There’s so much to learn in the real estate practice!

As an estate agent, you need to arm yourself with the basics such as product knowledge, legal, taxation, mental math, and communication tactics.

Essentially, you’re equipped by the time you secure a license and provided with training by your mentors before you could start selling.

And yet, have you ever wondered if there are things you might be doing wrongly? Are you curious if there are areas you can improve dramatically?

Wouldn’t it be great to have the ultimate guiding force that you can follow religiously?

As it turns out, if there were 10 commandments for real estate agents to strictly abide by, chances are they would look like these:

1. Thou shalt sell or lease property, not your body.

In an attempt to prove themselves, estate agents may be tempted to resort to unconventional strategies to meet their sales targets.

Along the way, they might meet prospects who will go far just to test and see how far new agents will go for a sale.

Tempted to get a fat check and have something to show off to people, agents might give in and ‘walk’ the extra mile with a client.

In the long run though, wouldn’t that jeopardize your future and tarnish your reputation in the industry?

Trust me when I say this. There’s no amount of money worth giving up your integrity and values for.

2. Thou shalt honor your father, mother and your chronometer.

So, you got yourself a nice investment timepiece, but lo and behold, you’re late again for this morning’s project briefing.

Numerous behavioral science studies reveal that people prefer respect over love, and that couldn’t be more applicable than in business.

By not honoring appointments in a timely manner, you are basically saying to the other person: you are not important and I don’t respect you.

Not really an ideal translation, right?

So in order to keep your business alive, kill bad habits and start practicing punctuality.

3. Thou shalt not stop prospecting.

Okay let’s say you are already 1 and 2, always up early, ready and full of energy!

But remember, you need your funnel to always be filled with new prospects. Because if not, then who are you waking up for to show your listings?

Even if you already hit your quota months ahead, you have to consistently engage in prospecting activities. You don’t want to empty out your chances of closing deals especially if you want to last in the business.

4. Thou shalt listen more than you speak.

Great communication skills are commonly judged through speaking yet it’s very much imperative in listening.

Successful transactions happen when client requirements are met, not when you keep talking about the mundane details of a property.

It’s important to assess the following from a potential client: purchasing goals, expectations, timeline, and limitations. You have better chances of knowing them when you ask the right questions and listen.

5. Thou shalt not lie to clients – except for one thing.

Honesty is the best policy and your one-way ticket to success in real estate.

As much as possible, be accurate with all property descriptions, your job scope and limitations, fees, and commissions.

But if there’s one time you should ever lie to a client, it’s when you are tired.

A realtor job comes with many highs-and-lows, nevertheless, there are finer ways to articulate fatigue that don’t necessarily sound dramatic.

You can try by saying something along the lines of, ‘I’ve been giving my 200% percent on my workables and I need to recharge before my body gives up’.

No matter what happens, don’t mention the word tired. Excuse yourself and then call up your happy hour buddies for a venting session.

6. Thou shalt not steal from a fellow agent.

Stealing your fellow agent’s leads, listings and commissions are crimes, punishable both by law and by the real estate gods.

There’s no excuse to stealing.

Even if you thought a top sales agent didn’t need another fat commission. Or presumed a trust fund kid could replace an HNWI prospect from his network with a blink of an eye.

Just because some people don’t need the money, doesn’t mean they don’t work hard to earn it.

7. Thou shalt express gratitude, always.

Gratitude is a way of life.

Embrace the feeling of gratefulness from the moment you wake up, when you pick up a reservation check, when you receive a commission check, when you secure a new listing and when you get rewarded with a client referral.

A good positive attitude can foster more business deals and a better life in general.

8. Thou shalt not use bathroom selfies on thy social media, email, and messaging platforms.

Unless you’re not serious about being successful as an estate agent, you’re hurting your career by posting an unsuspicious selfie, taken in what is meant to be a private space, for all the world to see.

Even worse is taking a bathroom selfie and using it as your LinkedIn profile photo.

Instead, use nicer backdrops from other rooms of the house as this will also show them how good of a realtor you are.

Keep your bathroom off-limits and share only your risqué mirror selfies among your close peers.

9. Thou shalt not leave beer bottles and takeouts in your car overnight.

Clients have unpredictable schedules so sometimes you have to be prepared to drop everything to drive 20 miles out of your way.

If you don’t make it a habit to look after yourself, it can affect even your professional life.

To avoid embarrassing situations, always assume readiness to meet with prospects and keep in mind that how you present yourself is vital for them to do business with you.

10. Thou shalt practice humility.

As mentioned on the Fifth, honesty is your one-way ticket to success in real estate.

In the end, if you want to have a permanent residency at the top, the key is to embody humility.

To be humble as an estate agent could mean that you never stop learning about the field, never taking your clients and co-workers for granted, and never letting pride get the better of you when you make mistakes.

If you are able to own up to yourself and maintain respect towards the people around you, then you will go a long way in the challenging yet rewarding world of real estate.

Honorable Mention

Put your phone in your pocket during client meetings and open houses.

Taking calls during meetings are acceptable depending on the nature of the call.

Outside of urgent matters, put your phone away, off the table, and on silent mode when meeting with a client.

You’ll never know when things are about to get serious nearing to closing so you don’t want any distraction when that happens.

READ MORE: 5 Things Real Estate Agents Wish Clients Stopped Doing

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What did you think of our 10 Commandments for Modern Real Estate Agents? Do you have your own confessions that you’d like to share below?