Got an entrepreneurial streak? Love helping people find their dream homes? Enjoy calling your own shots and setting your own schedule?
You might be a great fit for real estate.
Real estate agents are perceptive, self-starting, and fantastic at selling. You’re the engine behind the housing market, which some experts forecast will top a record $2.53 trillion in sales in 2023.
You’re also versatile and know how to wear a lot of different hats. Whether it’s reaching out to prospective clients, developing a strong network of resources, staging a home, or executing the sale itself -- there’s plenty of things to do on any given day. It’s definitely not a boring job!
If this sounds exciting to you, real estate may be the perfect profession for you. Continue reading below to see what a well-written real estate resume should look like in 2023.
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As a real estate agent, you're in a competitive industry that requires you to showcase your expertise and knowledge to prospective clients. Your resume should reflect your ability to adapt to market trends, as well as your ability to build strong relationships with clients. In recent years, technological advancements and the rise of virtual home tours have significantly impacted the real estate industry. When writing your resume, it's essential to highlight your skills in these areas, as well as your success in closing deals.
In addition to your core competencies, real estate companies value agents who are familiar with their local market and its unique characteristics. Your resume should highlight your knowledge of the neighborhoods you serve, and any recent development projects or trends that have shaped the market. Tailor your resume to appeal to the specific company and their values, emphasizing how you'd be a strong asset to their team.
Real estate agents today must be technologically savvy to stay competitive. Emphasize your proficiency with industry-specific tools like MLS software, customer relationship management tools, and virtual tour applications to demonstrate your ability to adapt to the ever-changing industry landscape.
Real estate agents with a few years of experience should utilize their resume to demonstrate their expertise in the industry. As mentioned above, real estate is a role with a variety of responsibilities -- and a variety of skill sets. From updating your real estate website to getting through paperwork to keeping your clients satisfied, there’s a lot of things you need to be able to juggle concurrently. Make sure to highlight your experience so your clients know you have what it takes to succeed.
Clients want to know that the real estate agent they’re trusting with the purchase/sale of their home has had a record of professional experience in the field. Use your resume to show your development over time, and note where you took on increased responsibility. Show a trend of growth and commitment to real estate roles, and outline your path to the professional real estate agent you are today.
Clients looking to hire a real estate agent want to be certain that you can help them sell or buy a house for a good deal. Make sure to highlight your past accomplishments in real estate roles. Describe how you achieved your accomplishments in detail -- perhaps you led an extensive marketing campaign, or generated high-quality appraisals. Use strong action verbs and quantifiable metrics to quantify the extent of your successful deals.
A real estate agent is responsible for listing, marketing, showing, and closing sales on homes. A real estate agent also represents prospective homebuyers by helping them identify listings for their needs, leading them in showings, and assisting in helping the buyers negotiate offers. Real estate agents may also help prospective renters find a new apartment. An entry-level real estate agent may work alongside a more tenured agent at first.
It’s not required to have a degree to become a real estate agent, though it’s a plus to have a degree in a related field. Hiring managers will be certain to look for candidates who have passed their real estate agent exam. Other certifications having to do with residential law, as well as experience in real estate or property management, will be attractive to potential hiring managers.
If you want to land an entry level real estate agent role, relevant experience will show hiring managers you have important background knowledge. Previous experience as a housing counselor, appraisal specialist, or as a leasing agent for an apartment building can show employers you have real-world experience working with clients looking for housing.
Having your real estate agent license is a nonnegotiable requirement to land an real estate agent job typically. Completing your ABR (Accredited Buyers Representative) certification shows you have additional training and knowledge in real estate, beyond the basics. Certifications like these also come with ongoing educational opportunities and a network of realtors you could use to find opportunities.
Experienced real estate agents can enjoy great schedule flexibility and monetary success. A real estate agent is involved in the listing and selling of property. Real estate agents also represent prospective buyers to facilitate the buying process. Experienced real estate agents may handle larger deals, such as the sales of large multi-unit apartment buildings or commercial spaces. Experienced real estate agents may lead a team of junior agents.
