What does a real estate agent do?

Real estate agents can perform a wide variety of tasks over their working week. Performing market analysis, liaising with tenants and professionals about maintenance work, conducting open houses and writing property advertisements are just a few common responsibilities. Some agents choose to focus on residential properties and putting people in their dream home, while others deal exclusively with commercial properties and business listings.

Tasks:

  • Negotiating leases and sales
  • Preparing property listings for advertising
  • Setting minimum sell prices using comparative market analysis (CMA)
  • Undertaking property inspections and open house events
  • Collecting rental payments and arranging maintenance for tenants

What skills do I need to be a real estate agent?

Being a real estate agent involves working closely with a wide range of people, from property owners to tenants, bankers to tradespeople and everyone in between. It pays to be personable and presentable, building a rapport with both colleagues and clients. Working in real estate makes you the middleman, acting on behalf of the owners and looking after the needs of tenants. You also need to have a great understanding of the local property market and be able to analyse market trends.

Skills/attributes
  • Good at negotiating and communicating
  • Able to work with clients, tenants and professionals
  • Focussed on sales
  • Good attention to detail
  • Understands the local property market
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Specialisations

Real estate agents can choose to focus exclusively on residential or commercial properties, or they may choose to take on a mix of listings. Starting out in the Australian real estate industry, you’ll need to be flexible and accommodating while working your way up the ranks to bigger property deals and management positions.

Property Manager

A property manager works on behalf of a property’s owner, collecting rental monies, undertaking or coordinating maintenance of a property, performing inspections, coordinating open houses and ensuring terms of a lease are being met.

Residential Real Estate Agent

To work in the residential sector, a real estate agent should be passionate about helping people find a home that suits them. It helps to have a knowledge of the schools, community centres, parks and public transport options in a neighbourhood to help set property prices and provide prospective buyers with a complete picture of the property and get sellers the best price.

Commercial Real Estate Agent

Working in commercial property entails dealing with office, retail and industrial premises, finding suitable tenants and ensuring that zoning codes are properly observed. In order to be successful, you should have an understanding of neighbourhood demographics and traffic to help you assess how viable a property will be for the buyer or seller.

Business Broker

A business broker acts as a go between in the sale of a privately owned business. Working on behalf of the seller or buyer, a business broker helps negotiate the price and terms of the sale, ensuring compliance with legislation and a smooth handover process.

Study pathways for real estate agents

In order to become a licensed real estate agent you will need to complete a qualification and register in your state.

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Getting Started

Completing a certificate of registration will allow you to work under the supervision of a licenced real estate agent while you learn on-the-job skills.

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Skill Building

A licensing program will instruct you in all the duties you’ll need to perform as an agent in your state and allow you to work unsupervised on completion.

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Professional Development

Improve your industry standing and put yourself ahead of the pack with an advanced qualification that demonstrates your commitment to real estate as a career.

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Industry Recognition

In order to work as a real estate agent, you need to be registered and licenced in your state. Learn more about your professional responsibilities and how to register in the Resources section.

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Getting a job after graduation

Put yourself ahead of the competition and improve your employment prospects in the real estate industry. View our sample resume and cover letter to make sure you’re on the right track.

Job Prospects and Salaries

The real estate industry in Australia is expected to continue the trend of strong growth experienced in the past five years, providing plenty of job opportunities for the future.

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