Finding the Right Real Estate Agent

The Making of a Professional RE/MAX Associate

Whether you are trying to sell your property, to buy a new one, to let out your property or to find a rental, it is imperative that you be well informed and well prepared for the whole procedure and possible eventual transaction. Changing ownership of a property is not a straightforward affair and with the constant changes in legislation, permit requirements and varied legal aspects that are permanently in place, things can get slightly out of hand if your agent is not as supportive as he or she should be.

Starting with the Basics

At RE/MAX Malta, our sales associates are the ones who know the real estate business inside out. As a company we feel that this is of indispensable value and that we owe it to our clients, no matter the price of the property they intend to transact. Proper training is key, and for an associate working with us, this does not merely involve learning basic selling techniques. Marketing, selling, and promotions of properties are all very important, but real estate is not just about making a sale. It is about providing a service. Our associates undergo real estate specific training that is tailor-made to tackle any real estate scenario. We believe that standard NLP training and selling techniques training is simply not enough, although necessary and of utmost importance.

Learning the Ropes

Boasting the largest real estate team on Malta and Gozo, we have 220+ associates spread around 17 different offices. Each and every one of these associates undergoes strictly scheduled training not only at trainee level, but also ongoing and throughout the rest of their career with us. Training starts at the very basic stage where the newly appointed trainee associate will spend the first three or four weeks at the offices trying to learn the ropes. Each associate is expected to be familiarised with several different aspects of the business, and these range from the notarial fees, types of contracts and standard legal procedures, through to understanding our unique marketing strategies which are implemented via various online and off-line procedures. We teach our associates how to talk to property owners, how to talk to prospective buyers, and eventually how to qualify a buyer and a seller. Each associate is trained in the methods of preparing an owner for a sale and how to help the owner stage a property for viewing.

Understanding the Company Core Values

As part of our training, we include modules on ethical behaviour and company service standard training, which are derived from research and from the company’s own code of ethics. This training is also in line with the company core values, thus ensuring that each RE/MAX sales associated understands the origins of RE/MAX Malta, as well as what it takes to practise the trade professionally within the provisos of our own Customer Care Charter.

Meeting First Clients

Each trainee learns how to kick-start his or her career, how to promote this new career, how to wear the RE?MAX badge with pride, and how to generate leads to increase future business for him/herself and for the company. It is only after strict training is undergone in the office for a month or so, that the trainee associate will be allowed out with a manager to observe and learn, tailing other agents for some months before being finally prepared to go out alone.

Personal Investment

There is so much more for an agent to do in order to keep abreast of the competition and on top of the market. Tasks include conducting research on national developments where special government subsidies and bank loan limitations or benefits are involved. Research in specific aspects of the market helps the agent understand trends in particular property categories, and in particular regions of the islands.

Doing Best

Going the extra mile is all about extra achievement garnered through extra effort. The effort to be smart, the effort to be trained, the effort to be well informed, the effort to make an impact on a client. Over the years we have retained a great majority of our sales associates, so that company turn-over is at a constant minimum. This says a lot about how we treat our affiliates and reflects on the success they achieve through the way they treat clients. We invest in our sales associates because we believe in them and in their value. We have found that sales associates who know best, do best.