions as well as you can. You should also make sure that there is somebody at the office to answer calls at all times.

Bearing some of these tips in mind as you set out on your chosen career path, you should be able to take steps towards being the best real estate agent you can be. Remember that while selling is a big part of the job, quality and good service is what gets you there.

If you have tips of your own that have helped you close more sales, tell us about them in the comments below.