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This post was updated Nov. 4, 2024.
As we adjust to the industry changes resulting from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) commission suit settlement, soft skills have never been more critical. Agents will need to master the arts of negotiation and communication like never before when it comes to earning a buyer’s agent commission, getting buyers to understand and sign a buyer-broker agreement, and simply pushing deals over the finish line amid commission confusion.
Soft skills are those that make a person a good candidate for a given workplace, real estate in this case, as opposed to hard skills, which are more like spreadsheets, search engine optimization, email marketing — things that are easy to learn in a classroom.
“Soft skills are non-technical skills that relate to how you work. They include how you interact with colleagues, how you solve problems, and how you manage your work,” according to The Balance.
Empathy, integrity, transparency, coaching, and flexibility are not so easily taught or learned, but they are the themes that come up over and over again when you ask real estate professionals about the makings of an exceptional leader. And leadership in itself is a soft skill.
“Soft skills are as almost as important as hard skills. In fact, they often define success more than expertise does,” according to Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies, which lists communication, active listening, social cues, negotiation, patience and tactfulness as the most crucial soft skills to have in real estate.
But really, if you aggregate lists of soft skills that apply to real estate, there are hundreds. We’ve compiled a list of the most-used soft skills in real estate and paired each of them with advice from the pros — Inman contributors — on how to master it, even if the skill doesn’t come naturally to you. These can take a lifetime to master, so be patient with yourself, and keep coming back for more great advice.
1. Organization
- Real estate Ozempic: What do you need to shed this spring?
- 7 real estate lessons from ‘7 habits of highly effective people’
- Feeling overwhelmed? 12 systems to automate your business growth
2. Communication
- 3 must-have skills for building rapport with real estate clients
- My No. 1 secret for effective listing conversations without rote scripts
- 10 words to enhance your real estate communication game
- Don’t let these 5 communication blunders ruin your reputation
- It’ll cost you! 5 communication mistakes agents can’t afford
- How to make your constructive criticism easier to swallow
3. Listening
- Can you hear me now? Why your clients miss 50% of what you say
- The No. 1 skill you need to convert leads into clients
- Want to be a better listener? These 3 keys will help
4. Persuasion/negotiation
- Here are the must-win everyday negotiations you’re facing now
- 11 things top negotiators know (and now you do, too)
- Watch your mouth! It’s what agents don’t say that counts
- Ditch the me-me-me approach to marketing and negotiation
5. Presentation
- Communicate value! But how? A step-by-step buyer’s presentation
- 11 things great buyer’s agents know before they show a home
- 7 musts for buyer presentations ahead of the commission deadline
- 7 things top listing agents know before every listing appointment
- The ‘Chick-fil-A on Sunday’ ChatGPT listing presentation plan
- Anatomy of a client consultation: A head-to-toe approach
- Captivate, connect and convince with compelling presentations
6. Problem-solving
- Here are all the resources you need to prepare for the Aug. 17 transition
- Hot-app summer: 15 brightest tech tools for real estate agents
- A never-fail, step-by-step blueprint to consistently find listing leads
7. Emotional intelligence
- Identifying and managing real estate’s energy vampires
- Want to do more business? 5 tips for leading with kindness
- Be present! 3 tips for building trust through empathy
- Empowering through empathy: The women’s leadership advantage
8. Design
- Matchmaking architectural styles and buyers: A broker’s perspective
- Easy and FREE: 14 tools to create stunning social media graphics
- Kitchen islands still reign supreme with homebuyers: Study
9. Growth mindset
- 3 challenges agents face when working with downsizing seniors
- 11 more things you should know before going into luxury real estate
- As commission conversations change, become a seller specialist
- 3 advantages of tailoring your marketing strategy to niche buyers
- How diversity can enhance your growth and enrich your business
10. Time management
- 7 things that are a complete waste of time (but agents still do them)
