- customer service skills
- the ability to sell products and services
- the ability to work on your own
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- persistence and determination
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- excellent verbal communication skills
- persuading and negotiating skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
You may:
- visit sellers and landlords to value properties
- communicate regularly with potential buyers and tenants to share details of properties that meet their requirements
- arrange viewing appointments and show properties to buyers or renters
- get feedback on viewings
- negotiate between buyers and sellers
- generate sales leads for mortgages and conveyancing
- deal in person, on the telephone and through email with solicitors, financial advisers and surveyors
- manage auction sales
- work to meet sales targets
- update computer records
You could work in an office, at a store, at a client's business or at a client's home.
With experience and a good sales record, you could be promoted from sales negotiator to senior negotiator and then branch manager.
Larger chains of estate agents may offer more opportunities for promotion than smaller companies.
You could also become self-employed as a partner in a firm, or set up your own agency.
You can find our more about working as an estate agent from NAEA Propertymark.