Diverse Experience Is Necessary For Philadelphia Real Estate Agents
John Zeigler is an AVP for Carrington Real Estate Services where he manages the operations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Carrington is a hands-on real estate agency that offers guided service through the home buying process. All their agents are trained and licensed in the Philadelphia and New Jersey area. John attended Glassboro State College where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree.
When hiring for your company, what do you look for in an agent?
"That depends on if they just got their real estate license or have been in the business for a few years. If they are new, they will most likely succeed in this career if they have a passion for all things real estate, are go-getters, flexible, organized, tech savvy, excellent communicators, have the patience of a saint, love people, have an entrepreneurial spirit and have previous sales experience. If the agent is experienced, we look for the opportunity to take their business to the next level. They need a track record of having closed several transactions a year and a true desire to grow their business. They will be able to diversify the types of real estate transactions and services they are able to offer their clients so they are successful in any type of market."
What advice would you give to someone entering into your field?
"Look before they leap. There are some startup costs to get their real estate career up and running. We suggest they set up a business checking account and have funds available for pre-licensing school tuition, exam fees, industry association memberships and marketing materials to jump-start their brand in the local market. Plus, we suggest they take a 20-minute sales skills assessment to see if a career in real estate is really for them."
What changes have you observed in the past year as far as business growth and hiring practices are concerned?
"In today's market, it is important that we hire agents who will work at this career full-time. The business is getting more and more complicated, and in order to make a great living at this profession, agents need to be experienced in all types of real estate transactions. That includes REO, short sales, online leads, auction properties plus traditional sales."
What is the median salary for an agent?
"According to NAR (National Association of REALTORS®) the median gross income was $45,800 in 2014."
Christina Thompson is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. She reports on various topics such as: Social Media, Local Events, Entertainment, Food and Drink and more. Her work can be found at http://firstsendmedia.com/