What Does a Real Estate Agent Do Each Day?

Have you ever wondered, “What does a real estate agent do?” If so, you’re not alone! Here’s the short answer: It depends on the day.

While “it depends” sounds like a non-answer, the truth is that there simply isn’t a “typical” day for real estate agents. Their day-to-day schedule is a unique blend of client meetings, showings, and more. And since real estate agents are hailed as experts who can “do it all” for home sellers and buyers, those responsibilities often fall into different categories.

So now, we’d like to answer a better question than, “What does an agent do each day?” – and instead answer, “What might an agent do during their day?”

Administrative Work

While this label doesn’t invoke glamorous imagery or emotions, administrative work is the backbone of a real estate agent’s job. Administrative work includes:

• completion and filing of real estate documents
• coordination of meetings and showings
• creation of flyers and promotional materials
• responding to phone calls and emails
• other basic tasks such as budgeting and data entry

The importance of these tasks cannot be overstated, and so are likely to receive a real estate agent’s attention daily – or at least be handled by an office manager! Depending on which real estate company an agent joins, various resources will also be available to agents to streamline their work.

Lead Generation

This is a fancy term for finding the buyers and sellers in need of real estate services. Most people will buy or rent property at some point in their lives. This means every person a real estate agent interacts with is a potential buyer or seller – and they may also refer friends and family later on.

To keep up with these interactions, an agent must be ready to meet and speak with people at a moment’s notice, to give out business cards, and to keep track of the names and information that make up their growing network. Keeping track of this information will allow an agent to regularly follow-up with periodic phone calls, emails, snail mail, or text messaging. We consider this aspect of work so important that our agents at Howard Hanna receive additional support in the form of marketing tools and technology!

Work with Clients

This category of work is the category most people associate with being a real estate agent. When a home buyer or seller officially begins working with a real estate agent, they become that agent’s client. And client work is a common part of a real estate agent’s day.

Tasks related to client work will vary depending on the client’s needs:

• When a client is selling a house, an agent may work on listing presentations, stage a home, and help with the photography needed to showcase the home.
• When a client is buying a home, an agent will spend time researching listings, sharing the listings with the client, and hosting showings for prospective buyers.
• Finally, client work may also include accompanying clients during inspections, meetings with loan officers, and closings.

Office Meetings

Real estate professionals that work as independent contractors with a real estate group often use the group’s resources and offices. In these offices, agents gather for regular meetings to discuss listings, buyers’ needs, price reductions, and more. The goal of these meetings is for teams and agents to help each other line up buyers and sellers.

At Howard Hanna, we aim to make these important meetings as helpful as possible. We encourage our real estate agents to use these meetings to share valuable information, to network, and to support one another professionally. We also regularly host meetings with inspirational content, tips for boosting sales, and special guests – sometimes even members of the Hanna family!

Ongoing Education

After receiving a state license, a real estate agent must then regularly earn continuing education credits in order to maintain their active license status. This is on top of the certifications many agents pursue personally to improve on essential skills that support their professional growth, such as marketing. While not necessarily a daily task, this is something that agents must consider.

Planning Each Day

As you can see, a “typical day” in a real estate agent’s life is likely to include a mixture of various responsibilities, dependent on client needs and professional deadlines. This variety and flexibility are very appealing to many agents. It does mean, however, that agents must monitor and update their schedules almost constantly, as well as set strict boundaries on their work life versus their personal life. But with a strong drive and responsible time management, the top real estate agents will find success – and help their clients reach their own home-related goals!

Does this information make becoming a real estate agent sound interesting? Do you show signs that you would enjoy the tasks involved in this line of work? Then a career in real estate with Howard Hanna might be right for you! Our Sales Associates love being affiliated with our forward-thinking real estate firm, and spend their days focused on enhancing each client’s personal success. If it’s your goal to join a successful company that inspires you to be the best you can be, then we invite you to make Howard Hanna your new home!