Learning or improving a skill was one of the most popular South African resolutions for 2020. If you've set this aspiration aside, it's never too late to realise your goals. 2021 marks a fresh opportunity to crush your sales, let out properties, and become an even better real estate professional. Nicolene Hamaty, National Training Manager/Head of Training at the Century 21 National Training Academy, believes agents should take the time to update their skills.
"In order to serve your community well, you need to have the relevant and current information", says Hamaty. "You need the skills and know-how to make the entire process for buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants as smooth and pleasant as possible."
"You need to be able to add value to the community (buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants) you serve. If you don't have the relevant training and information to do this, you will fall short in serving them."
According to Hamaty, training ensures clients are served correctly as per the laws and legislation that govern the industry. She points to the role of the Century 21 National Training Academy in empowering the company's real estate agents to be the most knowledgeable, productive, and profitable property professionals they can be.
About the National Training Academy
The Academy provides continuous training online. There are entry-level courses for beginners ready to learn and grow within the industry. Real estate professionals can upskill or refresh their insight with advanced online courses and training. The innovative courses range from getting started in real estate, to building your database, from daily coaching emails to digital marketing and law and regulations.
"During your learning, we're with you every step of the way", says Hamaty. "We even have a coaching programme that is almost like having a coach in your inbox."
"Here we guide, encourage, coach, and mentor you every day for your first 90 days in real estate. This is to ensure that your foundation is solid and that you have all the necessary knowledge and skills to build an amazing career in real estate and to best serve your community.
"We make sure you understand that the fundamental part of being a property professional is to know your product (properties you sell or rent) and to never forget that your community (buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants) are the most important part of your business. Know your product and serve your community and you can never go wrong in real estate."
National Training Academy courses
All of the Academy's courses and training are self-paced and offered online. This makes it possible to upskill anytime, anywhere. The website is interactive and can be used on your desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
You first start with the mandatory, award-winning training called Create 21. This gives you all the tools you need to have to get started in real estate.
- Create 21 begins with setting your goal to decide what you want out of your real estate career.
- It shows you the value of each person you know and how to place them in your database so that you can serve them best based on their current needs.
- Create 21 then has you find a listing and do a listing presentation. This section focuses on the Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) and why it is so important to give your clients the right information so that they can make an informed decision.
- Finally, Create 21 moves onto marketing your property effectively to get the property in front of the right people.
Create 21 is so comprehensive it even delves into a buyer's consultation, and how you can best serve your buyers when they are interested in a property.
National Training Academy process
Once you've completed Create 21, you can log in and choose from a selection of courses. Each course allows you to download the course material/manual/notes and then start your education by watching the training videos.
After each course, there is a test to assess how much you've learnt. Once you pass the test, the website awards you with a certificate for the relevant training. The Academy then captures this training on its internal system so that they can track Century 21's property professionals' education levels based on the training programs. This allows the Academy to increase Century 21's property professionals' knowledge and skills consistently over time.
Hamaty points out the rigorousness that goes into creating and keeping courses on the cutting-edge of real estate trends and developments.
"We create our courses based on the current needs and skills of our property professionals", she says. When our research indicated a big influx of new agents that have not been in the industry before, we focused heavily on the basics and laws of real estate.
"When our research indicated our seasoned agents (in the industry for more than 4 years) have stagnated and their sales are consistent but the industry itself is growing, we then focused on increasing productivity to serve more people in their community.
"When our research indicated digital marketing and social media is an effective way to reach more people and to market properties, we then created step-by-step content to show and educate our property professionals how to use these platforms effectively.
"For us at the Academy, it is all about our property professionals and how we can serve them so that they can serve their community. We create our courses by using experts, research, and proven methods by property professionals that are active in the field."
National Training Academy successes
The Academy has been a hit with Century 21 agents across the country. The latest stats show that a Century 21 property professional was training every 12 seconds based on the Academy's total training hours from January 2020 to September 2020. The Academy's website is filled with positive reviews of the training.
"The Academy offers training that is outstanding", says Shelley Meistre, Intern Agent at Century 21 Bronkhorstspruit. "They're only a phone call away and are ready to provide answers, suggestions, and motivation to help you enjoy the best opportunities in real estate."
Hamaty is proud of her team's efforts in helping agents, like Shelley, live up to Century 21's SMARTER. BOLDER. FASTER.™ philosophy.
"It is absolutely amazing when you produce something and the property professionals really take it to heart and implement it. Then you get responses like, 'I have just sold my first property and I have only been in the industry for a month' or 'after doing and implementing one of your courses, I have increased my income by more than 80%'."
Future of the National Training Academy
Hamaty says the Academy will keep working to ensure all current courses stay relevant and valuable for Century 21's property professionals. There are some groundbreaking pricing tools coming up early in 2021. The Academy also has a new social media series launching soon as well as a digital marketing series. A new and exciting negotiation course is also in the near future.
With training and support, Century 21 strives to make your real estate career rewarding and deeply satisfying. We celebrate professionalism, dedication, and ambition in our team. Whether you're a fresh face or industry veteran, we welcome you to join our SMARTER. BOLDER. FASTER.™ family today.