Getting started in the land industry can be a daunting task. From understanding the ins and outs of your local real estate market to learning strong negotiation skills, there is a lot that a new land real estate agent needs to know to set themselves apart from the competition. During his recent appearance on the National Land Podcast, Executive Vice President of Sales and Head of Recruiting Logan Eaton explained the skill set that he looks for when recruiting new land real estate agents to National Land Realty.

Here are four qualities that land brokerages look for in new land real estate agents. 

1. Communication

Effective and timely communication is an integral tool in any real estate professional’s toolbox. Strong communication is necessary to grow and foster lasting relationships with clients and potential clients down the road. Contacting clients and mailing lists regularly ensures that your name stays on their minds and makes it more likely that they’ll contact you should they decide to buy or sell. Regarding a new land real estate agent’s need for effective communication, Logan Eaton stated the following: 

Logan Eaton: “I think every recruit is different, but one of the most important things is communication skills. A good land real estate agent or broker really has to have excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. I was told this a couple of years ago, that really the number one complaint against real estate agents and brokers is the lack of communication that clients receive. So when I start speaking to a recruit, I need to really see from them that they have those skills to be able to communicate, not only with me throughout the recruiting or interview process but also when they transition into being a land broker with National Land Realty. I need to know they’re going to be able to carry those communication skills over.”

2. Marketing

The next quality that new land real estate agents should possess is knowledge of marketing and how best to present a listing to prospective buyers. Knowing how to photograph a property and write a succinct and compelling listing description can go a long way for burgeoning land real estate agents looking to make their listings stand out from the rest. A strong understanding of effective marketing practices can make new agents very attractive to recruiting brokerages, as Logan explains below. 

“It’s good to have an understanding of the marketing and advertising side of things, being able to present everything that National Land has to provide. Obviously, we have an in-house marketing team, but having a good marketing strategy and being able to convey that in your business is important. So understanding what it takes to market tracts of land, or what you need to do to help a buyer potentially locate a tract of land is really important.

As Logan mentioned, some brokerages provide marketing support through in-house marketing teams and tools to show off listings, but a general knowledge and marketing plan for your business is a necessity for any new land real estate agent.

3. Local Real Estate Market Knowledge

As with starting any kind of business or new position, doing research beforehand is key to understanding your market and setting yourself up for success! According to Logan, an understanding of common property types, typical property values, and topographical features in your area is necessary for any new land real estate agent and can make you more attractive to prospective brokerages.

Logan Eaton: “These are all skills that I think you can develop, but knowledge of the local real estate market and understanding the market that you’re going into and why you’re going into it is very important. Being able to really study the data and understand zoning laws, land use regulations, and know what’s trading hands, these are all helpful to know. How active is the market? And that kind of factors into just having expertise in land valuation as a whole, being able to accurately assess the price or what your opinion would be of a tract of land based on its size, location, and topography is a necessary skill for a land broker. Additionally, good negotiation skills are critically important.

4. Networking Skills

The final skillset discussed during Logan’s appearance on the National Land Podcast is network-building. Networking is one of the most important parts of a land real estate agent’s responsibilities, as building a strong referral network is the best way for new prospective clients to find you. Some of the most successful land real estate agents are those who are transferring into land real estate from a related field like conservation, land development or management, or the agricultural industry. These individuals often bring with them a wealth of contacts and references from their previous occupations, which helps to jumpstart their career as a new land real estate agent. 

Not everyone will begin in land real estate with this head start, but anyone looking to make their career as a land real estate agent needs to have strong networking skills to build and maintain meaningful business relationships, as Logan explains below.

“Excellent network building which again is kind of sales 101, right? You’ve got to be a good networker, but we’re asking you to come in with a pre-established network. We’re not saying you need to call on all your family and friends or that you need to have a list of 100 people that you can call on, right? For us, we try to help with a lot of the lead generation, but I’m not gonna sit here and lie to you. If you have a good network, if you’re out there around land, whether you’re in a farming community or maybe you’re around a lot of hunting land, if you have connections to hunters or farmers, that’s gonna help you a lot. But it’s not something you have to have coming into this business, but it is something that you’ll need to be good at building throughout your career in land real estate.”

If you’d like to learn more about common qualities of great new land real estate agents or if you’re ready to take the plunge and join National Land Realty, then contact Logan Eaton or your local Land Professional and have that conversation. You’ll be glad you did!