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Real Estate Sales Agent

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What Does it Take to Be a Real Estate Sales Agent?

Job Description: Rent, buy, or sell property for clients. Perform duties, such as study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property site, discuss conditions of sale, and draw up real estate contracts. Includes agents who represent buyer.

Real Estate Sales Agent Responsibilities

  • Conduct seminars and training sessions for sales agents to improve sales techniques.
  • Accompany buyers during visits to and inspections of property, advising them on the suitability and value of the homes they are visiting.
  • Coordinate property closings, overseeing signing of documents and disbursement of funds.
  • Coordinate appointments to show homes to prospective buyers.
  • Contact property owners and advertise services to solicit property sales listings.
  • Confer with escrow companies, lenders, home inspectors, and pest control operators to ensure that terms and conditions of purchase agreements are met before closing dates.

Skills Needed to be a Real Estate Sales Agent

Below is a list of the skills most Real Estate Sales Agents say are important on the job.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

  • Sales Agent
  • Real Estate Sales Agent
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Closing Coordinator
  • Broker

Is There Job Demand for Real Estate Sales Agents?

In the United States, there were 348,800 jobs for Real Estate Sales Agent in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 5.8% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 20,200 new jobs for Real Estate Sales Agent by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 34,400 job openings in this field each year.

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The states with the most job growth for Real Estate Sales Agent are Utah, Idaho, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in West Virginia, Vermont, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

How Much Does a Real Estate Sales Agent Make?

The typical yearly salary for Real Estate Sales Agents is somewhere between $24,650 and $112,610.

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Real Estate Sales Agents who work in New York, Alaska, or Wyoming, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Real Estate Sales Agents in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $53,870
Alaska $78,190
Arizona $66,360
Arkansas $41,100
California $73,450
Colorado $67,350
Connecticut $70,380
Delaware $50,100
District of Columbia $56,460
Florida $58,730
Georgia $50,450
Hawaii $65,720
Idaho $57,490
Illinois $52,800
Indiana $47,430
Iowa $54,610
Kansas $48,520
Kentucky $48,680
Louisiana $53,020
Maine $64,690
Maryland $57,450
Massachusetts $67,470
Michigan $51,870
Minnesota $46,620
Mississippi $60,450
Missouri $53,440
Montana $47,290
Nebraska $51,010
Nevada $62,000
New Hampshire $49,810
New Jersey $63,790
New Mexico $52,660
New York $116,460
North Carolina $59,920
North Dakota $61,430
Ohio $45,340
Oklahoma $54,880
Oregon $49,850
Pennsylvania $64,490
Rhode Island $84,280
South Carolina $53,790
South Dakota $62,660
Tennessee $51,100
Texas $70,520
Utah $63,480
Vermont $55,920
Virginia $66,230
Washington $63,860
West Virginia $63,620
Wisconsin $49,360
Wyoming $75,570

What Tools do Real Estate Sales Agents Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Real Estate Sales Agents may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Email software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Facebook
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Google Docs
  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • Geographic information system GIS software
  • Scheduling software
  • Google Drive
  • Tax software
  • Fund accounting software
  • Social media sites
  • Corel WordPerfect

Becoming a Real Estate Sales Agent

Education needed to be a Real Estate Sales Agent:

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What work experience do I need to become a Real Estate Sales Agent?

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Where Real Estate Sales Agents Work

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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Other Jobs You May be Interested In

Those interested in being a Real Estate Sales Agent may also be interested in:

References:

Image Credit: Godrej Mamurdi Pune via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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