A focus on professional development could improve our industry

Being a market leader means staying on top of industry trends. The more aware you are of what's happening in the market, the better equipped you are to provide clients with a responsive service.

Continuing the expansion of professional knowledge is vital for ensuring proficiency in service delivery.

Unlike many professions, there is not a global standardisation for training in property, but that does not diminish the value of pursuing learning opportunities.

For example, at Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE), our online learning platform, LeadingRE Institute, has over 300 courses available at any time, which are tailored to address the needs of different roles and levels of experience.

We stress the importance of cross-cultural awareness, ethics, and professionalism and have courses and conference sessions that educate our members on the real estate practices in key markets around the world.

Global and national real estate qualifications

While global certifications are limited, the US-based National Association of REALTORS® offers Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) courses provided via NAR around the world. We encourage our members to take those courses as a way to further strengthen their global capabilities.

Many countries have their unique standards for training. In the EU, they have introduced the European Professional Card across all member states, which could be the beginning for more consistent training across the EU. I see similar efforts in Asia-Pacific countries.

In the US, real estate salespeople are required to participate in continuing education to maintain their licenses. Training extends from formal programmes to certified online courses.

Training options for real estate professionals

On-the-job training provides practical knowledge that is difficult to replicate in a classroom or online.

However, educational training allows professionals to refine skills and broaden knowledge to help address challenges as they arise. A seasoned agent can benefit as much as someone new to the business, just in different ways.

Our busy day-to-day lives can keep us from doing the things we know we are good for us. Making time to focus on professional development can have a vast difference in terms of productivity and professional satisfaction. We must prioritise it.

For a business leader looking to implement an effective learning programme, I recommend offering a variety of formats—live webinars, manager-led meetings, online courses, and well-chosen conferences.

Provide materials in short, digestible segments and create a follow-up plan to ensure participants are encouraged to implement learnings. When it comes to training, one size does not fit all.

Whenever possible, work with your team members to identify needs and create customised learning opportunities.

It is the responsibility of any dedicated professional to develop their skills and expertise continuously, and unfortunately, not all professionals have the same focus on training.

A standard qualification may improve the real estate industry worldwide, but unlike other professions such as accountancy, medicine or law, there is no dedicated training programme for certification. And so, those in real estate must provide bespoke courses to uphold a standard of service.

Continuing education will ensure employees are providing a professional service to the best of their ability. Though one strategy may not benefit each region equally, it should be standard to prioritise the maintenance and expansion of real estate professionals’ industry knowledge.

Curating training exercises specific to fit the needs of our members is how we at LeadingRE assure we achieve the best level of service in our industry.

*Chris Dietz is EVP of Global Operations at LeadingRE