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This article was last updated May 22, 2023.
Soft skills are those that make a person a good candidate for a given workplace, real estate in this case, as opposed to hard skills, which are more like spreadsheets, search engine optimization, email marketing — things that are easy to learn in a classroom.
“Soft skills are non-technical skills that relate to how you work. They include how you interact with colleagues, how you solve problems, and how you manage your work,” according to The Balance.
Empathy, integrity, transparency, coaching, and flexibility are not so easily taught or learned, but they are the themes that come up over and over again when you ask real estate professionals about the makings of an exceptional leader. And leadership in itself is a soft skill.
“Soft skills are as almost as important as hard skills. In fact, they often define success more than expertise does,” according to Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies, which lists communication, active listening, social cues, negotiation, patience and tactfulness as the most crucial soft skills to have in real estate.
But really, if you aggregate lists of soft skills that apply to real estate, there are hundreds. We’ve compiled a list of the most-used soft skills in real estate and paired them with advice from the pros — Inman contributors — on how to master it, even if the skill doesn’t come naturally to you. They can take a lifetime to master, if ever.
1. Organization
- Feeling overwhelmed? Try this 10-minute guided work session
- 5 organizational tips to make you a better mobile agent
- Clear out the clutter! 3 ways to spring-clean your business
- How to create a solid daily routine that’ll set you up right
- 7 habits that will encourage business (and personal) growth
- 7 real estate lessons from ‘7 habits of highly effective people’
2. Communication
- Check yourself: How to avoid sharing misinformation online
- Managing expectations? 17 communication tips to stay above a fray
- Stop presenting and start conversing: the art of the listing conversation
- 6 creative ways to reboot a chilly lead
- How to announce your new real estate career without feeling pushy
- 11 key questions new real estate agents should ask their broker
- Shut it! 4 ways other agents’ mouths could kill your deal
3. Listening
- Put your listening skills to the test! 10 ways to be a better listener
- Do you suffer from open mouth syndrome? Here’s the cure
- You’re the worst! 15 lessons I’ve learned from bad salespeople
4. Persuasion/negotiation
- Negotiate better! 7 do-not-say words (you’ll lose)
- How to strengthen your negotiation chops
- 10 tips for working with picky homebuyer clients
- 6 ways to motivate your stubborn clients to seal the deal
- 9 tips for getting in good with local listing agents
- How to become a better negotiator in 9 simple steps
- 9 ways to turn a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’
- Tough repair request negotiation? Follow this FBI negotiator’s advice
How to get resistant buyers to sign a buyer-broker agreement - Sales skills need a boost? 5 tips for smoother negotiations
- 4 negotiating tricks you should always be prepared for
- 6 steps to unleashing your negotiation power in real estate
- 8 powerful negotiation questions to get the deal done
- Staging works! How to have that conversation with sellers
5. Presentation
- 8 tips for writing better subject lines for email marketing campaigns
- Real estate writing: An agent’s guide to grammar
- The real estate agent’s guide to grammar
- The agent’s ultimate guide to crafting clean, compelling listing copy
- The technique that instantly improves your property descriptions
- How to write the perfect thank-you note
- 13 knockout examples of how to write an agent bio
- 6 listing descriptions you’ll want to imitate
- ‘Honey, stop the car!’ 12 listing description cliches we’re over
- 5 mistakes you’re probably making in your listing descriptions
6. Problem-solving
- How to avoid 7 contingency issues that can derail your deal
- Feeling overwhelmed? 12 systems to automate your business growth
- Be the solution, not the problem: 3 things agents should do daily
- It’ll cost you! 5 communication mistakes agents can’t afford
- Salvage a failing real estate deal with these 3 tips
7. Empathy
- Be present! 3 tips for building trust through empathy
- Why empathy belongs at the heart of real estate
- Why empathy is a real estate agent’s No. 1 sales tool
8. Design
- Affordable (and easy) home updates based on this year’s hottest trends
- 12 staging and photography secrets for stellar results
- DIY staging: 5 pieces every agent should invest in
