Estate agents – get promoted to area manager with these 10 tips

Why do some property managers get promoted to regional manager – while others stay stuck? What’s the secret?

Show you’re better than the other managers at getting purchases – and show that your abilities are scalable – and you’ll make it all the way to CEO.

The key factor in securing a promotion is to increase revenue and scale. Let’s start out by discussing what you SHOULDN’T do.

Don’t: Give away the farm.

If you offer deep discounts to bring in buyers, you might make more sales in the short term and gain a reputation for taking risks–but a reputation for taking risks can be the very definition of a double-edged sword. If your deals are unprofitable and your leadership thinks of you as someone who gives away the company’s money, they’re going to keep you on the lower rungs where they can keep an eye on you.

Don’t: Be indispensable to one-on-one sales.

It’s great to be reliable at showing properties and closing the deal. But if that’s the only skill set leadership knows you for, it can cause you to be pigeonholed as a sales agent for your entire career, when you’re capable of much greater things. So be a sales rock star–but don’t hyperfocus your efforts. If sales is the only place they see you adding value, that’s where you’ll stay.

Don’t: Be a shopaholic.

You buy banners, you buy balloons, you give out free sweets, and you always jump at the latest Property Listing Service pitch. If you want to be promoted, you need to demonstrate that you can make tough decisions and prioritise. That means knowing your market, focusing on the essentials, and never blowing the company’s money on small details that aren’t going to deliver the goods.

On the other hand, here are ten ways to boost your chances of a promotion:

Do: Make sure qualified purchasers who want to buy can find you.

Optimising your webpage so that it comes up on the first page of a google search for properties in your area is a huge plus. You can also use Google AdWords campaigns to get your properties in front of likely buyers. This negates the need for constant promotions–for many people, the first property they find is the one they end up preferring.

To reiterate, if all you can tell managers is that you’re good at closing the deal face to face, then that’s what they’re going to keep you doing. Instead, take initiative to understand the market and solve problems in ways that will save the company money. Always have something to say about what you’ve accomplished and what’s up next.

Do: Show management you don’t have to spend your way out of problems.

Achieving good sales figures is great – but if it comes with a laundry list of expenses, you won’t be seen as ready to lead. Use resources effectively–do you need to pour as much money into every Property Listing Service option as you do your top-performing Property Listing Service? Would an SEO package be a better use of funds than a bunch of banners by the roadside? Show that you know both income and expenditures contribute to the bottom line.

Do: Understand the traits, skills, and behaviours of successful sales managers

To show you’re promotion material, you need to demonstrate skills in area assignment, hiring, conflict resolution, career development, forecasting, and working with other managers. In order to do this, you need to educate yourself – read books, sign up for webinars, and take full advantage of coaching and mentoring opportunities in your company and beyond.

Do: Show you’re a lifelong learner

Learning is not enough – you need to be seen to be learning. Intellectual curiosity is a leadership trait. Read some of the best books on sales and then apply their advice to what you do. Use your knowledge of the industry and your clients to increase your effectiveness. Share your learnings with your team. Promotion to area manager is itself a huge learning experience, so only those who can adapt will survive.

Do: Go above and beyond

No clock-watching – demonstrate that you’re ready to go the extra mile. That means actively sharing sales tactics, being willing to organise training, starting a sales book club, taking on an open sales area, etc. In addition to selling, demonstrate that you’re ready to take responsibility and that you can also handle the admin side of the business.

Do: Show that you can coach and scale effectively

When you show that you’re able to coach and scale and invested in your peers’ success, you’re showing that you’re ready to lead and manage a team. Shadow your manager/s and identify leadership tasks that you can take on informally. See if you can lead a team meeting, team huddle or call, shadowing session. Start acting like a manager now and it’ll be a short step to becoming one.

Try becoming a tour guide for new agents. Help with onboarding, make their first calls with them and encourage their success. The best entries on your resume for promotion are the names of those you’ve helped to succeed.

Do: Develop a unique level of knowledge

Get noticed by knowing something that your peers don’t. Find ways to provide more value to clients by better understanding their needs. This could lead other agents to seek you out and ask for help – which in turn gives you another opportunity to show your coaching skills.

Make sure you’re ready for both for both asking for a promotion and interviewing for the position. Do your research, make notes, practise in the mirror. You’ve done so much work getting yourself in a position to confidently ask for a promotion – don’t waste that opportunity by going into the meeting ill-prepared.

Do: Show great communication skills

A good candidate for promotion communicates well with colleagues and, more importantly, with customers. Be patient and polite yet determined and confident. If you demonstrate these qualities daily, this will show that you’re a solid communicator who can handle the demands of management.