Realtor Duties
What does a real estate agent do? An overview
Real estate agents are licensed professionals who typically work under the supervision of a real estate broker. Whether you’re in the market to buy or sell a property, they are trained to guide you through every phase of a sale, from scouting out properties to closing the deal.
Though some of the responsibilities of a real estate agent change based on if they’re working with a buyer or a seller, the general duties of all real estate agents include administrative work, research and marketing.
Administrative:
- Answer phone calls and emails
- Schedule appointments and showings
- Update property listings
- Draft and deliver documents
- Order supplies
Research:
- Perform real estate market analysis
- Stay current with real estate markets, trends and best practices
- Search open listings to find properties
Marketing:
- Create and distribute promotional material
- Manage their online and social media presence
- Network with potential clients and local businesses
- Run advertising campaigns
- Build a blog or website
What does a real estate agent do when selling real estate properties?
A real estate agent who helps owners sell a property may also be referred to as a seller’s agent or listing agent.
When a seller wants to put their property up for sale, they’ll generally contact a real estate agent to act on their behalf. With the seller’s best interests in mind, the real estate agent will use their knowledge of the market to accurately price the property, list it and market it to potential buyers.
In working with sellers, a real estate agent may perform the following key roles and duties:
- Prepare comparative market research analysis to establish a realistic asking price (beyond what an online estimator can do)
- Identify which assets are a property’s top selling points for that neighborhood, plus pinpoint the best places to invest money in improvements
- Stage the property to make it appealing to buyers
- Photograph the property, inside and out
- List the property on the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
- Advertise real estate properties to gain the attention of prospective buyers
- Supervise and/or schedule property showings and open house events
- Draft and prepare documents, such as offers, contracts and closing statements
- Communicate with appraisers, escrow companies, lenders and home inspectors