- 9 time-management strategies for busy real estate agents
- Forget false urgency. Master setting a strategic tempo
- 24 innovative video content ideas for 2024 (with real-world examples)
- 5 currently trending AI tools that will get your business growing
11. Resourcefulness
- Try these 7 budget-friendly lead sources with no upfront fee
- 6 steps that transform neglected clients into lifelong partners
- 7 ways to create top-of-mind name recognition with no budget
- How I would invest $2,500 in my real estate business in 2024
- 5 real estate marketing campaigns that don’t cost a thing
- 8 client appreciation event expenses that are totally worth it
12. Leadership
- Real Talk: 6 signs your office may be the worst place to work
- From Michael Scott to Miranda Priestly: What ‘bad bosses’ can teach us about leadership
- 5 bad boss red flags and what to do about them
- Agents share their biggest ‘green flags’ in leadership
- Good vs. bad leadership (and how to tell the difference)
- 9 powerful leadership phrases that will transform your team
- 5 people you need in your corner when starting out in real estate
13. Conflict management
- 5 tips to prevent client complaints amid industry changes
- 7 pitfalls that can ruin your reputation as a real estate agent
- Dominate documentation this summer with these 4 hot tips
- 10 things to do when your real estate team isn’t vibing
- 4 strategies to help team leaders defuse agent-to-agent drama
- What ‘The Office’ can teach us about unnecessary workplace drama
14. Delegation
- 10 tasks real estate agents delegate (but absolutely shouldn’t)
- 10 powerfully effective ChatGPT prompts for 2024
- Should your next hire be a generative AI assistant?
- Mastering delegation: What to do when you can’t do it all
15. Confidence and public speaking
- How to announce your new real estate career without feeling pushy
- It’s not about you! Promote yourself without the sales schmaltz
- 10 steps to mastering the art of impromptu spotlight moments
- How to transform your public speaking fear into a superpower
16. Dependability
- 7 trust accelerators to speed up the know-like-trust process
- How do you build trust? Know more than your competition
- 20 phone etiquette rules every real estate agent should follow
17. Teamwork
- 10 things to think about when thanking your referral partners
- 4 ways to show your professional network you appreciate them
- What today’s high-performance teams know (and now you do, too)
- Mauricio Umansky’s 4 tips for building strategic partnerships
18. Business ethics
- Is your trash talk violating the Code of Ethics?
- 22 ways you may be violating the Realtor Code of Ethics
- Guidance or steering? Red flags of giving professional advice
- Protect yourself: 16 situations that get real estate agents in trouble
19. Motivation
- Cheat Sheet: 9 essential real estate reads you need right now
- 7 Jim Rohn nuggets of wisdom every real estate agent needs
- Suffering from commission anxiety? Here’s how to heal it
- 30 years of brutally honest business advice in 1,250 words
- Shortcuts to success: Listen and learn from these 5 people
20. Resilience
- Sick and tired of low production? 5 tips to raise your numbers in 2024
- 7 reasons great real estate agents will always be needed
- Don’t feed the trolls: How to handle social media negativity
- 5 ways to find opportunity during challenging times
21. Persistence
- 5 totally fixable reasons smart real estate agents underperform
- Put nightmare clients in the past with these 10 tips
- 30 listing lead generation ideas for a post-NAR settlement market
22. Self-awareness
- Get out of your own way: How to develop self-awareness
- 30 real estate business etiquette rules Miss Manners never covered
- Is there a right way to dress as a real estate professional?
23. Cultural Competence
- How accessible is your business for people with disabilities?
- 8 ways you can help advocate for LGBTQ+ people in your office
- 4 fair housing essentials any real estate professional can champion
- Beyond intent: What agents get wrong about fair housing
- 15 ways to make your property descriptions more inclusive
24. Adaptability
- 10 ways to embrace change and thrive in the 2nd half of 2024
- As rules change, your best friend is an entrepreneurial mindset
- The rules are changing. Here’s how to stay afloat in the days ahead
- Change is a constant. Here’s how to navigate it — no matter the market
What did we miss? There are so many soft skills in real estate. Tell us what you think is critical, what we missed, or what you’re struggling with in the comments section below, and we’ll add to this post with all the resources we can.
Connect with Dani Vanderboegh via email, Instagram or Facebook.
