The Roles and Responsibilities of A Real Estate Agent
Interested in starting a career as a real estate agent and becoming part of a challenging and exciting industry?
A career in real estate is a great opportunity to invest in yourself - be it building your skills and knowledge to working with clients and earning commissions. If you are on the fence about starting a job as a real estate agent, now is a good time to get going.
Real estate agents are in high demand and the market offers numerous opportunities for growth and success in the short and long term. They are always on the move looking out to complete a challenging and thrilling task off their to-do lists.
Before starting a career as a real estate agent, it is important to know what a day in the life of a real estate agent looks like.
In this article, we are going to give you the rundown of what you can expect to do as a real estate agent and your job role, responsibilities, and duties.
You might think that a real estate agent is only meeting clients and closing deals but there’s so much more than what meets the eye.
After going through this article, you will be able to make an informed career decision on what you can expect to do in a day as a real estate agent.
Whether you are a complete beginner or have some experience from another career field, here’s a peek into the everyday life of a real estate agent.
Common Daily Functions of a Real Estate Agent
Overview of the Real Estate Industry
The US real estate industry’s value is estimated to be at a whopping $2.5 trillion in 2023 and is poised to reach a staggering $3 trillion by 2028.
Despite the pandemic, the real estate industry has continued to show resilience and sales are now bouncing back to the pre-COVID numbers.
Currently, the inventory levels for single-family homes, luxury homes, town homes, and condominiums are on the rise. The real estate industry in the US has bounced back strongly with new home sales contributing to around 15% of the total homes sold.
These statistics point towards the trend that now is a good time to be a part of the real estate industry. If you are interested in joining a dynamic, diverse, and stable industry, working as a real estate agent could be a good career choice for you.
Now if you are wondering what are the daily duties of a real estate agent, what the day looks like, and what to expect in the industry, keep on reading to find out.
Importance of Daily Tasks in Real Estate
The real estate industry is fast-moving, evolving, and highly organized which means that it is important to keep up with the changing pace.
It is expected that real estate professionals must stay on top of emerging trends and industry updates to stay competitive.
This is where having a set list of real estate agent daily tasks is important, especially if you are starting out and just learning the ropes.
Having a clear, organized daily schedule will help you accomplish more easily while giving the required time and attention to different parts of the job. This is especially at the start of your career as you will be working more on administrative, clerical, and support tasks.
Below is a quick checklist of some of the essential daily duties of a real estate agent:
- Finding opportunities for lead generation through online and offline media
- Calling and following up with potential leads over the phone and email
- Meeting and showing property listings to clients
- Liaison with real estate brokers, appraisers, and home inspectors
- Updating contracts and purchase agreements
- Submitting real estate contracts to clients
- Negotiating contracts with sellers and buyers
- Drafting leases and documenting contracts
- Managing and updating the database of clients and leads
- Working on marketing materials and campaigns
- Researching the industry trends and market forecasts
The above list of daily responsibilities is not exhaustive by any means - your daily tasks in the real estate industry can vary based on where you work and your employer’s needs.
Now that we have given the summary of the duties and responsibilities, let us take a closer look at what do real estate agents do on a daily basis.
Morning Routine and Preparing for the Day
Arriving at the Office or on the Field
It all starts when you arrive at the office in the morning as most agents typically start early in the day.
If you have a field visit scheduled for the day, then you will be expected to reach the site and meet the client as per the planned time slot.
On a typical day, mornings are the most important and productive part of the day for real estate agents.
If you want to know more about the most important aspect of a successful real estate agent’s daily schedule ask them about how they spend their mornings.
This part of the day is when you get to set and execute the plan and schedule for the rest of the day so new agents can expect a hectic pace in the early years.
However, as you progress through your career and gain experience, you can enjoy a more relaxed, open morning schedule.
Reviewing and Responding to Emails and Messages
Once you are at the office, the first and foremost task is to review all your voicemails, messages, and emails and start responding to the ones that demand immediate attention.
As a real estate agent, your primary job is to ensure that you are always reaching out to potential leads and existing clients on time.
This means you must conduct timely follow-ups and check-ins to ensure that your appointments are scheduled on time. On a typical day, you will be scheduling at least 6-8 meetings and property visits daily.
Responding to emails and phone calls is also important for new agents as it gives them a sense of ownership.
At the beginning of your career, you will be working with a senior broker or brokerage firm and it will help to learn how to speak to clients, respond to their queries, and reach out to them for support.
Researching and Staying Updated on Market Trends
Most people think that a real estate agent’s job is all about meeting clients, scheduling property visits, and negotiating contracts. However, there is more to it than helping clients buy and sell real estate.
Real estate agents are expected to understand the market trends and stay updated with the latest developments in the industry.
The real estate world is dynamic and fast-moving and to stay competitive, you must invest time in researching the news, analysis, and emerging trends.
Market research is one of the most important daily duties of a real estate agent and you should take it seriously to stand out from the competition.
Prospecting and Lead Generation
Identifying Potential Clients and Leads
For the unfamiliar, real estate agents make money by helping people sell, buy, and lease properties.
To do so, agents are required to identify potential clients who are on the lookout to find sellers and buyers for their real estate needs.
This part of the job is known as lead generation and it can go down in many avenues and mediums.
Irrespective of the methods you choose for lead generation, your goal should be to identify the list of people in your city or state who are looking for real estate services.
Typically, real estate agents use social media, cold calling, online ads, mailing lists, local classifieds, and industry events as methods to generate leads.
Cold Calling and Following up on Leads
Cold calling leads is an old-school technique to gauge the interest of a homeowner or buyer.
It still works great if you have the right temperament, patience, and technique to engage potential clients on a phone call.
New and upcoming real estate agents should not overlook the importance of speaking to leads on the phone.
Most importantly, you must invest time and effort in following up with your leads regularly to ensure they consider you whenever the need arises.
Spending some time on your potential as well as existing clients every day is a great way to keep them engaged throughout the sales cycle.
Networking and Building Relationships with Referral Sources
Among the many different administrative and clerical types of real estate agent’s daily tasks, there is something that demands extra attention and effort.
It is called networking and relationship building and it is the single most important task which can bring you amazing results and maximum benefits.
As a real estate agent, your job is to work with real estate brokers, home inspectors, and appraisers. Working as part of the industry, it is important to forge strong relationships with other industry professionals.
Networking at events, meetups, and conferences is one way to put yourself out there and spread the word about your services.
Brokers, appraisers, realtors, and home inspectors are always looking for skilled and reliable agents.
If they know you as a knowledgeable and trusted professional, they are highly likely to hire you.
Honing your networking and relationship-building skills can help you be perceived as a confident, sincere, and hardworking agent by potential clients and customers.
Client Meetings and Showings
Scheduling Client Meetings and Property Showings
The daily work of a real estate agent can never be complete without scheduling client meetings and conducting property visits.
Meeting prospective clients for discussions and setting up property showings is one of the most important responsibilities of an agent.
Typically, noon is when the property visits start and the agents get into the action mode with their clients.
Since you will be spending time with multiple clients in a day, it is important to schedule appointments and finalize the time and place of the visit beforehand.
Presenting Properties to Clients and Explaining Features
Real estate agents are solely responsible for presenting properties to interested clients who want to explore potential home buying and investment opportunities.
As an agent, you are also expected to know important information about the property and the locality it is in.
Knowing the locality and neighborhood will help you to present the property in a better and complete way.