A day in the life of a real estate agent

What does a day in the life of a real estate agent look like? Practically any sales agent will tell you one thing: no two days are the same.

One day, a sales agent could be planning a marketing campaign or filling out the forms necessary to act for a vendor wishing to sell a home or preparing a contract for the sale of a house. The next, they could be organising an open house or managing an auction.

Sometimes your day will involve doing some market research, keeping your online profile and social media on track or responding to a flurry of phone calls and emails. Of course, there's the usual prospecting for sellers wishing to sell and buyers wishing to buy. Each day in the life of a real estate agent never looks the same.

Most agents will tell you they love the diversity and flexibility of their day, the excitement it can generate and the satisfaction it can bring.

What a Day in the Life of a Real Estate Agent Looks Like

The rewards can be great for those who work hard, according to agents who are now hugely successful in the industry.

Ray White Aspley Group's Angela Duncan says she was lured to real estate because of its perceived glamour but more for its potential for freedom and independence. After putting in some hard work, she's now "completely responsible for my diary, my income, my goals - everything is on me". For Duncan, a day in the life of a real estate agent is completely up to her.

"Real estate is like an apprenticeship - those first couple of years are really hard," she says.

"It's not fun, it's not good money, but it can really set you up to be a business owner or to be in a position down the track that you can't get to without that early sacrifice."

Pounding the pavement

Long time agent Roxanne Workman says beginning work as a sales agent involved a lot of prospecting, a lot of walking and a lot of door knocking. For her, a day in the life of a real estate agent was a busy affair.

"And look, that's just grounding," she says. "That should be done all the time whether you're a real estate agent of two months, two years or 20 years. If you keep that mindset, I think by working through and keeping going you'll have longevity in the business."

Roxanne certainly has longevity - she now owns two RE/MAX franchises.

Long term LJ Hooker sales specialist Pascal Pierre, based on the Gold Coast, says he loves the real estate sector for two reasons - the fact that no day in the life of a real estate agent is ever the same, and that it's a profession built on merit.

"Your day can start off with nothing going on and it can literally change with a phone call, and before you know it, you're doing deals left, right, and centre," Pierre says.

He states that even after many years in the industry, he still finds it impossible not to become personally invested with a vendor's story.

"I get a genuine buzz from helping people move from A to B in their real estate journey, and whether you like it or not you can't help but buy into their circumstances," Pierre says.

"Handing over the keys on settlement date, there's a great feeling that comes from genuinely helping people."

For Pierre, a day in the life of a real estate agent can lead to great satisfaction.

Interested in a real estate career? Enrol in the REIQ's registration course.