Can you be a good realtor if you do not like sales?

Question

I have been working in the real estate sphere for about 18 months. Currently I am doing a renovation on a friend's investment property. I have yet to get my real estate license, but will be getting in starting classes in Jan of 2017. Getting my RE license is important to me because I think it will give me the education and credibility I am lacking. My biggest issue is that I am not a fan of sales as a career. Can I still be a good realtor if I am not a fan of doing sales?

Chris Mason · Answer

Hi @Michael Semeraro,

I'm going to suggest that you give the below book a read, and then post back about your thoughts. Selling in the 21st century, particularly to millennials that really appreciate transparency and information, and hate being pitched to, isn't what it was in the 20th century.

I suspect it'll overlap a lot with why @Russell Brazil is successful as a salesman even though he can't, or doesn't, "sell." Look at his picture, he's a millennial. So he knows that you don't sell by selling these days. I see that you are 27, so you already know this too, and most of your clients will end up being  ballpark the same age as you simply by default. Just don't make baby boomers be your niche, many of that generation prefer all the old fashioned 20th century salesmanship nonsense, they like being lied to, and they enjoy being manipulated (context: I got started as an assistant to someone from that generation, and kind of got started on my own when I realized that the younger consumers would ignore him and communicate with me instead, but the older consumers never wanted to speak with me at all because they preferred the lies and manipulation).

Book:

To Sell is Human, by Daniel H Pink.

On my end, an example of what that sort of approach looks like is teaching a consumer how to price out a mortgage, handing them the internal rate sheet, and letting them tell me their interest rate.

Russell Brazil · Answer

I find that there are 3 types of professionals who can be highly successful as a Realtor. There can be overlap in them. Sales Professionals, Marketing Professionals and Real Estate Professionals.  I consider myself to be the latter of those 3. I do not consider myself to be exceptional at sales, nor do I like sales, but I am very successful as a Realtor.

Steve Haight · Answer

@Michael Semeraro

Better to find another career. You better be a good salesman as there are lots of other agents you would be competing with. Even if you are an investor you need sales in the mix. Good luck.

Angie Lambsdown · Answer

I have a personal experience that may be helpful. I got my license to make our flips and investing easier / more profitable etc. I got the license with no intention initially of doing regular buyer/seller transactions as a way of earning income as I thought I HATE SALES! Sales is bad if you are persuading someone to buy something they don't need or want.

PRO: Having the license saves money on the the sale side of a flip if you are the listing agent. What happened inevitably along the way was as I listed our own property I got referrals and new buyer/seller leads. I didn't know I would enjoy it this much and have a knack for the detail of the job. I've picked up many new buyer and seller clients through our personal deals and its been great! I'm not "selling" in the "used car sales person" sense but rather showing the client that I'm the person that can get the job done for them and make the transaction less stressful for them by knowing more than they do about the process and having the resources they need to save time, cost and get the tasks done right.

CON: Earning and maintaining a RE license costs time and money over the course of the year to pay for brokerage fees, continuing ed. association dues etc. If you don't want to spend time & cash on that then just develop relationships with a few agents that can work on your behalf.  The only other caution I'd throw out there is that when you start working with other clients, the personal deals can sit on the back burner because of the duty and focus being on the clients and not your own stuff. Most transactions are "time is of the essence" and if you can handle all the last minute things that come up and are ok with a random and sometimes unpleasant schedule then go for it!

Something I've noticed in transactions is that I can tell when someone is an "investor with a license" vs an "agent that loves their job". It changes the clients experience and if you are going to do it, jump in with both feet!

Chris T. · Answer

@Michael Semeraro

Ultimately real estate is a people business. Your network is your net worth.

Perhaps you can change your mindset. Instead of selling to people, how can you be a problem solver for your customers and investors?

Charlie MacPherson · Answer

Sales is at the heart of the business.  If you dislike sales, you are doing a disservice to yourself and your clients if you get licensed.

There are lots of other ways to become educated without becoming licensed.  I suspect that is a better investment of your time.

Rosston Smith · Answer

I doubt it. You need a real passion to excell.

Can you be a good realtor if you do not like sales?

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