Real Estate Sales Agents

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.

Tasks

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

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service: 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: 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.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Clerical: 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.
Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Skills

Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Active Listening: 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: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities

Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Work Activities

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
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.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
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.
Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Work Context

Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
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?
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?
Freedom to Make Decisions: How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment: How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Deal With External Customers: How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Frequency of Decision Making: How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Level of Competition: To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?

Interests

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.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
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.
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.
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.

Work Style

Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Independence: 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.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Persistence: Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Self Control: Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Concern for Others: Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Work Values

Achievement: 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: 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.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions: 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: 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: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Related Occupations

Advertising Sales Agents

Insurance Sales Agents

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

Driver/Sales Workers

Lay Titles

Agent

Apartment Leasing Agent

Apartment Rental Agent

Broker Associate

Building Consultant

Buyers' Agent

Closing Agent

Closing Coordinator

Contracts Specialist

Land Agent

Leasing Consultant

Real Estate Agent

Real Estate Agent/Broker

Real Estate Closer

Real Estate Rental Agent

Real Estate Sales Agent

Real Estate Salesperson

Realtor

Residence Leasing Agent

Right-of-Way Agent

Right-of-Way Buyer

Sales Agent

Sales Superintendent

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $18.82 hourly, $39,140 annual.

Employment (2008):: 162,560 employees