Posted on 04/04/2022 by pat

So – you’re thinking of going into Estate Agency. You’ve got the drive and the business acumen. You’re sure you can quickly pick up the elements that will lead to a successful career in property. But wait a moment. Isn’t there more required? How sure are you that you possess all the necessary personality traits to make a go of a career in estate agency? In fact, what kind of person does achieve success in this highly competitive sector? What personality type makes a good Estate Agent?

Table of contents

• What kind of personality do customers look for in an Estate Agent?

• Can an introvert be a successful Estate Agent?

• How can I tell if I have what it takes to be a successful Estate Agent?

What kind of personality do customers look for in an Estate Agent?

Sellers and letters can be quite picky when deciding which Estate agent to choose. And why shouldn’t they be? There’s no shortage of agents out there. You need to be sure that you display the vital characteristics that make you the obvious choice:

1. Hard-working

This is a vital element in distinguishing you from the run-of-the-mill Estate Agents. There are no shortcuts per se. To achieve success, you must demonstrate that you’re prepared to work harder than your competition, but bear in mind the phrase ‘Work smarter, not harder’. Be a hard worker, but be clever and identify areas in which you can delegate tasks.

2. Drive and Energy

You have to show a genuine passion for your work – a passion for property and a passion for helping people. This comes hand-in-hand with energy and enthusiasm.

3. Honesty & Trust

This is a big one. We all know how a few bad apples in the property sector have sometimes spoiled the reputation of the good, honest, committed Estate Agents. This is your chance (and your duty) to redress the balance – to show sellers and letters that you are committed to helping them, to looking after their needs - in a way that’s transparent, honest, and ethical.

4. Curiosity

You need to be curious about your customer and their needs. This means not going on about yourself and your agency’s amazing service. Instead, you need to express an interest in them and their needs:

• Why are they moving?
• Where are they moving to?
• What matters most to them - a quick sale or a high price?
• What do they expect from you?

Let the conversation flow the way they want it to go. If it turns towards holidays, hobbies or children, fine. Let the potential clients feel that they are the focus of your attention.

A natural sense of curiosity is closely linked to Emotional Intelligence – listening to, reading, and understanding your clients is an essential part of solving problems with well-thought-out and meaningful solutions.

5. Communicative

Customers expect you to stay in touch. They need to have the confidence that, once they’ve instructed you, you won’t just move on to the next customer. They want to know that you’ll return their calls, texts and emails promptly and that you’ll do everything you can to achieve the sale or let that they expect.

6. Resourceful & innovative

Achieving a successful sale or let is not always straightforward. You need to show that you can be adept at reacting imaginatively and appropriately to unusual, unexpected situations. This takes experience and intelligence.

7. Self-motivated

Even though you may be an employed Estate Agent, you need to behave as though you’re self-employed. You need to have drive and commitment - to be able to work long, often anti-social hours, on your own initiative. You should be capable of setting your own schedules and finding your own clients.

Can an introvert be a successful Estate Agent?

Reading about all these personality traits might lead you to the conclusion that, in order to be a successful Estate Agent, you must be some kind of ‘hyper-extrovert’. Not so. This would be to misunderstand the nature of the introvert-extrovert distinction.

It’s a mistake to believe that extroverts are the only ones capable of being sociable and showing an interest in others. Introverts may be quiet, reflective thinkers. This means they can be more comfortable in the presence of smaller groups of people. They often prefer one-to-one communication and are more likely to think before they speak.

Introverts have been shown to be good at

• focusing on tasks

• careful analysis

• listening and observational skills

• being objective in their judgements

How can I tell if I have what it takes to be a successful Estate Agent?

It’s a mistake to over-simplify matters. We’re all different, unique, and complex. Certainly, if you possess most of the qualities listed above, you’ll have every chance of achieving success as an Estate Agent. The main point is to be self-aware – to make the most of your strengths and positive personality traits and to be aware of those areas where you perhaps fall short.

If you’re not sure where you stand, you can undertake a personality profile. Just by answering a few questions, you’ll get a good idea as to how well-suited you are to a career in Estate Agency.