Whether you have an office full of agents, brokers, and staff or you recently started a recruitment program, the methods you use to manage employees have a powerful impact on success -- theirs and the business’. This is not a profound revelation. As a sales professional yourself, you know the importance of changing, adapting, and stretching your skill-set on a regular basis.

Yet there's often a disconnect. Broker/Owners get caught up in the everyday minutiae of running their real estate business. They forget to guide their agents who work for them.

If you're trying to grow your business, staff and agents need to possess skills to help you accomplish your goals. That makes it worth the time and effort.

Let's talk about hard skills, soft skills, and advanced skills.

Hard Skills

In any profession, but especially in sales-oriented careers, there are the basic must-haves. These are what you were told are important to highlight on your resume. Hard skills include anything specific to a particular job or industry. These include computer skills, training on products or processes, and any required certifications. They also include things like speaking a second language, math skills, and planning skills -- all hard skills that work well in a real estate environment.

Many real estate teams are diverse when it comes to experience, from seasoned veterans to associates working on getting their real estate license. Managers build successful, confident teams by offering tools and resources to help each employee meet their current and future goals. As a manager, you can nurture these skills by offering continuing education, study assistance for the newbie, or social media training for the longtime agent.

Soft Skills

Soft skills can present a bit of a challenge as a manager. Many of these traits aren't outwardly or immediately identifiable. Some may not present themselves until the person is in action.

Soft skills can be categorized into even 7 broad groups. Keep these on your mental list as you consider someone for your team. It will be helpful when interviewing candidates.

1. Communication Skills
Verbal communication
Listening skills
Ability to communicate in written form
Presentation skills
Humor

• 2. Leadership Skills
  Practices diplomacy
  Decision making
  Strategic planning
  Effectively handles difficult discussions and topics
  Willing and able to delegate efficiently
  

3. Skills of Influence
Strong sales skills
Motivational
Able to negotiate
Persuade with finesse
Collaborate well with co-workers, clients, and vendors

• 4. Interpersonal Skills
  Expert networker
  Remains calm dealing with difficult clients
  Conflict resolution skills
  Good at building relationships
  Strong personal brand
  

5. Personal Skills
Effectively manage stress
Self-confident
Enthusiastic
Able to easily adapt
Possesses emotional intelligence

• 6. Creativity
  Excellent problem solver
  Shows innovation
  Adept at critical thinking
  Design sense
  Artistic
  

7. Professional Skills
Organized
Good time management practices
Provides exceptional customer service
Tech-savvy
Entrepreneurial

For a more detailed list of attributes in each category check out The Big List. This comprehensive guide was put together by the business and technology folks at Simplicable.

Remember: Employees may not possess every single soft skill listed.

The key to success is finding a balance where some are stronger in certain areas than others and vice versa. Soft skills have a lot to do with personality. Most of these traits cannot be taught, but they can be nurtured and fine-tuned.

Advanced Skills

These are the “do what I do” skills. The level an employee achieves is very dependent on the manager and the culture promoted.

As a manager, your commitment to team members goes way beyond the first interview. Being a strong manager involves being a strong leader. By demonstrating advanced skills, you foster success in individuals as well as your entire team.

The Conference Board of Canada conducted a comprehensive and in-depth study: How Canada Performs. They analyzed the qualities needed for businesses to thrive.

They determined there are three advanced skills that were universal among strong managers who drove innovation. They found that innovators aren't resistant to change, embrace technology, and take risks.

Let’s look at each of these in detail.

Adapt to Change

The real estate landscape is forever changing. From mortgage rates and the amount of available inventory to customer buying habits and what type of neighborhood is now trendy this industry is extremely vulnerable to external (and uncontrollable) forces.

The Runstad Professor of Real Estate at Washington University, Dr. James DeLisle PhD, puts it this way: “Since real estate investments are forward-looking, decision makers must depend on an understanding of market dynamics as well as a crystal ball that can help predict future market conditions over an appropriate planning horizon.”

DeLisle’s tongue-in-cheek advice has a hint of truth to it. The manager who adapts easily pays attention to market rumblings and is at least prepared to make several educated predictions to better prepare the business. Sometimes this means exploring new real estate niches.

To avoid resistance to change successful managers involve their entire team. The four steps to effect change are analyzing, planning, scheduling, and communicating. In the face of disruption, guiding your agents through the steps will help make transitions smoother.

It’s often the way that change is handled that determines the success, how it’s embraced. Read “10 tips for change management success” to learn more about effective change management.

Adopt New Technology

The unfortunate reality is that some Realtors still use antiquated products and processes.

The use of DocuSign revolutionized the mortgage industry. Listings with 360 virtual tours opened markets nationally and internationally. And websites -- yes, websites -- have become valuable advertising tools for savvy agents. Yet so many agencies still resist having more than an “About Us” page and a list of available inventory.

Realty businesses need dynamic and interactive websites. Consumers can access almost any tools they need to become completely informed about buying or selling a house. So, there’s no harm in providing easy access. Having an interactive website and a home page with useful tools increases your chances that they’ll stick around on your site, rather than surfing for the resources they need and landing on the site of one of your competitors.

Risk Takers

There’s a certain degree of risk involved in every real estate transaction. And there are sectors of the industry that draw more of a risk. Whether it’s turnkey real estate, multi-family properties, commercial real estate, or property development real estate investors are no stranger to risk.

There’s no way to completely remove the risks in real estate. But there are ways to guard against it.

The first step is to know what to expect. In other words, identify the risks. If they can be identified they can be managed, which is the second step. The third measure is to prepare for those random risks that cannot be foreseen using your Realtor’s crystal ball. Teach your agents how to prepare for these not only mentally, but financially too.

The concept of risk management is discussed in more detail in another post.

Ready to Sharpen?

There’s a proverb that says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

For a Broker/Owner this can be one of the unexpected benefits that come from being an effective manager. As you help otters fine tune, strengthen, and develop new skills you reap the benefit as well. Your own skills are reinforced and expanded.

What do you consider to be the most important soft skills in a real estate agent? What types of skills training do you offer your agents to help them improve? Share your expertise in the comments below.