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Real Estate Brokers

Operate real estate office, or work for commercial real estate firm, overseeing real estate transactions. Other duties usually include selling real estate or renting properties and arranging loans.

What you’d do

  • Obtain agreements from property owners to place properties for sale with real estate firms.
  • Sell, for a fee, real estate owned by others.
  • Compare a property with similar properties that have recently sold to determine its competitive market price.
  • Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers over property prices and settlement details and during the closing of sales.
  • Generate lists of properties for sale, their locations, descriptions, and available financing options, using computers.
  • Maintain knowledge of real estate law, local economies, fair housing laws, types of available mortgages, financing options, and government programs.
  • Rent properties or manage rental properties.
  • Monitor fulfillment of purchase contract terms to ensure that they are handled in a timely manner.

Skills that matter

  • Negotiation
  • Active Learning
  • Active Listening
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Speaking
  • Critical Thinking

How to get there

Considerable preparation: most need a four-year bachelor's degree

Also called

  • Broker
  • Broker Associate
  • Managing Broker
  • Realtor
  • Commercial Leasing Broker
  • Commercial Real Estate Advisor

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