Self-Employed, Only Better

What are the qualities of a good real estate agent?

Historically, being enthusiastic, energetic and ambitious was all it took to qualify you as an estate agent, and with the legislation to regulate Real Estate Agents and Property Brokers still in draft form, many local companies still apply the same criteria for recruiting new agents.

However, Sandra Aquilina and Maria Falzon – highly experienced trainers at Frank Salt Real Estate – maintain that it takes much more than enthusiasm, energy and ambition to make a successful real estate consultant. “Many years of experience have proven that whilst enthusiasm and ambition are necessary requirements, they are not sufficient. It takes a combination of knowledge, integrity, attitude, a good disposition, resilience and tenacity,” explain Sandra and Maria.

Frank Salt Real Estate Ltd. is committed to help individuals realise their potential in this exciting industry. Very often, the least likely looking candidate to succeed, at least on paper, is the one that does. At Frank Salt Real Estate two full months of detailed in-house training supported by on the job mentoring is provided. “These two initial months, are crucial,” explains Sandra, “not only to make sure that the company’s representatives are knowledgeable, professional and well-informed but, also to give the candidates the time and information necessary to figure out how to succeed in the role.”

Self-employed, only better

The real estate industry offers individuals the opportunity to be technically self-employed but with a big difference as Frank Salt provides an environment similar to paid employment where the normal risks associated with self-employment are minimised. At Frank Salt Real Estate consultants work within set rules but have the ability to set their own income based on their hard work, personal planning and success with the backing, experience, and credibility of a long-established company with a great brand name.

“We all know the risks of being self-employed,” explains Carl Gatt, HR Manager at Frank Salt Real Estate. “There’s the financial risk of not having a guaranteed fixed income, and there’s the emotional risk of having to rely entirely on yourself and your own resources, but when consultants join a company like Frank Salt, they get the full support to see them through the first few months; they get to learn the market and legal issues of the industry during training, and they get mentoring and observation opportunities from highly experienced trainers and mentors, to learn the ropes and gain experience safely. This is not usually the case with other industries, where in most cases, branching out on your own, means risking everything, with no backup, and no safety net.

The backing of a reputable brand

At Frank Salt Real Estate, agents also get their own dedicated desk and equipment, together with the benefit of having robust administrative and marketing functions. Sales leads, that are generated through an incredibly powerful brand, are distributed fairly amongst our agents and come in very handy during the first few months, during the good times and also during lean months, which we are all bound to face.

Lifecycle and Progression

“It is normally the case that once the new property consultant gets through the first year, the chances are that they will be highly successful and will remain with the company for a number of years,” explains Carl Gatt.

“The average yearly income of our consultants can range between €40,000 and €60,000 but of course we have agents who achieve less and some who make considerably more. We are proud of having an amazing team that truly feels like a family, proven by tenures of some of our agents who exceed 20 years of service with us.”

What’s the typical background of a property consultant?

Property consultants with Frank Salt Real Estate tend to come from different backgrounds, but there are groups of people who have proven to be a better fit than others. These are:

– Seasoned and experienced professionals because they bring with them invaluable maturity, a host of different experiences and a network of valuable contacts.

– Youths and students because, they are full of energy, ready to work long hours to succeed and are motivated to make some serious cash.

– Parents returning to work because, they tend to be experts at time-management and multi-taskers who do not panic easily.

– Athletes and sports people whose sheer determination and resilience makes them ideal for the job.

– People who have worked in certain industries such as catering, furniture, sales, architecture, and events, also tend to do well as property consultants. Their natural ability and experience dealing with people give them an obvious advantage.

Not just a team member. More like a business partner.

“Whether the role is suitable for you is a personal matter, but we consider our property consultants as business partners,” explains Sandra Aquilina. “Our consultants benefit from the spoils of a well established and experienced industry player, the support of our training and mentoring programme and a continuous stream of leads that comes in through the company’s marketing efforts. Our website for instance, generates a significant level of enquiries every month, and these are distributed amongst all our agents.”

Of course, there’s no substitute for actual experience, but as any successful property consultant will tell you, having the opportunity to learn from peers and mentors, is invaluable.

At Frank Salt, we are constantly on the lookout for promising candidates who are ready to join this exciting industry. Feel free to talk to us by calling 2379 4157 or at [email protected]