You might have an idea of what we Real Estate Brokers do, but you may not be aware of the variety of skills and knowledge needed for our job. Here’s a list of the many hats worn by a Real Estate Broker in the day-to-day practice of being Real Estate professionals:

1. Fill-In-the-Blank-Attorney/Paralegal—we need to know what all the contracts and other documents mean and keep up with the constant changes to them, as well as changes to relevant laws and regulations.
2. Coordinator—we have to not only keep track of the deadlines, but coordinate with all the other players to make sure nothing gets forgotten.
3. Negotiator—how low/high can we go and still keep the other party from walking away from negotiations?  What else can we offer or give up?
4. Guardian of the Earnest Money—as a Buyer’s Agent, one of our most important roles is to make sure nothing happens that will endanger the earnest money.
5. Local Market Guru –an insider’s knowledge of the local real estate market and values is essential.
6. Loan Officer’s Assistant – we need to have a working knowledge of the financial industry and what the latest developments mean for our clients.
7. Tour Guide—we’ll show you our city from an insider’s perspective.
8. Mad Man—we have to come up with innovative ways to get people interested in our listings.
9. IT Wizard—we need to know how to use technology and troubleshoot problems.
10. Creative Genius—often, it takes some “thinking outside the box” to make a closing happen.
11. Firefighter—Uh oh! The furnace stopped working on that vacant house and now the pipes are frozen…and the owner lives in New Jersey…
12. Concierge—we are often asked for recommendations for every type of service provider imaginable, from plumbers to hairdressers (!).
13. Psychologist—buying and selling real estate is an extremely emotional experience.  We must have the ability to listen to, and then guide and support our clients.
14. Detective—when was that addition put on the house?  Is the foundation really okay, or did someone try to cover up the evidence?
15. Mathematician—we need to be able to do math to keep track of all the numbers.
16. Punching Bag—we sometimes take the punches meant for someone else.
17. Winnie the Pooh– nobody needs a sour puss/cranky pants when they’re dealing with such an important investment.
18. Pollyanna – a belief that things will work out okay in the end goes a long way toward actually helping things to work out.

© Rachel Buller, 2022