What does a real estate sales associate do?

A Real Estate Associate helps clients rent, buy, and sell properties. They also advertise clients properties to other realtors and potential buyers, as well as negotiate contracts with buyers and agents by acting on their behalf.
Real estate sales associate responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real real estate sales associate resumes:
- Manage REO listings, complete BPOs, property checks, negotiate offers and manage closings.
- Manage all accounting, cash management, budgeting and financing for individual LLC's and for corporate entity.
- Prepare legal documents such as HUD-1 settlement statement, sales contracts, leasing agreements, etc.
- Perform foreclosure inspections and price opinions on REO properties.
- Prepare real estate closing documents to include HUD settlement statement and RESPA documents.
- Provide notary services as needed for legal documentation (notary license still current).
- Execute the loan origination process, including ordering credit reports, appraisals and preliminary title reports.
- Learned to work with Argus, and go through a training for the newest version of the software.
- Utilize GIS mapping and demographic software to assist clients in the identification of potential sites throughout the Midwest.
- Analyze real estate purchase contracts to ensure any various credits or deductions are incorporate into the HUD-1 settlement statement.
- Provide virtual tours on websites, develop sales brochures, position advertisements, and create new listings in the MLS.
- Experience with conventional, FHA, VA, and new construction loans.Responsible for adhering to all real estate compliance regulations.
- Enter data into computer, issue instructions for escrow agents, follow up with clients, title insurance and escrow companies.
- Assist realtors with PowerPoint presentations.
- Complete marketing tasks utilizing SalesForce and marketing softwares.
Real estate sales associate skills and personality traits
We calculated that 24% of Real Estate Sales Associates are proficient in Lead Generation, Real Estate Market, and Commercial Property. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Interpersonal skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Real Estate Sales Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Lead Generation, 24%
Perform lead generation and qualification including cold-calling and territory canvassing as well as referral based networking.
- Real Estate Market, 12%
Procured sales in residential real estate market by incorporating creative marketing and advertising strategies.
- Commercial Property, 11%
Abstracted and analyzed interwoven leases and reciprocal easement agreements related to commercial property.
- Open Houses, 10%
Marketed residential units via internet, social media, peer to peer events, open houses, print and video.
- Residential Real Estate, 7%
Represented real estate developers, investors, corporations and individuals on all aspects of commercial and residential real estate transactions.
- Customer Service, 6%
Infuse all aspects of customer service during entire loan process by ensuring continuous communication, education and ensuring understanding of fitness.
Common skills that a real estate sales associate uses to do their job include "lead generation," "real estate market," and "commercial property." You can find details on the most important real estate sales associate responsibilities below.
Business skills. One of the key soft skills for a real estate sales associate to have is business skills. You can see how this relates to what real estate sales associates do because "because most real estate brokers and sales agents are self-employed, they must be able to manage every aspect of their business, including billing and advertising." Additionally, a real estate sales associate resume shows how real estate sales associates use business skills: "negotiated settlements in consumer/business disputes and recovered deposits for clients, avoiding the time and cost of litigation. "
Interpersonal skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling real estate sales associate duties is interpersonal skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "real estate brokers and sales agents spend much of their time interacting with others, such as clients and contractors." According to a real estate sales associate resume, here's how real estate sales associates can utilize interpersonal skills in their job responsibilities: "provided superior customer service to client using strong verbal communication and excellent interpersonal interaction. "
Organizational skills. This is an important skill for real estate sales associates to perform their duties. For an example of how real estate sales associate responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "real estate brokers and sales agents must be able to manage their own time for planning and prioritizing their work." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a real estate sales associate: "performed extensive due diligence, including review of title and organizational documents, public records and environmental reports. ".
Problem-solving skills. real estate sales associate responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "real estate brokers and sales agents must be able to address concerns relating to a property." This resume example shows what real estate sales associates do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "performed due diligence and estimated expected recovery values of real estate portfolio of financial institution controlled by the resolution trust corporation. "
The three companies that hire the most real estate sales associates are:
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Real estate sales associate vs. Signing agent
Home Agents are responsible for negotiating the letting and sales of residential home properties through liaising with clients, property professionals, and solicitors. Their duties include gathering property information, reaching out to sellers about the property, estimating property value, and marketing properties for sale. They represent sellers in the negotiation process and liaise with stakeholders, advise prospective buyers, and reach acceptable prices. Homes Agents in the letting space will do credit checks for tenants, draft tenancy agreements, organize rent payment schedules, and resolve property issues.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a real estate sales associate are more likely to require skills like "lead generation," "real estate market," "commercial property," and "open houses." On the other hand, a job as a signing agent requires skills like "notary," "loan packages," "reverse mortgages," and "heloc." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
On average, signing agents reach similar levels of education than real estate sales associates. Signing agents are 2.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 7.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Real estate sales associate vs. Home agent
Apartment leasing agents are professionals who are working on behalf of apartment owners to find potential tenants. The agents manage the signing of leases and provide existing tenants with customer service. They identify their wants and needs for property and their economic viability. Their duties tend to overlap those of the property managers as they maintain the habitation suitability of apartments. It is their initiative to advertise any apartment or property vacancy on the market.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real real estate sales associate resumes. While real estate sales associate responsibilities can utilize skills like "lead generation," "real estate market," "commercial property," and "open houses," home agents use skills like "inbound calls," "windows," "outbound calls," and "troubleshoot."
In general, home agents achieve similar levels of education than real estate sales associates. They're 4.9% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 7.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for real estate sales associates in the next 3-5 years?
Vice President of Demographics and Behavioral Insights, National Association of Realtors
Real estate sales associate vs. Land agent
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from real estate sales associate resumes include skills like "lead generation," "real estate market," "commercial property," and "open houses," whereas a land agent is more likely to list skills in "landowner issues," "real property," "dot," and "property rights. "
Most land agents achieve a similar degree level compared to real estate sales associates. For example, they're 4.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 6.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Real estate sales associate vs. Apartment leasing agent
Even though a few skill sets overlap between real estate sales associates and apartment leasing agents, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a real estate sales associate might have more use for skills like "lead generation," "real estate market," "commercial property," and "open houses." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of apartment leasing agents require skills like "apartment community," "security deposits," "lease apartments," and "yardi. "
The average resume of apartment leasing agents showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to real estate sales associates. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 4.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 7.7%.Types of real estate sales associate
Updated January 8, 2025











