If you want to know how to become an estate agency, these ten tips will get you started on the right path.

1. Refine Your People Skills

When becoming an estate agent, the one thing you can guarantee is that you will have to deal with a lot of people, from many different walks of life. Learning to present yourself in a friendly, professional manner is key. If people like you, they are much more likely to want to rent from you. They will also work harder to maintain the property on your behalf, and will be better at paying their rent on time.

2. Put Together the Start-up Costs

Starting a letting agency is never cheap. Since an estate agency usually requires an office, you will always need to be able to pay for rent and maintenance. What’s more, you will want a prominent location, since it is always advantageous to display available properties in the windows to people passing by.

3. Learn Your Local Area

A lot of the time when you're talking to a potential tenant, they may not be from the town or city they are about to move to. If that is the case, any local knowledge can be invaluable when it comes to enticing them to move there. It is always worth knowing where the best food comes from, and where the best places to hang out are.

4. Research the Competition

This one is true regardless of the type of business. Knowing what your competitors are doing helps with two things. First of all, it will let set a ballpark figure for the prices you should be charging. Secondly, it may allow you to identify an unoccupied niche in the real estate market you can fill.

5. Look into Qualification and Training

Technically, there is no requirement for any type of qualification or training in order to start an estate agency. However, you will need to keep track of some tricky legal processes and so getting relevant qualifications can help you to avoid any fatal mistakes.

6. Learn About Marketing

It's one thing to have a business, it is quite another to get people to drop by. It is always worth taking the time to lean how to sell your business, especially through the form of adverts.

7. Investigate Modern Technology

The Internet has done wonders for businesses of all sizes. It is worth taking the time to look into building an online presence, particularly on social media.

8. Hire Good Staff

While you could try and do everything alone, it is far too much work to be practical. The best way is to find a team who care as much as you do, that you also get along with. They will help make your business a success.

9. Define Your Company Image

Whatever it is, you need something that makes your company stick out. Moreover, a consistent image will remind potential customers of you when they see something similar in their day to day lives.

10. Diversify

You can really spread your wings when starting a letting agency. If you look into associated areas, like renting out business premises, or giving advice on finance, then you help attract a wider audience.