Real Estate Sales Agents

Career Description: 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.

Industry: Sales and Related

Other Job Titles for Real Estate Sales Agents:

• Realistic: 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.
• Investigative: 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.
• Artistic: 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.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: 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: 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.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Present purchase offers to sellers for consideration.
• 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.
• Interview clients to determine what kinds of properties they are seeking.
• Prepare documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds and leases.
• Coordinate property closings, overseeing signing of documents and disbursement of funds.
• Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers, generally representing one or the other.
• Promote sales of properties through advertisements, open houses, and participation in multiple listing services.
• Compare a property with similar properties that have recently sold to determine its competitive market price.
• Coordinate appointments to show homes to prospective buyers.
• Generate lists of properties that are compatible with buyers' needs and financial resources.
• Display commercial, industrial, agricultural, and residential properties to clients and explain their features.
• Arrange for title searches to determine whether clients have clear property titles.
• Review plans for new construction with clients, enumerating and recommending available options and features.
• Answer clients' questions regarding construction work, financing, maintenance, repairs, and appraisals.
• Inspect condition of premises, and arrange for necessary maintenance or notify owners of maintenance needs.
• Accompany buyers during visits to and inspections of property, advising them on the suitability and value of the homes they are visiting.
• Advise sellers on how to make homes more appealing to potential buyers.
• Arrange meetings between buyers and sellers when details of transactions need to be negotiated.
• Advise clients on market conditions, prices, mortgages, legal requirements and related matters.
• Evaluate mortgage options to help clients obtain financing at the best prevailing rates and terms.
• Review property listings, trade journals, and relevant literature, and attend conventions, seminars, and staff and association meetings to remain knowledgeable about real estate markets.
• Investigate clients' financial and credit status to determine eligibility for financing.
• Contact property owners and advertise services to solicit property sales listings.
• Develop networks of attorneys, mortgage lenders, and contractors to whom clients may be referred.
• Visit properties to assess them before showing them to clients.
• Contact utility companies for service hookups to clients' property.
• Conduct seminars and training sessions for sales agents to improve sales techniques.
• Appraise properties to determine loan values.
• Solicit and compile listings of available rental properties.
• Secure construction or purchase financing with own firm or mortgage company.
• Rent or lease properties on behalf of clients.
• Locate and appraise undeveloped areas for building sites, based on evaluations of area market conditions.

Emerging Tasks

• Assist customers, such as responding to customer complaints and updating them about back ordered parts.
• Fill customer orders from stock and place orders when requested items are out of stock.
• Locate and label parts and maintain inventory of stock.
• Maintain and clean work and inventory areas.
• Research shipping methods and costs, track packages, and pick up and deliver parts.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: 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.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• access media advertising services
• advise clients or customers
• analyze financial data
• appraise value of real estate
• arrange for financing
• arrange for title search
• arrange teleconference calls
• collect fees
• compute financial data
• develop property
• follow contract, property, or insurance laws
• inspect property
• maintain records, reports, or files
• maintain relationships with clients
• make presentations
• negotiate real estate sales or rental contracts
• obtain information from individuals
• schedule real estate closings
• sell real estate property to clients
• understand government real estate sales regulations
• use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
• use interpersonal communication techniques
• use knowledge of economic trends
• use knowledge of written communication in sales work
• use real estate terminology
• use sales techniques
• write business correspondence
• use knowledge of written communication in sales work
• use real estate terminology
• use sales techniques
• write business correspondence
• prepare or maintain employee records
• prepare rental or lease agreement
• prepare reports
• provide customer service
• publicize job openings
• purchase office equipment or furniture
• recommend improvements to work methods or procedures
• recommend personnel actions, such as promotions, transfers, and dismissals
• recommend purchase or repair of furnishings or equipment
• requisition stock, materials, supplies or equipment
• resolve customer or public complaints
• resolve or assist workers to resolve work problems
• schedule employee work hours
• select software for clerical activities
• sell merchandise
• use knowledge of written communication in sales work
• write advertising copy

Overall Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a teller might benefit from experience working directly with the public, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be a teller with little difficulty.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.

Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.

Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include sheet metal workers, forest fire fighters, customer service representatives, pharmacy technicians, salespersons (retail), and tellers.

• Average hourly wage (2007) -$19.52
• Average annual wage (2007) - $40,600.00

• Projected growth (2006-2016): 10.61%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 45,845
• Employment (2006): 432,291

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