It’s not required to have a degree to become a real estate agent, though it’s a plus to have a degree in a related field. A real estate license is non-negotiable. It's also wise to gain additional real estate certifications to stand out. Experienced real estate agents will typically have several years of experience in the industry and a track record of success.
When looking to land an experienced real estate agent role, you’ll need to show you have the experience and knowledge to take the lead. It’s wise to note previous successes on your resume, such as how much revenue you brought in, successful negotiations for clients, and/or successful property marketing campaigns you led.
Certifications show employers you’ve completed extra coursework that enhances your knowledge on real estate practices and laws. A certified residential specialist (CRS) certification is the highest credential a real estate agent can receive. It requires 30 hours of course work, and provides resources such as discounted continuing education, access to the CRS network, conferences, and more.
We spoke with real estate brokers and hiring managers at top firms like Keller Williams, RE/MAX, and Coldwell Banker to gather their best tips for writing a real estate agent resume. They've seen thousands of resumes throughout their careers and know exactly what makes a resume stand out. If you follow the tips below, you'll be on your way to landing interviews at the best real estate agencies in your area.
Make sure to include your real estate license number and any relevant certifications at the top of your resume. Hiring managers want to see this information right away. Some examples of how to list your license and certifications:
If you have multiple licenses or certifications, list them in order of relevance and importance. Don't make the hiring manager hunt for this crucial information.
A resume summary is an optional section that sits at the top of your resume, just below your name and contact information. While not required, it can be a powerful tool for real estate agents looking to provide additional context about their experience, skills, and career goals. Keep in mind that a summary should never be used in place of a well-crafted resume; rather, it should complement and enhance the information already provided.
When writing a summary for a real estate agent resume, focus on highlighting your most relevant qualifications, such as your years of experience, area of expertise, and any notable achievements or certifications. Avoid using generic buzzwords or soft skills, and instead use specific, measurable examples to demonstrate your value as a candidate.
The work experience section is the most important part of your real estate agent resume. It's where you show hiring managers how you've excelled in your real estate career thus far.
In this section, we'll break down everything you need to know to write a work experience section that wows recruiters and lands you interviews.
The education section on a real estate agent resume is important, but how much detail you include depends on your level of experience. If you're a recent graduate or changing careers, you may want to include more information. If you have years of experience, keep it brief. Here are some tips for writing your education section.
Real estate agents are savvy salesmen/women and jack of all trades. They have the organization to maintain paperwork, the EQ to prospect new clients, and the marketing chops to successfully sell themselves.
It’s important to emphasize your skills in these areas when writing your real estate resume. For example, to highlight your prospecting abilities, use words such as “developed” or “collaborated”.
Real estate is, at its core, the business of selling houses, so it’s important to draw attention to all the deals you’ve successfully closed with strong action verbs. Use strong verbs to start out your bullet points, and demonstrate your accomplishments in leadership .
For more related action verbs, visit Sales Action Verbs.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
When choosing what skills to include in your real estate agent resume, follow these tips to make sure you’re picking the relevant skills that’ll help your application stand out.
Real estate is an industry with a particular emphasis on geography -- as you’ll tend to be selling houses in a specific locale. If you haven’t already, it’s important to do your research on what kind of software or services, like Yardi or Timevalue, that other agents in your area are using or offering to their clients. That might mean reaching out to your network or doing some research in online forums.
It’s also important to note that your skills section isn’t the only area in your resume where you should be displaying your skills. Weave relevant skills throughout your work section, expanding on them in the context of your professional experience.
Finally, consider your audience. Are you applying to join a brokerage or agency? Or are you sending out these resumes as you independently seek out clients? Consider what works with different readers and apply that accordingly -- for example, everyday clients may not understand the technical real estate jargon that would work well if you’re applying to a real estate agency.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Real Estate Agent job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
