Jumia House Ghana recently organized a free Agents Education Series for real estate agents to equip them with the necessary skills and to make them professionals in the industry.

We have compiled several quotes  that were given by all three resource people during the Agents Education Series. When real estate agents follow these commandments listed below, they are assured of being successful in the business.

Nana Jules Williams, CEO of Sheerspan Limited

• Asking money from clients before showing them properties is a sign of desperation.
• Treat your customers with respect.
• Do business with trusted people like Jumia House.
• Know your products. Be ready to answer questions about your properties.
• Smile even when you receive calls from potential clients.
• Draw clients in with a conversation.
• When taking money from clients specify what the money is being used for. For example, I am charging you this money because I am charged for listing on Jumia House.
• Pre-screening is good. Don’t go straight to budget questions but don’t waste your time on time wasters.
• If you don’t have an office, meet clients at public places like hotel lobbies.
• Dress for the part.
• Speak the language of the client. Appear sharp. Research is key.
• Know the names of streets. Clients will know if you are in the industry.
• Keep everything neutral – no religious extremities.
• Being serious with the business does not mean you should not play.
• Be warm, be polite, be truthful in your dealings.
• Use technology as much as possible.
• Plough back into the business. As quickly as possible, find your own means of transport.
• Develop trust with other colleague brokers.
• People are suspicious of used car dealers like they are of real estate dealers. Build relevance.
• Asking for money from clients before showing them a property is like walking into a shop and being asked by the storekeeper to pay 5 cedis before being allowed to see an item.
• Show what you are giving people before you take money from them.

Richard Mantho , Managing Director of Orel Ghana

• Don’t negotiate on the phone; it’s not appropriate.
• Meeting the client in an office is a way of detecting if a client is serious or not.
• Be updated with your property.
• Try and make nice conversations with clients to get all the information you need.
• If somebody does not want to come to your office, don’t deal with him.
• We shouldn’t look like just agents, we are the advisers.
• Get into the person’s life; that is how you make a deal.
• Trust only comes with clients that you befriend.
• Don’t go and show houses you know nothing about; doing that spoils your credibility as an agent.
• This job is based on recommendation; when somebody is satisfied with you he will recommend you.
• When a client walks into your office he is like your wife; you don’t leave her. Whenever there is a problem she should be able to rely on you.
• Let’s move from being the showing type of agent to becoming the consultants.
• Read all your emails and try to answer them. That shows your consistency and they show your  level of professionalism.
• Write with proper English; don’t spell ‘good’ with GUD and ‘thanks’ with THX.
• Recording all transactions will save you from trouble.
• Get a number of properties; don’t go showing clients the whole of Accra.
• When clients talk to you and you write it down, they see you as a serious person.
• Say the truth to your clients; don’t con them.

Akash Boateng of Windsor Properties

• Don’t create your own logo, let an expert do it.
• Affiliation is a big plus; affiliate with brands like Jumia House and other good real estate companies.
• If you have an exclusive property, keep checking up with the property owner to find out if the property is off the market before you send people to view it.