Forget sales skills or an ability to keep track of countless numbers of keys and alarm codes, a senior industry trainer has identified the top ability that agents need.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Home Stretch podcast with the Guild of Property Professionals, founder of the Property Academy and EA Masters Peter Knight said the number one trait an agent needs is coachability.
Speaking to Iain McKenzie, chief executive of The Guild, Knight, who has worked in the industry for more than 40 years, said: “In other words, they are prepared to adapt and learn new and different things.
“This was true when I started and perhaps even more so now.
“I would say the second most important characteristic for success is to be savvy, and the third is curiosity.
“Estate agency is about people and will always be about people, and I think being curious about people and what is going on is a trait that can be powerful.
“Work ethic is another arrow in the quiver of success, and perhaps the final one is confidence that comes from success and being able to draw on that and utilise it. These are the attributes I look for in people today and I would like to think that I had some of them in the early stages of my career.”
McKenzie said he would add being a self-learner to the list.
He said: “I have spoken to agents who find certain aspects of job such as valuations mundane, and my question to them is what is your conversion rate? Because if you are winning instructions, great, let them be mundane, but if you are not winning instructions you need to self-learn and do something different.”
Knight agreed, adding that continuous learning is imperative.
He said: “It is people’s preparedness to adapt and change, hence why I say coachability is such an important aspect.”
The podcast also includes a story about Knight renting out his Wimbledon home to Roger Federer and what he learnt from the habits of arguably one of the best players to step onto the court.
Download the podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/guildproperty
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Curiosity. for sure but coachability?
What has worked in the past is no indicator of what will work in the future.
Best practice and legacy thinking produces commodity work. Which is the current problem facing this industry.
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