Real estate agent: how to get started and what to expect in your first year

What being a real estate agent is really like: beyond the common misconceptions

The image many people have of working as a real estate agent includes flexible working hours, high earning potential and rewarding relationships with clients. These elements are certainly part of the profession, but they are only one part of a broader development process, particularly during the early stages of a career.

Starting out as a real estate agent is a gradual process of professional growth. In the early stages, it is essential to have a degree of financial flexibility and to understand that results will come step by step, while you focus on building your network of contacts and establishing your reputation in the local market.

The so-called initial learning curve is the real test. In the first few months, agents invest time and energy without seeing immediate returns: they build their knowledge, get to know the local market and cultivate contacts that will only pay off later. This is a natural part of the profession, but it can be discouraging for those who expect quick results.

Understanding this difference between expectations and reality from the outset is the first step towards approaching your first year with realistic expectations.

The essential skills to develop in your first year

Working as a real estate agent requires a diverse range of skills, which can be grouped into three key areas that should all be developed in parallel during your first year.

The first is interpersonal skills: communication, client management and building trust. In a sector where you guide people through one of the most important decisions of their lives, the ability to listen and build trust is often what sets a good agent apart.

The second area is sales skills: the ability to win new mandates, conduct a negotiation and bring it to a successful conclusion. This is an area where many new agents initially feel less confident, as these skills are developed primarily through practice and by observing more experienced colleagues.

The third area is technical expertise: knowledge of the regulations governing property transactions, land registry principles and the tax aspects involved in transferring property. These are the foundations that make an agent credible and enable them to protect their clients' interests. Some of this knowledge is already covered during the professional qualification course required to sit the exam at the Chamber of Commerce. However, the profession requires continuous updating, as regulations evolve over time.

Maintaining a balance between these three areas is essential: focusing on just one while neglecting the others wastes energy and slows professional growth. The goal of the first year is not to excel at everything straight away, but to build a solid foundation in each area.

In everyday practice, these skills take shape through very concrete activities. Accompanying a client during a property viewing and learning to read their reactions, preparing an initial valuation by comparing the property with similar properties in the area, assisting with the acquisition of a first listing or responding to a seller's first objections about the price are all opportunities for these three areas to come together. It is by observing more experienced colleagues in these situations and gaining hands-on experience that theoretical knowledge becomes genuine expertise.

How to build your first listings: where to find your first clients

The most pressing question for anyone starting out is where to find their first clients. The answer lies in combining several sources rather than relying on just one or waiting for opportunities to come along on their own.

The local market is the first and most tangible source. Developing an in-depth knowledge of an area and its dynamics allows you to become a local point of reference. Being present in the area, getting to know residents and local business owners, and monitoring properties for sale all require consistency but can generate lasting results.

Your personal network can act as an accelerator. Your first listings often come from existing contacts who may become clients themselves or refer you to new opportunities. This is not about forcing relationships, but about naturally letting people know that you have started working in real estate and are available to help.

Finally, digital visibility is now an essential tool for building your profile. Developing a focused personal brand across your social media profiles can help you become more recognisable and build a strong network of contacts.

In everyday practice, all of this translates into consistent farming and prospecting activities. It means developing an in-depth knowledge of a specific area and maintaining a regular presence, prospecting for properties that are on the market, speaking directly with property owners and nurturing the relationships that develop over time. These activities are complemented by using social media to build visibility, following up consistently with every contact and shadowing more experienced colleagues during viewings and appointments — a valuable opportunity to learn on the job. These activities rarely deliver immediate results, but they gradually build a consultant's portfolio day after day.

This stage is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges, and it is precisely here that many agents become discouraged, because generating a steady flow of opportunities independently requires considerable effort and results can take time. This is where the choice of network you work with can make a direct difference: starting out in an organisation that provides agents with an existing pool of qualified contacts means you do not have to tackle that uphill climb from scratch. This is precisely one of the advantages that sets a network such as Engel & Völkers apart, allowing agents to focus on managing and closing deals rather than constantly searching for their first clients.

The most common mistakes in your first year and how to avoid them

Certain mistakes are particularly common among new real estate agents.

The first is focusing only on buyers while neglecting sellers: property listings are the real foundation of the business, and an agent who does not invest in acquiring properties to sell is overlooking one of the most important parts of the profession.

Another common mistake is failing to follow up with contacts over time. Many opportunities do not materialise after the first interaction but develop over the course of several months. Failing to nurture potential clients means missing out on results that could have been achieved with a little consistency. Closely related to this is a third mistake: accepting every listing without being selective. Taking on properties under unrealistic conditions or with an asking price well above market value consumes time and energy, with little chance of success.

The fourth mistake, and one that can be particularly damaging, is promising unrealistic prices to win a listing. Overvaluing a property to please the seller and secure the mandate will almost always result in a listing that fails to sell, frustrating the client and damaging your reputation. Developing a habit of providing honest, data-driven valuations from the outset is one of the most important investments you can make in your long-term credibility.

Finally, there is a mistake that is often more about mindset than technique: giving up too soon when results are slow to materialise during the first few months. This is a natural stage of the profession — a period of planting seeds that will bear fruit over time. Success in real estate requires investing every day in building relationships and acquiring listings, because opportunities do not simply come to you, especially when you are starting out. Those who remain consistent through this phase, rather than giving up, are the ones who lay the foundations for a successful career.

How to choose the right agency or brand to start your career

The environment in which you take your first professional steps has a significant impact on the speed and quality of your growth. Not every organisation offers the same level of support, so choosing where to start should be viewed as a strategic decision rather than simply a financial one.

There are several factors to consider:

• Training comes first: an agency that invests in the development of its agents, particularly during the first few months, can shorten the learning curve and reduce mistakes.

• The tools provided — including technology, working methods and operational support — can make a significant difference to day-to-day productivity.

• Brand awareness, meaning how recognisable the brand is, can open doors that an independent professional might struggle to access, as the reputation of the brand can also benefit the individual agent.

• Finally, a strong support network provides opportunities to learn from more experienced colleagues, which can be invaluable when starting out.

It is important not to base your decision solely on immediate financial terms. An organisation's professional culture, market positioning and long-term growth opportunities can often matter more than the commission percentage offered in your first year. Starting out in a structured environment with a long-term vision is what allows you to build a career rather than simply hold a job.

In practical terms, the support provided by an established network can transform a new consultant's day-to-day experience in many ways: support during initial appointments, coaching and ongoing training, operational tools to work effectively, marketing support to promote properties and activities, and regular interaction with more experienced colleagues. Added to this is the value of a broad network with a strong local presence, which gives individual consultants greater visibility and expands opportunities to connect with clients and properties.

Why starting with Engel & Völkers can change your career prospects

For those taking their first steps in the profession, joining an established network can significantly transform their growth prospects.

Engel & Völkers provides new agents with structured training, a recognised brand in the high-end real estate segment and an international network that can offer tangible advantages from the very first months. The most significant benefit comes at the most challenging stage of a career: building a property portfolio. Instead of having to build a client base from scratch, Engel & Völkers agents can benefit from a pool of qualified contacts, helping to shorten the learning curve and accelerate their first results.

This is complemented by the recognition of the brand and the opportunity to be part of a network that can open doors that may be difficult for an independent agent to access. Starting out in this environment means approaching your first year with the tools, training and opportunities that can make the difference between an uncertain start and a career built on solid foundations.