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Real Estate Sales Agent

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Life As a Real Estate Sales Agent

Career 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.

What Do Real Estate Sales Agents Do On a Daily Basis?

  • Answer clients' questions regarding construction work, financing, maintenance, repairs, and appraisals.
  • Investigate clients' financial and credit status to determine eligibility for financing.
  • Locate and appraise undeveloped areas for building sites, based on evaluations of area market conditions.
  • Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers, generally representing one or the other.
  • Develop networks of attorneys, mortgage lenders, and contractors to whom clients may be referred.
  • Appraise properties to determine loan values.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Real Estate Sales Agent?

Real Estate Sales Agents state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

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.

  • Apartment Rental Agent
  • Residential Property Consultant
  • Sales Specialist
  • Industrial Real Estate Agent
  • Realtor

Job Outlook for Real Estate Sales Agents

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 348,800 jobs in the United States for Real Estate Sales Agent. 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. The BLS estimates 34,400 yearly job openings in this field.

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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.

Real Estate Sales Agent Average Salary

The salary for Real Estate Sales Agents ranges between about $24,650 and $112,610 a year.

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

How much do Real Estate Sales Agents make 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

How to Become a Real Estate Sales Agent

Education needed to be a Real Estate Sales Agent:

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How Long Does it Take 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 the approximate number of Real Estate Sales Agents employed by various industries.

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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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