14 Jun 2017
The real estate profession not only concerns the agencies but also the economy as a whole. For ERA, real estate is our “bread and butter”. For land-scarce Singapore, it is a critical success factor for housing the population, supporting businesses and future development.
ERA is proud to have grown with Singapore and our people have served over 400,000 customers since 1982. As the largest real estate agency and network of agents in Singapore, we would like to share our perspectives on the sacrifices of real estate professionals that often go unknown:
- Consumer expectations are higher nowadays
As education levels in Singapore rise, consumers are highly knowledgeable and new technology portals also equip consumers with more information than before. Thus, they are becoming accustomed to immediate accessibility, personalisation, value and convenience. Real estate professionals are kept on their toes to provide the latest transaction prices and market trends. Therefore, ERA supports our salespersons by emphasising on key areas such as innovative property tools, online and social media marketing and training.
Real estate professionals are expected to be contactable at any time of the day, and answering work-related calls late at night. Viewings stretch over weekends as many clients are active contributors of the workforce. This often means less time for our salespersons to spend with their children, especially for young families. However, the passions to help other families find their dream homes spur our salespersons on and they learn how to strike a balance.
- Stereotyped
Many often take salespersons for granted though real estate professionals possibly handle the greatest investments of families. Most are only remembered when the need to buy or sell a house arises again. Real estate professionals are our unsung heros rushing in between homes with stacks of keys and forms. They have to accept rejection frequently. However, it is also heartwarming to know that numerous clients turn into valued friends.
Our salespersons are able to consult clients on the deals based on detailed market research, and professional knowledge towards property-related policies. Furthermore, they can offer objective judgement from a third-person point of view without any emotional attachment to the property and provide personalised services based on clients’ needs. Real estate professionals have helped many families through both difficult and happy times.
- Upgrade or risk becoming obsolete
Early this year, the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) reported falling numbers of total registered agents following property market sentiments. It is mandatory to undertake the Real Estate Salesperson Course to practice and attend Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses. Some could also be shying away because this is rigorous which may not be appealing compared to “softer courses”.
Yet, ERA continues to experience growing numbers because all our agents are encouraged to continuously upgrade themselves through the frequent trainings provided by ERA in addition to CPD courses and stay updated about market trends. This helps to ensure that they can provide a professional consultation customised to each client. At ERA, we also give full IT development and administrative support to our agents, so that agents can focus on sales and marketing activities.
Compliment our salespersons on their exceptional service! Encourage them further by writing to us at [email protected]
