9 Things To Know Before Making A Career Change To Real Estate

Changing your career can be exciting, but also intimidating. Real estate may seem like a particularly daunting field, but with the right information, you can confidently transition. If you’re considering a career in real estate, read these 6 things to know if it’s the right industry for you.

Personality Traits That Propel You Forward

Like transferable hard and soft skills, there are certain personality traits that will help you make the most of your career in real estate.

1. Extrovertedness

Real estate is about making connections and building your network. If you’re outgoing, you’ll easily be able to find leads, nurture relationships, and win listings. Clients want to feel comfortable with you if they’re going to choose you to represent them, so if you’re shy, introverted, or standoff-ish, you might have a hard time finding clients. 

Since most agents grow their network by word of mouth, you want people to have great things to say about your personality. Being extroverted helps your reputation and encourages better quality, more frequent referrals.

2. Tenacity

In a fast-moving, unpredictable industry, you need to be steadfast and determined in order to keep up, get ahead, and flow with market changes. Tenacity will help you weather market fluctuations and changes in business so you don’t feel defeated or exhausted. 

Your clients will rely on you to be a calm, steady, reassuring force, so it’s important to be tenacious. They need someone who is confident in times of chaos and committed to their success no matter what. 

3. Progressiveness

Trends change, clients are varied, schedules are always moving, and innovation is always happening. If you don’t like the idea of working a predictable 9-5, real estate is definitely for you. Embracing change is paramount to finding success as an agent, especially in Toronto. 

We have one of the most robust and highly-active markets in the world. No two days, clients, or properties are the same, so you’ll thrive as a Realtor® if you’re a progressive person. 

Learn about how our team of Toronto real estate agents sell differently here.

The Skills To Sharpen For Success

You’re probably more prepared for your new career than you think. With the following skills, you’ll quickly excel as a Realtor®.

4. Organization

One of the most important skills of any successful agent, proper organization allows every aspect of your business to run smoothly. There are many moving parts involved in transacting real estate, from managing leads and filing important paperwork, to scheduling meetings, creating strategies, and much more. Your clients need you to alleviate confusion, mitigate stress, and make things easy. You can’t do that if you’re unorganized. 

5. Sales and customer service

You need to be able to convince buyers to visit open houses, consider your listing, and make offers. If you have previous sales and customer service experience, you have a great skill set to lean on. Using both sales and customer service skills, you can cater to both your clients and the clients on the other side of the deal to achieve mutually beneficial results.

6. Negotiation

You don’t only negotiate with agents when it’s time to close a deal. You negotiate with industry professionals who provide services to your network, potential clients when you’re trying to win their business, and plenty of other individuals throughout the transaction. Knowing how to lead conversations, compromise, and strategically maneuver through deals is a key skill every agent should perfect. Clients rely on you to protect their interests, so being able to expertly negotiate on their behalf will help you do more for your clients and therefore do more business.

Get to know the Lino Arci Team here. 

Making The Transition

Switching from one career to the next isn’t always easy. Here are some ways you can prepare for a smooth career change:

7. Give yourself time

Don’t rush into it! Real estate is an exciting field, but you want to get started on the right foot. Allow yourself a reasonable transition period so you can research the job, your market, and the industry so you’re properly prepared for the career change.

See why new agents are choosing to work with the Lino Arci Team here.

8. Give your current employer time

Don’t burn any bridges. While you may be eager to start your new career, you don’t want to step on anyone’s toes in the process. You never know, your current boss could become a future client or valuable contact. Networking is foundational for real estate success, and you want to keep as many relationships as possible.

9. Research your potential employer

Research the team or brokerage you’re thinking of joining to make sure it’s the right fit.  As a new agent, it’s in your best interest to join an established real estate team so you can access helpful tools, resources, and mentorship. All teams offer different benefits, so it’s important to align yourself with a group that makes sense for your career. You can read more about finding a quality brokerage to work with in our blog post here.

Success in real estate is about being able to expertly combine the necessary skills, personality traits, and industry expertise to create an unbeatable client experience. Growing your network and establishing yourself in the industry takes time, but with these nine points in mind, you’ll be off to a great start.