If you’re preparing for an interview as a real estate agent, it’s natural to be nervous about saying the wrong thing. You want to make a good impression, so here are 5 things you shouldn’t mention at your real estate interview.
You don’t know much about the company
With the internet, there’s no excuse to have minimal information on the company you have an interview with. Most will be online, or if not, there will at least be social media accounts or previous clients and agents who have left reviews.
For example, if your interview was with Compass, you would research their successes online. As with most companies, not everything will be positive, so just focus on telling them the more encouraging aspects you have researched about the company.
Complain about the last company you worked for
The interviewer could ask why you left your last role. You might want to show how loyal you would be if you’re selected for the role, but it’s important not to criticize your last company while praising what you have heard about the company interviewing you. Instead, you could phrase it so you show your appreciation for the opportunity you had. For example, you could say they trained you and gave you relevant experience when you had little or none, but are now looking for somewhere to utilize that and grow further. This sounds better than complaining about the lack of progression in your last role.
Talking about your lack of experience
If you lack real estate experience, don’t dwell too much on that in the interview. Instead, talk about the relevant skills and attributes you have, which could help you be successful as a real estate agent. You can also mention any training you took to get licensed, and any experience you’ve gained elsewhere, which might have some relevance to the role.
Anything too vague
If you’re asked for examples, such as your strengths, or biggest achievements, don’t be vague. Instead of saying you think outside the box, or you saw impressive results in your last job, be specific. Tell the interviewers about a time your creative thinking led to positive results, or give specific facts and figures to back up your claims.
I just want to earn lots of money
If you’re asked why you want to work in real estate, telling them you want to earn more money says nothing about your interest in real estate specifically. Instead, you could talk about your people skills, how you like a challenge, excel at problem-solving, and are happiest when working with and helping lots of clients. All these things usually lead to sales and mean higher earnings, but this is the better way of saying it.
It’s easy for the wrong answers to slip out when you’re nervous. So, just practice your answers to possible questions, give yourself plenty of time to get there, and take a second to think through your answers if you need to.