The profession: Real estate agent – What you should know

Profession: Real estate agent – The choice of profession is not easy for most people. Those who already know from an early age what they want to become, constantly maintain this desire and ultimately also implement are usually rather the exception. The majority of young people, however, change their mind at least once on their way into professional life. And that’s no wonder, because in Germany in 2018 there were 326 recognized apprenticeship occupations and about 8,700 courses of study that lead to a first university degree. How can you know right away which profession suits you best?

Real estate agent: The job description – activities, requirements and earnings

In this article we will introduce you to the profession of real estate agent. The aim of this article is not only to introduce you to the profession in general, but also to give you the opportunity to check whether the profession could be the right one for you. Although it can happen that you only notice in the internship, in the training or at the beginning of the study whether the profession is really something for you, it is useful to deal with the job description beforehand.

The training to become a real estate agent (Immobilienkaufmann / Immobilienkauffrau)

Real estate agent is a recognised training occupation that lasts three years. The training takes place in alternation between the company and the vocational school. In the second year of training, a written intermediate examination is held and at the end of the training, three written and one oral final examination must be passed. If you are not interested in the profession in general, but primarily in the training and everything related to it, you can read our article on the training, opportunities & salary.

The activities – selling, mediating, managing, renting

The activities of a real estate agent differ depending on the employer. In fact, there are different employment opportunities for real estate clerks. The following areas are conceivable:

• Property management
• Facilities Management
• Real estate departments of building societies, banks and insurance companies
• Residential Construction Company
• Real estate agent

In these areas, activities arise such as buying, selling, renting and leasing land or buildings, advising customers on real estate matters, administrative office work, organizing and accompanying construction projects, and supervising new construction and conversion projects. The advantage of this profession is clearly that it is varied. Real estate clerks do not always have to work in the office, they can also have field assignments, such as for construction projects.

• Buying, selling, renting and leasing of land or buildings
• Advising clients on real estate matters
• Administrative office work
• Organize and accompany construction projects
• Supervise new construction and conversion projects

The requirements – Am I suitable?

Many of the requirements for working as a real estate agent are acquired during the training. Not only do you learn a lot of new things in the theoretical part of school, but you also gain a lot of experience and develop quickly during practical work in the company. If you nevertheless bring along some basic requirements, the work will probably be easier for you and you may also enjoy it more. In particular, communication skills can help you immensely in this job, as you will be in constant contact with other people. You will also benefit if you are persistent, persuasive, willing to learn, open-minded and friendly. A knack for numbers would also have a positive impact on your education.

• Communication skills
• Endurance
• Persuasiveness
• Willingness to learn
• Open, friendly charisma
• Number crunching

If you can show good grades in maths, German and economics during your time at school, this could be particularly helpful for you.

Earnings of real estate clerks – Depending on work experience, company & location

The earnings of real estate agents can vary greatly. The average salary of a real estate agent in Germany is around 3,666€ gross per month. Your salary can be influenced by different factors. On the one hand, it plays a role in how much professional experience you have already gained and in which tax class you fall and on the other hand, it depends on the company in which you work. As a rule, you can start from this principle: The bigger the company, the more salary you will get. The location of your company also plays an important role. With increasing professional experience you will also get more salary.

Read also:

• Training, opportunities & salary