The profession of a real estate agent is attractive to many people because it offers many opportunities and a great deal of variety. Real estate agents are long past being responsible only for the sale of apartments, houses, and land; upon request, they also conduct market analyses to determine the exact value of a property. This article shows the specific tasks of real estate agents and how interested individuals can become one.
What are the tasks of a real estate agent?
More and more people want to become a real estate agent. Real estate agent has become one of the most popular professions – especially for career changers. In this profession, everything revolves around real estate. The scope of duties ranges from consulting and property valuation to handing over the keys after a successful house purchase. In addition to buying and selling, real estate agents are also responsible for the rental and leasing of properties and land. Anyone looking for a suitable property to buy or rent is in the right place with a real estate agent, as is someone who wants to sell or rent out their property. The field of activity for a real estate agent is broad.
Tasks include:
- Sale and rental of properties and land
- Market analysis
- Valuation
- Support and advice for interested parties
- Handling negotiations
- Rental and leasing
- Creating exposés and sales documents
- Conducting viewings
- Credit check
- Preparation of a handover protocol
What must a real estate agent bring to the table?
In addition to a general interest in the profession, aspiring real estate agents should possess some fundamental qualities. Above all, they should be good with people and be able to express themselves well both orally and in writing. Furthermore, they should not shy away from contact with customers and should bring a high level of commitment and empathy. Moreover, real estate professionals should have sales talent and acquire commercial and legal knowledge through training or further education.
What are the advantages of real estate agents?
Of course, property owners can sell their house or apartment on their own, but it is not only safer, but also easier to hire a real estate agent. Due to their often broad portfolio, agents take over many tasks – from attractive advertising to market analysis and valuation, all the way to the sale. Anyone unfamiliar with selling real estate is not immune to mistakes, which in the worst case can have legal consequences.
How do I become a real estate agent?
The profession of a real estate agent belongs to the so-called regulated trade, which requires corresponding knowledge and skills. Basically, there are two ways to work independently as a real estate agent. A prerequisite is having reached the age of 18. The easiest way to start is if you already have a university or technical college degree. In this case, one year of practical experience is sufficient to be able to work as a real estate agent after registering the business with the Austrian Economic Chamber.
Another possibility is the Career change entry into the profession, which should be particularly interesting for older people. Here, too, aspiring real estate professionals must prove practical experience, the duration of which depends on the respective school leaving certificate or previous education. The duration is
- one year for a law or economics degree,
- two years after a general higher school,
- one and a half years after a vocational school,
- two years after completing training as an office or real estate clerk and
- two years after a three-year apprenticeship.
When is the qualification examination for real estate agents?
In connection with training as a real estate agent, one often speaks of the so-called qualification examination. This is an examination that follows practical experience in the case of a career change. The most important examination contents include the areas of activity that a real estate agent must be familiar with, such as
- tenancy law,
- property law,
- residential property law,
- zoning and building regulations and
- commercial law.
Conclusion: Qualification as a real estate agent is also possible as a career changer
Real estate agent is an interesting profession with many possibilities. Basically, there are several ways to become a real estate agent – either after a university or technical college degree or after a school or vocational school degree with a corresponding practical year. In this case, a qualification examination must also be taken, which covers the most important areas of activity of an aspiring real estate agent.
