12 Major Qualities of a Top Real Estate Agent

To succeed in any type of work or profession, one needs to have certain qualities or demonstrate certain traits; to succeed in real estate practice, real estate agents need to provide valuable services to all types of clients while performing various professional duties; in addition to offering services, that have to exude certain qualities that would place them at the top of their game and make them a top real estate agent.

One of the reasons why most clients look for trustworthy realtors is because trustworthy realtors know what it takes to be at the top of their game, and how to be great real estate agents. No two real estate agents are the same, and each real estate agent might not be able to meet every client’s need(s). Clients know this; as a result, they look for certain subtle or obvious qualities in real estate agents before placing their trust in them.

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Some real estate agents exude qualities that show everyone in their profession how to be a great real estate agent, even if they can’t be the best. Although many top real estate agents exhibit qualities that make them outshine others in the same industry, they still look for ways to improve their qualities because they understand that there can always be room for improvement.

But what makes a top or great real estate agent: what differentiates a top or great real estate agent from the average real estate agent? What qualities do clients look for when they meet a real estate agent in the hope that the meeting would result in great benefits? Well, let’s dive right into it: the following are 12 major qualities of a top real estate agent:

1. Sound Communication & Listening Skills

In the field of real estate, sound communication is essential, and top real estate agents know how to communicate clearly and efficiently; in addition, they always create time to communicate with clients or people with whom they have a working relationship.

Usually, people are very emotional and want to be sure they are being listened to; without sound communication, listening could be difficult and lead to misunderstanding, lack of complete trust, and even failed transactions.

Without a top real estate agent who has sound communication skills, many real estate deals would never be sealed. A top real estate agent has sound communication and listening skills.

2. Great Understanding & Interpretation Skills

It’s one thing to communicate clearly and efficiently, and an entirely different thing to understand what has been/is being communicated. Top real estate agents usually ask themselves questions in order to find out the motivation, need, and investment goals of each client, or colleague.

A top real estate agent is detail-oriented, understands the basics of appreciation, return on investment, how to deal with foreclosures, and always digs deeper to understand why clients are buying or selling properties, or why each client has taken a certain decision or acted in a certain way regarding property.

3. Open & Responsive

Today’s world is a fast-paced one. In the field of real estate, the speed at which activities are carried out greatly determines whether a deal would be accepted, sealed, and closed. A top real estate agent is highly responsive and can be contacted most or all of the time.

A top real estate agent is very accessible even if they aren’t available for 24 hours of each day. A real estate agent would find it hard to succeed if they aren’t open/accessible and able to focus on real estate activities with at least a required level of urgency.

4. Up-to-date & Adequately Knowledgeable

Whether prices of properties are rising or falling, or new/undeveloped areas have the potential to be developed, a top real estate would eventually find out what is going on in the real estate market because their ears always on the ground when it comes to seeking information and being up-to-date.

Generally, a top real estate agent has adequate knowledge or experience, and has firm knowledge about the current situation of their local real estate market, and consistently updates themself with information concerning trends in the general real estate market and profession.

5. Morally Sound, Trustworthy & Honest

Generally, people love anybody who is trustworthy, honest, and has good morals. A top real estate agent has a reputation for being morally sound and honest; coupled with other qualities, such qualities attract people to top agents.

Many dishonest real estate agents encourage clients to invest in bad deals so they can achieve their own selfish goals; on the other hand, a top real estate agent has integrity and can be trusted because of their reputation for placing clients’ interests above their own interest.

6. Strong Persuasive & Negotiation Skills

One quality that distinguishes a top real estate agent from the crowd of agents is their ability to negotiate ethically and selflessly, and in ways that are aimed at helping clients.

During negotiations, a resourceful top real estate agent considers every possible angle or option and persuades the involved parties to agree on a decision that can benefit everyone involved, and help them realize their goals without having to settle for anything unsatisfying.

7. Ambitious, Persistent & Hungry

The practice of real estate is demanding, and the real estate market is kind of like a battleground where only the fittest succeed because they have what it takes to hustle enough to stand tall and run the real estate game.

A top real estate agent usually works harder and smarter than many or most of their peers in the real estate profession; they have the quality of being consistently ambitious, scrappy, and hungry to get deals continuously and succeed on a long-term basis. The work ethic of top real estate agents is one quality that separates them from the crowd of agents.

8. Sound Tech Application Skills

A top real estate agent is usually tech-savvy to a certain extent and knows how to use modern technology, computers, and the internet to process and market real estate information in ways that help to achieve goals on time.

Nowadays, although most real estate agents have at least some knowledge about technology, many still hold on to their old ways which are slow when compared with new ways which are mostly driven by technology.

Because top real estate agents are tech-savvy, they generally have a competitive edge over real estate agents who still use older or more traditional methods in current real estate practice.

9. Well-connected—to an Appreciable or Great Extent

A top real estate agent knows people with whom they can connect clients so that problems regarding properties can be solved: usually, they know the best contractors that can renovate properties at modest rates; they know the best attorneys or lenders in town and can be able to recommend professionals who have a good reputation for outstanding work.

10. Solution Provider or Problem Solver

During real estate practice, a typical real estate agent is usually wearing a different coat on different days: they could be a consultant on one day and a salesperson on another, a buyer’s or seller’s advocate on one day and a marketer on another; and an analyst on one day and a negotiator on another; etc.

Regardless of the coat they wear on a particular day, a top real estate agent has one outstanding quality that runs through all the coats: they can provide solutions or solve problems for clients.

11. Highly Organized

Real estate agents have various professional duties which, when placed together under the same umbrella of “real estate practice”, can somewhat be compared to “project management”: activities involved in real estate, along with buying and selling of properties, form a big project which needs to be properly managed by someone that is highly organized.

A top real estate is highly organized enough to handle all the stress, circumstances, individuals, emotions, etc., that are involved in every plan or desire for each estate endeavor to be successful.

12. Professional in Dressing or Appearance

It would be hard to argue against the notion that a professional who dresses shabbily emits negative vibes which could make questions linger in the hearts of clients or colleagues who have odd feelings about shabby dressing.

A real estate agent who dresses shabbily will likely not be taken seriously by clients and colleagues; on the other hand, a real estate agent who dresses impeccably will be taken seriously! A top real estate agent makes it a priority to dress well and dress right because they are not only selling real estate or property, but they are also selling their personality—their self.

A top real estate agent usually cares about how they look in the eyes of a person, a few people, and the general public; so they dress properly because they know that most people would consider their appearance before considering what they have to offer.