Real estate business is always viewed as a good profession by people. This is because real estate business is a profitable enterprise if run right.  However, not many people are able to become successful real estate agents in Kenya for several reasons. These range from lack of sufficient capital, failing to establish a good network and regulatory challenges. As a real estate agent, you need to have a lot of patience, persistence and come up with ways to create trust with other real estate agents and your customers.

 
Establish a good network

Real estate agents have to network every day. Go an extra mile in every transaction every time so that you can build strong customer relationships. When you network, you get a chance to introduce your business to your peers, new prospects, and maintain relationships. It is a good idea to join as many relevant networks as you can. This way you can generate a steady flow of potential clients. At Premier Agents, we know a few networks that we can recommend.

Save some money

Selling land and houses in Kenya takes time. The process of sale may take anywhere from weeks to several months. As this process affects any real estate commissions you will get from selling and buying houses, it’s advisable to have sufficient savings to enable you meet your living costs before you earn your first commission. This will help you manage your bills while you’re getting started as a real estate agent. While you can work as a part-time real estate agent, it’s always advisable to work on this full time so that you have more time to arrange when to show clients land or houses available for sale. It doesn’t work well if you must schedule client visits based on your own schedule.

Be an Expert

Having strong business intelligence and awareness means being able to understand the real estate sector well.  As you think about starting a real estate company, consider undertaking market research.  Good market research ensures you make decisions based on current information and will help you determine which aspect of real estate you wish to participate in- whether its selling land and or selling houses. The market for buying and selling houses and land have various nooks and crooks that you need to understand.  To make the right decision, you will also need to answer questions around the capital needed to start a real estate business and what is needed to be a successful real estate agent in Kenya.

Improve your skillset

 According to Digital marketing, you need skills to excel in whatever you choose to do in life. Therefore, before you begin your real estate marketing journey get trained. Universities like KEMU have good courses you can take. These courses shall help you understand dealing with customers and real estate law.  And after the initial training doesn’t stop learning. Continue taking courses to improve your knowledge and skill set. At the onset, you need at least a certificate to prove your seriousness to brokers and clients. Let people know you are trained. YouTube is also a good resource.

Find a mentor

Mentorship is key in any business. Reach out to any agent you may know and check if they are willing mentor you.  If you do not know any agent, you can conduct an online search. When you get a mentor, ask them questions about real estate in Kenya and what is needed to be a successful real estate agent. You will need real estate advise to understand how to run your business, find clients, and start earning a living. There is a lot to becoming a trusted real estate agent including understanding the process of buying and selling land in Kenya. You will need to understand and explain to customers about how to conduct search for titles, surveying land, the process of land transfer in Kenya and much more.

Develop an Online presence

Research has established that 90% of home buyers use the Internet during the home buying process. A well done real estate website will help as you start up. This ensures you maintain visibility whenever people search for real estate companies in Kenya or are seeking information on how to buy or rent in Kenya. Maintaining a good social presence is vital and you can check out how we do our Facebook page for an example. Developing a good web presence doesn’t have to be expensive and having a professional-looking website can be invaluable. A well-done website helps you to stand out and studies show a high percentage of shoppers (78%) visit several websites when looking for houses or land to buy before deciding on which real estate agent to use. If you need a website, we have an annual package for a package for Ksh. 6,000 and you get a branded personal website where you can list your properties.

 Invest and understand Technology

Most of what we, as a society, interact with today is influenced by technology. It’s no secret the real estate business has changed dramatically over the last 10 years.  They are becoming so tech-focused as an industry. As a broker, you should have the technological knowledge to cope with the latest technological trends.

 Finally,

Investing in real estate in Kenya can be a rewarding investment and a source of livelihood. There are many examples of people who depend 100% on real estate business for a living. To succeed, you will need to stay motivated, work hard, build trust and create networks with other real estate agents and past clients.  By networking, you turn strangers into powerful relationships.

As a trusted real estate agent, you will be helping customers in finding a great house of land for purchase within their preferred location or selling their property at a great price. This process of buying and selling property in Kenya remains complicated and buyers shall look up to you to help them navigate through the process. As a real estate agent, you shall need to provide excellent customer experience to everyone using your services. Whether you successfully help to sell or buy any real estate, remember that word-of-mouth is key and good services helps you develop and grow your network and obtain repeat customers.

If after your research, you determine that you want to start a real estate company in Kenya, you can go ahead and register a real estate company or work as an individual.  It’s advisable to develop a real estate business plan for your company detailing how you will support land buying and selling in Kenya. You may also go ahead and register as an agent here and list property for sale in Kenya with us for free.