What Do Real Estate Sales Agents Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Real Estate Sales Agents 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. They also prepare documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds, and leases.

Other tasks include:

• Present purchase offers to sellers for consideration.
• Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers, generally representing one or the other.
• Generate lists of properties that are compatible with buyers’ needs and financial resources.
• 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.
• Promote sales of properties through advertisements, open houses, and participation in multiple listing services.
• Compare a property with similar properties that have recently sold to determine its competitive market price.

We asked Real Estate Sales Agents how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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69% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 44% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Real Estate Sales Agents compare a property with similar properties that have recently sold to determine its competitive market price. They prepare documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds, and leases.

A typical day for a Real Estate Sales Agent will also include:

• Coordinate appointments to show homes to prospective buyers.
• Advise clients on market conditions, prices, mortgages, legal requirements, and related matters.
• Answer clients’ questions regarding construction work, financing, maintenance, repairs, and appraisals.
• Display commercial, industrial, agricultural, and residential properties to clients and explain their features.
• Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers, generally representing one or the other.

We asked some Real Estate Sales Agents a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	96% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	25% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	75% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	64% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	61% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Real Estate Sales Agents also appraise properties to determine loan values. They may also secure construction or purchase financing with own firm or mortgage company.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Real Estate Sales Agents Coordinate property closings, overseeing signing of documents and disbursement of funds. They might also Present purchase offers to sellers for consideration.

In addition, they Advise sellers on how to make homes more appealing to potential buyers.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Contact utility companies for service hookups to clients’ property.

To some Real Estate Sales Agents, it is also their responsibility to Locate and appraise undeveloped areas for building sites, based on evaluations of area market conditions.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Irregular work schedule that changes depending on weather conditions, customer demand or contract duration.

In a typical work week as a Real Estate Sales Agent, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/sales/real-estate-brokers-and-sales-agents.htm

http://www.nareb.com/

http://www.realtor.org/