MAIN IMAGE: Adrian Goslett – regional director and CEO of REMAX Southern Africa
RE/MAX
By providing value, new real estate agents can help build trust before their first listing appointment.
When starting your career in property, it can feel like you need years of experience and multiple sales under your belt to win the trust of buyers and sellers. However, REMAX Southern Africa notes that there are ways to prove your value that do not rely solely on a sales record.
“Trust is not built on how many properties you have sold; it is built on how well you understand your market, how prepared you are and whether clients feel confident enough to rely on your advice,” says Adrian Goslett, regional director and CEO of REMAX Southern Africa. “New agents should shift their focus from trying to prove their experience to demonstrating their value.”
The first step is understanding your local market. You need to be able to speak confidently about recent sales, asking prices, buyer demand, average time on market and what makes certain properties sell faster. Sellers want an agent who can help them make informed decisions, which means that useful market knowledge can be just as important as an established sales record.
Start by spending time looking up comparable properties in the area. See what has sold recently and which listings have been sitting on the market for longer. Try to understand the reasons behind them.
“Knowing why one property sold for its asking price while another didn’t will help you offer more meaningful advice. Being able to answer questions with relevant and local information shows that you have done your homework and are prepared to put in the work to help sell their property effectively,” says Goslett.
The next step is to use this knowledge to help build your visibility. In the digital era, where buyers frequently rely on social media to verify credibility, you can utilise these platforms to build an online presence. Start by regularly sharing useful local property information online so that people start associating your name with property expertise before they need an agent.
Lastly, borrow credibility by working with a trusted brand. “At REMAX, we believe that you are in business for yourself, but not by yourself. You might be new, but you are not operating alone,” concludes Goslett.
