Realtors are professionals who help people take one of the most important steps in their life – buy or sell house or investment property.

The main responsibilities of the job include:

• having profound knowledge in the sphere of real estate market in their area;
• determining a price of the property which will be competitive on the market;
• being acquainted with the local laws on taxes and regulations concerning property selling/buying;
• controlling the legacy of all the ownership documents of both sides;
• presenting different variants of property which will correspond to the desires and financial resources of the buyer;
• organizing a meeting of the customers from both sides and playing a role of an intermediary during the negotiations of the price.

When realtors first meet a potential buyer, their main objective is to find information on what kind of property/house their client is interested in and how much he/she wants to spend on it. Then, a real estate agent may show several houses or offices corresponding to the customer’s wishes each time making an accent on the most important advantages of each of the apartments.

Education and work environment

Those interested in becoming a realtor must be at least 18 years of age, and have a high school diploma. To get the license they have to pass a written exam. As the legislation concerning real estate transactions was made tougher, college education has become a favorable addition to the qualifications of a perspective agent. Besides, there is a huge number of courses offered by different colleges or universities which prepare professionals for the sphere. After getting the license, the realtor has to renew it every 1 or 2 years or to do continuing education depending on the state requirements.

There is a possibility of working distantly from the office, for instance, one can work at home getting information and contacting clients through the internet or by the phone. Although it is often needed to adjust the working hours to the wishes of the customers, most agents like the freedom they possess, since their schedule is quite flexible.

Personal traits which are helpful in this career are honesty, amiable character, reasonableness, reliability, self-discipline, good memory, social personality and negotiating skills.