Mastery is the key to efficiency and efficiency leads to success. In the world of real estate, there are a few things that an agent must be adept at to dominate their local market. One way to do that is to master the art of ending a transaction with a smile on a client’s face.

The more satisfied clients you have, the faster your name travels around. That means two things - more new clients and opportunities to earn commissions. Keep on reading and learn the things you need to master below as a real estate agent.

1. Making listing photos

A good real estate agent knows how to take and choose photos that are appealing to public listing platforms and exclusive networks. The more professional the shots are taken for listing, the more buyers will inquire about the property which increases its chance of being sold.

2. Communication skills

You must learn to speak to clients in a way that convinces them to close a deal but not sounding greedy and manipulative at the same time. Seasoned real estate agents think of that before talking. In addition, you should also be a good listener.

3. Home inspection

It’s your job as a real estate agent to make sure your client’s house gets sold easily or the property they buy is worth their money. To do this, you need to learn how to detect damages or wear and tears in the property they’re buying or selling.

4. Reading and understanding contracts

Real estate contracts are legal documents that contain a lot of jargon. Most of them are words you might not even know. It’s okay not to learn everything immediately. Just get familiar with common real estate terms and their meaning.

5. Staging open houses

Just like taking photos for listing, you must also know how to declutter and rearrange the interior of a client’s home for sale. Visitors will try to picture out what their life will be like in the house for sale. A messy home for staging will be unappealing to prospective buyers. This will also ruin your reputation as a real estate agent.

6. Choosing the right agency

There are a lot of real estate agencies that are always hiring new agents. This presents a lot of opportunities for fresh graduates from real estate schools. But like choosing which school you want for college, you should also do research on agencies you plan to work for. Pick the company that best suits you and has the resources to make you successful.

7. Saving up for hard times

Closing deals and earning commissions won’t happen every day. No matter how good you are at the trade, there will be times where the housing market is silent. That’s why you should set aside funds for the rainy days. And don’t just save for emergencies, conserve cash for other real estate investments as well.

8. Keeping in touch with all of your clients

Always keep your clients updated about how your search for their dream home is going. Even if you’re working at home or handling a lot of negotiations. If they’re selling their house, tell them about the inquiries and the offers that the potential buyers presented. A model real estate agent should be calling their clients first and not the other way around.

9. Putting the client’s needs first

Remember, your salary is based on the commissions made from a successful deal. If you put your clients at top priority and give them what they need, you earn money. If you make choices against your client’s will, no deal happens and you earn nothing.

10. Local knowledge

One of the most important things that real estate agents should possess is knowledge of a local area. It can be the geographics, neighborhood, accessibility of necessities, or the local market. A professional real estate agent must be able to immediately answer questions their clients ask with accurate data.

Write all of the entries above into a checklist. Try to see which of them you’ve already mastered. For the ones you haven’t, work on them to build your real estate portfolio and be a more successful agent.