Insights

Once you’ve started your job search and are invited to interview, it’s absolutely vital to prepare thoroughly, whether you’re a new job hunter or a seasoned professional. Careful research and preparation are essential to a successful interview and could make the difference between getting your ideal new job or missing out.

Here are CPR’s top tips on preparing for estate agency interviews…

Types of estate agent jobs

Estate agents usually specialise in either the sales and/or letting & management of residential properties.

Typical roles in estate agents include:

• Junior Negotiator (Sales or Lettings)
• Residential Sales Negotiator or Manager
• Residential Lettings Negotiator or Manager
• Branch Manager or Assistant Manager
• Area Director or Regional Director
  
• Sales Director
  
• Managing Director

What skills are employers looking for?

These are the skills employers would most like to see in interviewees for estate agent jobs. You’ll need to have examples from your work history to demonstrate all of these skills.

• A confident, friendly and approachable manner to win clients and gain their trust
  
• Negotiation and selling skills to make successful sales
  
• Excellent written and communication skills and the ability to maintain good relationships with clients, colleagues and professional contacts
  
• A focus on customer service to keep clients satisfied
  
• Ambition, the ability to work under pressure and the drive to achieve sales targets
  
• Basic maths skills and the ability to quickly calculate percentages
  
• Strong organisational skills, as you’re likely to be juggling multiple properties
  
• A willingness to spend time out of the office and travel (a full driving license is usually required)
  
• An active interest in the property market

You’ll also need good IT skills and an understanding of marketing to help promote properties.

Employers usually like to see some relevant industry experience. If this is your first role, consider looking for some work experience or even weekend work to strengthen your CV.

Typical interview questions for estate agent jobs

When you’re practising your responses to these questions, consider using the STAR technique, which provides a simple structure for answering questions.

► S = Situation – the context for your example story
► T = Task – the challenge you faced
► A = Approach – what you did to overcome it
► R = Results – how well your actions succeeded

• Why do you want to be an estate agent?
  
• What qualities do you think an excellent estate agent needs?
  
• What do you know about us?
  
• Why do you think you’d be a good fit for our business?
  
• Talk me through your industry experience.
  
• Tell me about your best sale / biggest fee / best quarter / current pipeline.
  
• How do you get on with your current manager?
  
• What parts of your role do you find most challenging? Which do you enjoy most?
  
• What industry software do you have experience of using?
  
• Do you have experience of using the Internet and social media to sell homes? What about video or virtual tours?
  
• Tell me about a time when you worked with a difficult client/seller/buyer. What did you do and what would you have done differently?
  
• Tell me about a time when you made a mistake handling a customer. How did you fix the problem?
  
• How have you found the property market this year and what do you anticipate happening in the residential property market over the next 6-12 months?

What not to do in your interview

These are the things you must avoid doing at all costs. Estate agents need to appear professional and organised, and all of these will leave the interviewer with a bad impression.

• Arrive late – make sure you know exactly where you’re going and plan your travel
  
• Appear ungroomed – you need to wear professional attire and be well-presented
  
• Have dirty shoes – a classic interview mistake! Make sure they’re clean and polished
  
• Keep your mobile phone on – switch it off or put it in airplane mode
  
• Forget to put enough money in the parking meter – if you have to rush out midway through an interview, you’re unlikely to get the job
  
• Neglect researching the interviewer and their business – they will want to see that you have done your homework
  
• Smell of smoke – this can be very off-putting in an interview room, so save the cigarettes until afterwards
  
• Slouch in your chair – body language is very important in interviews. Sit up straight, make eye contact and smile!
  
• Forget to take a printed copy of your CV – the interviewer will almost certainly have a copy, but it gives the impression that you are organised and prepared
  
• Fail to have questions ready to ask the interviewer

Useful resources

Here are some websites that will help you brush up on what’s happening in the market:

Professional bodies

NAEA Propertymark - the UK's leading professional body for estate agents

Arla Propertymark - The UK’s largest professional body for letting agents

Property news sites

Prime Resi

Estate Agent Today

Property Industry Eye

The Negotiator

Remember…

Attending an interview can be a nerve-wracking experience, but the more prepared you are, the more confident you are likely to be.

An interview isn’t all about the employer. It’s your chance to find out more about the role and decide if it’s the right move for you. So make sure you don’t get overwhelmed and forget to ask some questions of your own.

CPR can help

When you’re ready to look for a new estate agency job in London, CPR can help. We’ve got a great track record of matching candidates with their ideal roles and have a great reputation with our impressive client list. We’ll listen to your needs and treat you as a person, not a CV.

Contact our residential recruitment team on 020 7435 0309 or info@cpr.jobs.