Looking For A Career Change? Why You Should Consider Real Estate

February 16th, 2021 Business Careers

Real estate is one of those industries that just makes sense as a career path. It has its ups and downs, of course, but the basic reality is that people need a place to live, and as such real estate is an evergreen business and lifestyle opportunity.

With so many jobs under stress as the ongoing impact of COVID-19, automation, outsourcing and others threatens to make people redundant, now is a good time to reconsider the career path and take a good look at the opportunities that real estate provides.

And, as an added bonus, real estate agents can expect to significantly out-earn the average income. Agents in the UK earn an average salary of £41,392 – itself nothing to shake a finger at – and experienced agents can expect as much as £100,000 per year.

Is being a real estate agent right for me?

Being a real estate agent is a challenging career path – after all, you are affecting livelihoods and managing products that are worth incredible amounts of money (property), so you need to have the right work ethic and skillset to thrive in the field. Some of the most dominant personal traits that you’ll want to have in real estate include:

1. Drive – Above anything else, a good real estate agent is driven to go above and beyond to achieve the best possible outcomes. Without this drive, all other qualities of a good real estate agent will never be able to manifest.
2. Honesty and Transparency – In recent years, the real estate industry has worked hard to reform and become a more respected profession than has traditionally been the case. For this reason, agents that are honest, trustworthy, and transparent in everything that they do are highly valued. It’s important that the agent fight for the client, but the consensus across the industry is now that transactions and goals should be win-win, and to achieve that, transparency is essential.
3. Communications skills – Real estate agents need to be personable and affable, and communicate in a clear and professional manner at all times. This applies both across written communication (e.g. emails, letters), and verbal communication. A big part of a real estate agent’s success comes from personal brand, and that starts with communication abilities.
4. Emotional intelligence – In addition to being good communicators, real estate agents need to be able to read and respond to solutions in a way that is outcome focused. A good real estate agent will be a problem solver, rather than the cause of the problems.
5. Resourcefulness – To be successful, real estate agents need to be able to think on their feet and come up with alternative solutions to issues. There’s no one “system” or “rulebook” for achieving the optimal result in a transaction, so there are times where real estate agents need to be highly creative in their work.

Technology savviness – The work that a real estate agent does is increasingly informed by data. Understanding how to access and analyse data, work with AI and automated systems, and make their way around advanced CRM systems is important for the real estate agent to be able to understand the market and then  make sound advice to their clients.

How real estate agents work

Being a good real estate agent is all about understanding – you need to understand your local market, the macro and micro-economic trends affecting it, consumer behaviour and trends. Beyond the 9-5 job of managing clients and looking for new opportunities, a driven real estate agent is an active study of the market, and a heavy presence in their local community.

There are a number of helpful tips on things you can do to become a better real estate agent, but making sure you’re properly qualified can only help with opportunities too. A good real estate degree will explain the nuances of property sales and property management, but will also delve into the business side of real estate – how to adequately measure and manage agency risk, how to market (both yourself and your agency), and how to structure and present property reports.

The good news is that there are no prerequisites to undertake further study in real estate. While the work is challenging and rewarding, it’s also an ideal career for anyone looking for a sea change, as access to training courses and accreditation are available without prior expertise and regardless of previous careers.

This is why more people are taking up real estate. Not only does it offer one of the few growth career paths, because real estate remains a necessary industry that we all participate in, but it’s the kind of career that rewards talent, discipline, and drive, rather than being a space where prerequisites exclude a vast number of people before they’ve even started.

For more information on why a course in real estate is an essential step in understanding the complex world of contracts, and putting your foot forward into a vibrant and rewarding career, contact ICI. Our diploma in real estate will prepare you with everything that you need to know.

by Gladys Mae

Gladys Mae serves as the General Manager and Head of Student Services at the International Career Institute. Gladys holds a degree in Mass Communication - Broadcast Media from the University of San Jose-Recoletos. She joined ICI in 2010 and has over the past 12 years been instrumental in providing leadership and guidance to staff and students alike. Prior to joining ICI Gladys led a multifaceted career with key roles in the banking and business process outsourcing industries.