- 10 simple upgrades that can transform an outdated home
- 10 common staging mistakes that could hurt your listing
9. Growth mindset
- 7 real estate lessons for growth by John Maxwell
- 7 Jim Rohn nuggets of wisdom every real estate agent needs
- 7 top Zig Ziglar insights on success in real estate
How to make these 22 growth activities daily habits - Must-read books for growing your real estate business
- Close the deal! How to forget leads, and adopt a growth mindset
10. Time management
- Not enough of you to go around? 6 time management tips for busy agents
- Struggling to pack it all in? Here’s how to own your time
- 23 tech tools to make 2023 easier
10 time-management rules elite real estate teams swear by - Get more done: 20 productivity rules for brand new real estate agents
- Freshly licensed? 10 tips for getting the most out of your career
- 9 tips for getting in good with local listing agents
- Make the most of your time! 5 secrets of the uber-productive
- Forget time-blocking! Focus on these 5 time-management tactics
- Time-blocking 101: A simple guide for new agents
- Ticktock! 8 time-wasters agents should avoid
11. Resourcefulness
- 5 thrifty home renovations that get sellers the most ROI
- How to make staging possible — regardless of budget
- 5 nifty (and thrifty) social media marketing ideas
12. Leadership
- What’s next? 3 ways to develop your leadership skills
- Success strategies from 11 of real estate’s top female leaders (Part 1)
- Success strategies from 11 of real estate’s top female leaders (Part 2)
- 4 leadership traits you need to build a thriving real estate team
13. Conflict management
- 4 signs your client relationship is in trouble
- 6 client types every new agent should mentally prepare for
- That’s it, I’m done! How to break up with a client
- How to work with any personality type
- Salvage a failing real estate deal with these 3 tips
- You’re driving me nuts! 6 client types agents should be ready for
14. Delegation
- Need more support? 4 tips for making your first key hire
- Feeling overwhelmed? 12 systems to automate your business growth
- Spread too thin? 3 ways team leaders can balance their workload
- Secret to success? Leverage your strengths and shore up your weaknesses
- Executive assistant or operations manager: Is it the right fit?
15. Confidence
- Are you worth your commission?
- Forget ‘fake it till you make it’: How to truly build confidence
Believe in yourself! 7 practical ways agents can build confidence - 3 ways to unleash your inner confidence
16. Emotional intelligence
- Why emotional intelligence should guide leadership
- WATCH: Why your emotional intelligence matters
- 3 ways to use emotional intelligence with sellers
- 7 ways to raise your emotional intelligence in real estate
17. Teamwork
- How to make a brilliant first impression on your new team
- 4 rules for a more effective accountability partnership
- Communication is half the battle: 4 ways to ensure team cohesion
18. Business ethics
- No, you don’t need the crime statistics. Here’s why
- Avoid fair housing violations: How to respond to sticky FAQs
- Don’t violate fair housing! 15 words to ban from property descriptions
- How to become an inclusive Realtor: NAR certifications, designations, resources
19. Motivation
- The motivation myth: What agents need to know
- 30 inspirational quotes to keep you motivated
- Feeling stuck? 8 strategies for overcoming productivity hurdles today
- 25 inspiring quotes for real estate agents
20. Resilience
- What you need to know to future-proof your business
- Want to be a top producer? Do these 6 things
- 3 building blocks for business resilience today
- 7 steps for recession-proofing your business
- 4 ways to make rejection a good thing
21. Persistence
- Do you have grit? 4 characteristics that make for great agents
- 10 solutions for helping move-up buyers
- How I closed 106 transactions in my first full year in real estate
- Door-knocking is fun if you do it right. Here’s how to crush it
22. Self-awareness
- Stop the distractions! 7 ways to be more productive on the daily
- 7 questions every new real estate agent should ask in the first 30 days
- 5 ways real estate agents quickly ruin client relationships
- How to prepare your family for your new real estate career
- Take care of you: 5 mental health apps for real estate agents
- How to make the most of your day off
- Your deal flopped! Are you guilty of these 7 sale-killing behaviors?
- 3 excuses agents make that sabotage their success
What did we miss? There are som many soft skills in real estate. Tell us what you think is critical, what we missed, or what you’re struggling with in the comments section below, and we’ll add to this post with all the resources we can.