What It Takes To Be An Estate Agent (A Good One). A Leader.

"Estate agents are notoriously bad when it comes to providing feedback to their clients!" This is just one of the complaints heard frequently by property purchasers and sellers.

The question is: "Are there any real professional estate agents out there?"

I believe that there are... but what does it take to ensure professionalism and what should buyers and sellers be on the lookout for?

My advice to them is: deal with agents who are leaders and can handle challenges and complexity and who demonstrate a high level of understanding and therefore can and do communicate effectively. This, of course, requires real estate knowledge and the ability to apply it authentically, realistically and sincerely. Authenticity being the keyword...

Authenticity relies on emotional intelligence, in other words the person's identity must be authentic. Having an authentic identity is the highest form of emotional intelligence and it presupposes confidence, humility, integrity and empathy. Self-awareness and an ability to regulate how you act on your emotions are crucial components of emotional intelligence. Authenticity is very refreshing and it is much easier to be receptive to authentic people...but, there are also so few of them. Ego and pretense are so common and accepted that it is easy to forget what authenticity is. Therefore, the more someone dares to open up and shows him/herself as a vulnerable human being, the easier it will be to serve their clients with integrity...and provide regular feedback!

In article no 2 we will discuss what knowledge your estate agent should possess to ensure the most professional approach.

Pam Snyman CPRE (NQF Level 7)

(MPhil, Dip Advanced Property Practice, Dip Property Investment & Valuation)