Becoming a real estate agent: what you need to know

If you are wondering what you need to know to become a real estate agent, you probably also want to know what a real estate agent does, how to become a qualified professional — by obtaining what is commonly referred to as a license — and how much you can earn.

Let’s clarify one point right away: this is a job that can offer great economic and personal satisfaction.

In this article, we have also summarized the personal characteristics of a real estate agent. At the end, we will also explain who a Toscano agent is and what characteristics are needed to pass an interview and begin our training path.

Let’s get started.

1. What does a real estate agent do?

Before understanding together how to become an agent, there is one thing to know: what exactly does a real estate agent do?

A real estate agent is a very versatile self-employed professional activity that can be carried out independently or within a real estate agency. For many people, in fact, this represents the ideal job to become self-employed and to work at real estate agencies.

A real estate agent deals with properties. More specifically, they handle the sale or rental phase of homes, industrial buildings, offices, shops, land and every type of property. Their main task is to find potential buyers for those selling a property.

It is a highly appreciated job because it involves a dynamic daily routine, with activities to be carried out independently, with clients and with one’s team, if working as part of a group.

Among the other tasks of a real estate agent, there are a series of activities that are essential to the success of their career or business. Let’s look at some of them.

1.1 Property search and acquisition appointments

Every real estate agent’s initial and ongoing activity is to look for properties to sell. This sets in motion a series of first-contact activities with clients who want to sell. Once the mandate has been obtained, the real estate agent can then take care of promoting their property.

We are talking about marketing and networking activities that we also teach in our training path. In fact, at Toscano, every new resource who passes the selection process begins a real training path at one of our agencies.

1.2 Property sales and sales appointments

In this phase, the real estate agent takes care of the full promotion of the newly acquired property. They contact clients who may be interested and organize viewing appointments to show the property. They receive offers from potential buyers and report them to the seller with the aim of defining and finalizing the sale.

1.3 Updating and training in bureaucratic and contractual matters

A real estate agent needs constant training in order to keep up with urban planning and cadastral laws, as well as with the mental aspects needed to manage this job in the best possible way. To meet this need for continuous updating, we have created a training school dedicated to all Toscano real estate agents. Its name is Golden Domus Academy, and it prepares all real estate agents for the practical and mental aspects of this job. The final goal: winning the Toscano Golden Domus.

2. How do you become a qualified real estate agent?

The job of a real estate agent requires a qualification in order to be carried out. To become an agent, it is in fact mandatory to attend a course that allows you to obtain the qualification as a Business Agent in Mediation, issued by the Chamber of Commerce. What was once commonly referred to as the license also makes it possible to open a real estate agency.

With Law 39/89 of 1989, and in particular with the amendments made to it in 2001, the qualification system introduced new regulations. A real estate agent must meet two fundamental requirements: the moral requirement and the professional requirement.

2.1 The moral requirement for qualification

This requirement is met by proving that you have not been disqualified, legally incapacitated, declared bankrupt, or convicted of crimes carrying a prison sentence of no less than two years as a minimum and no more than five years as a maximum. It is also necessary to prove that you have not been subject to anti-mafia regulations and that you are not subject to accessory administrative sanctions, as indicated in Article 5 of Law 507/1999.

2.2 The professional requirement for qualification

The professional requirement includes:

• A training course lasting approximately 220 hours, at the end of which a test is taken to certify attendance. The course is organized by bodies accredited by the Regions or Provinces, depending on the geographical area of origin, or by authorized bodies.
• The subjects studied are legal, tax, cadastral and urban planning matters, as well as other knowledge required in the real estate world.
• To access the course, it is sufficient to be of legal age and to have any upper secondary school diploma.
• Non-EU citizens must hold a valid residence permit and be resident in the province of the Chamber where the exam application is submitted.
• The cost of the exam consists of a €16 revenue stamp and an exam payment that may vary depending on the Chamber of Commerce, for example €77 in Rome and Milan.
• If the exam is not passed, the application cannot be resubmitted before six months from the date of notification of the negative exam result.

3. What characteristics should a real estate agent have?

We have talked about the qualification needed to become a real estate agent and what a real estate agent does in practice. At this point, it is time to talk about the characteristics a good real estate agent should have in order to carry out their activities with the public and in the office in the best possible way.

We want to tell you what it really means to be a real estate agent. We want to help you understand whether this job may be right for you from a human point of view, so as to help you understand which personal aspects to focus on.

The characteristics we will discuss are those we have identified over 40 years of experience in the field, and they are the same ones we look for in those who apply through the Careers page of the Toscano.it portal.

3.1 Here are the soft skills of a real estate agent

First of all, a good real estate agent must have strong interpersonal skills. Knowing how to be around people, how to speak and how to present oneself are important qualities for conveying one’s seriousness to the client and to one’s team. This is a job that requires humility and curiosity in order to learn an activity made up of meetings, people and handshakes.

While the qualification recognizes you as a real estate agent, it is through fieldwork that you truly learn this profession. This is precisely why we place new resources alongside experienced tutors who guide them during their first weeks.

This job requires a great deal of willpower, which translates into dedication to work, the ability to accept setbacks and turn them into experience. As we said at the beginning, being a real estate agent is a perfect job for becoming self-employed. For this reason, it is a job that requires strong proactivity, initiative, ambition and determination.

Being a real estate agent means putting yourself to the test, wanting to build a career and being willing to make sacrifices to achieve your goals. Only in this way will your results be significant economically, personally and professionally.

4. Who is a Toscano real estate agent?

After listing the characteristics that a real estate agent should have, we want to talk about who a Toscano agent is.

Their characteristics are the same ones we indicated previously, but they focus on several very important points, especially for those who want to apply and will attend an interview at our agencies.

A Toscano real estate agent must have 4 fundamental skills: learning, interpersonal ability, collaboration and flexibility of thought.

4.1 The 4 skills needed to become a Toscano agent

Learning: when we talk about learning, we refer to the ability to take action independently in order to acquire new knowledge. This is a fundamental skill for every real estate agent, and one that at Toscano we support through our classroom and field training.

Interpersonal ability: interpersonal ability, which we have already mentioned, goes beyond simply “staying in touch.” A Toscano real estate agent has the ability to establish and maintain effective relationships naturally. We always try to make people understand the importance of this skill, because it facilitates the acquisition of new properties and meeting new clients who want to sell.

Collaboration: when we talk about collaboration, we refer to the ability to bring together moments of agreement and disagreement, which are part of everyday working life, in order to achieve a clear objective, whether individual or shared.

Flexibility of thought: these skills are then complemented by flexibility of thought, meaning the willingness to question one’s own opinions and the ability to assimilate new points of view and new stimuli in one’s work.

Everything we have said makes it possible to be a professional real estate agent with clear goals. Having goals means setting a path for yourself so as not to lose the main direction, which in life and at work can sometimes be difficult to maintain.

Contact us to become part of this large group.

Express your value, achieve your future.