Real Estate Agent: An Ideal Job for Social Butterflies

By Sarah Clark
Career Colleges Columnist

Real estate is big business, which means plenty of job opportunity for aspiring real estate agents. While a recent housing boom has played a large rule, the job of real estate agent was attractive long before the recent real estate gold rush, particularly among those who are very social and enjoy sales work. If you like hopping about from place to place, meeting new people and staying active, you might just love working as a real estate agent. Here’s how to put your people skills to good use!

What Real Estate Agents Do
Real estate brokers are essentially sales persons orchestrating home sales. They meet with potential buyers, learn their housing needs and preferences, and then provide them with housing listings. They may provide personal tours of listed homes, or they may direct their clients to open houses. They work with many potential home buyers at a time.

Real Estate Agents Need People Skills
Social people tend to do well working as real estate agents. They are likely to be more patient and willing to accommodate a client's special needs or requirements. And buying a home is no small undertaking—it's one of the biggest purchases most people will ever make. They may not rush into it quickly. Home seekers rely on agents who are patient and willing to see their search process through at a comfortable pace.

Don’t Skip Real Estate School
Real estate agents are required to be licensed and to have taken at least 30 hours of formal instruction. You can check your State real estate commission or board for detailed information on what credentials you need to become a licensed real estate broker in your area. Real estate school may help you get those credentials by arming you with the knowledge needed to succeed on the written exam required for licensure.

So check out real estate school when you're ready to commit to your new career, helping others find their first home or the home they've always dreamed of.

About the Author
Sarah Clark is a freelance writer specializing in career development and postsecondary education.

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