What does a realtor do?
A realtor is responsible for processing real estate transactions and assisting clients with their concerns and inquiries about a specific property. A realtor should always work for their clients' best interests, ensuring that proposals work within the client's specified budget and property goals. A realtor will also consider the security of a property location before a recommendation to ensure the client's safety and comfort. Realtors must finalize records of cost estimates and purchase agreements, which are essential in choosing the best property.
Realtor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real realtor resumes:
- Process funds and manage accounts through QuickBooks.
- Manage scheduling and develop computer reports and MLS listings, create PowerPoint presentations, marketing materials and handle advertising.
- Place and remove signs & lockboxes.
- Make entries into QuickBooks; reconcile monthly bank statements.
- Install yard signs, directional signs and lockboxes on each listing.
- Coordinate social media advertisements by posting updates to Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest accounts.
- Determine market values accurately through analysis of MLS listings.
- Develop and execute sales/marketing programs and general sales solutions resulting in increase company exposure, customer traffic, and sales production.
- Handle communications with the banks regarding lock outs, BPO reports, cash for keys & property updates.
- Work with buyers and sellers on short sales, HUD homes, and new construction and investment properties.
- Present the closing documents and assist in accuracy of signing all closings documents and HUD at time of closing.
- Experience showing and leasing luxury condominiums in a competitive and fast-pace market.
- Solve advertising challenges by contributing to the language written for marketing material/brochures of condominiums.
- Develop individualized PowerPoint presentations to home sellers.
- Follow up on delinquent tenants and coordinate collection procedures including court evictions.
Realtor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 22% of Realtors are proficient in Residential Real Estate, Open Houses, and Purchase Agreements. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Problem-solving skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Realtors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Residential Real Estate, 22%
Represented buyers and sellers of developed residential real estate Generated listings for sales through marketing and referrals.
- Open Houses, 9%
Plan, organize, and promote Open Houses and home tours both to the public and to other Real Estate Agents.
- Purchase Agreements, 6%
Delivered positive, effective sales presentations; prepared representation contracts, purchase agreements, and contract amendments.
- Comparative Market Analysis, 5%
Processed and verified the accuracy and completeness of information from a wide range of sources to write comparative market analysis/statistical reports.
- Real Estate Sales, 4%
Developed a highly successful prospecting system based on motivation and mentoring in real estate sales strategies to overcome objections and rejections.
- Real Estate Contracts, 4%
Maintained in-depth knowledge of real estate contracts and Federal acquisition regulations as well as other related documents.
Common skills that a realtor uses to do their job include "residential real estate," "open houses," and "purchase agreements." You can find details on the most important realtor responsibilities below.
Business skills. One of the key soft skills for a realtor to have is business skills. You can see how this relates to what realtors 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 realtor resume shows how realtors use business skills: "managed investment properties, coordinated repairs and maintenance, located new tenants, and developed marketing campaigns to expand company business. "
Problem-solving skills. Another essential skill to perform realtor duties is problem-solving skills. Realtors responsibilities require that "real estate brokers and sales agents must be able to address concerns relating to a property." Realtors also use problem-solving skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "experienced in contract negotiations and conflict resolution. "
Interpersonal skills. realtors are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to realtor responsibilities, because "real estate brokers and sales agents spend much of their time interacting with others, such as clients and contractors." A realtor resume example shows how interpersonal skills is used in the workplace: "demonstrate with solid communication and interpersonal skills an unsurpassed level of knowledge in contract negotiations on client's behalf. "
Organizational skills. A big part of what realtors do relies on "organizational skills." You can see how essential it is to realtor responsibilities because "real estate brokers and sales agents must be able to manage their own time for planning and prioritizing their work." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical realtor tasks: "general customer service skills, organizational skills, and time-management were required skills. "
The three companies that hire the most realtors are:
- Breylan Deal-Eriksen - Windermere Real Estate9 realtors jobs
- Morrow2 realtors jobs
- Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices2 realtors jobs
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Compare different realtors
Realtor vs. Signing 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.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, realtor responsibilities require skills like "residential real estate," "open houses," "purchase agreements," and "comparative market analysis." Meanwhile a typical signing agent has skills in areas such as "notary," "loan packages," "reverse mortgages," and "heloc." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
The education levels that signing agents earn slightly differ from realtors. In particular, signing agents are 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a realtor. Additionally, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Realtor vs. Closing agent
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that realtor responsibilities requires skills like "residential real estate," "open houses," "purchase agreements," and "comparative market analysis." But a closing agent might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "settlement statements," "escrow accounts," "notary," and "hud-1."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Closing agents tend to reach similar levels of education than realtors. In fact, they're 3.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for realtors in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Jessica Lautz
Vice President of Demographics and Behavioral Insights, National Association of Realtors
Realtor vs. Apartment leasing agent
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a realtor is likely to be skilled in "residential real estate," "open houses," "purchase agreements," and "comparative market analysis," while a typical apartment leasing agent is skilled in "apartment community," "security deposits," "lease apartments," and "yardi."
Most apartment leasing agents achieve a similar degree level compared to realtors. For example, they're 2.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Realtor vs. Escrow closer
Even though a few skill sets overlap between realtors and escrow closers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a realtor might have more use for skills like "residential real estate," "open houses," "purchase agreements," and "comparative market analysis." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of escrow closers require skills like "settlement statements," "notary," "title insurance," and "estate closings. "
Escrow closers reach lower levels of education compared to realtors, in general. The difference is that they're 5.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of realtor
Updated January 8, 2025
