Real Estate No Experience Resume Examples [+4 Samples]

Working in real estate can offer a dynamic career path that will introduce you to people from all walks of life. Real estate agents assist with the purchase and the sale of property, working with buyers and homeowners alike to secure a great deal. It’s a career made for extroverts – as a real estate agent, you’ll spend a lot of time networking, presenting and negotiating, with plenty of opportunity to put your communication skills to use.

But according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for real estate agents and brokers is slower than average. While it’s possible to earn a great living as a real estate agent, you’ll need to put in the work to land the job in the first place. With jobs projected to grow by just 4% between 2020 and 2030, the job market – like the housing market – is tight.

All of this means that the application process for real estate roles can be competitive, especially without any past experience in the industry. To help you out, we’ve put together a guide to building the best possible real estate resume, regardless of your level of experience. Keep reading, and we’ll give you all the advice and examples you need to build a great resume!

What is a Real Estate Agent?

Real estate agents are usually employed by real estate agencies or brokerages. They are trained to guide clients through every stage of a property sale. The exact nature of their responsibilities can vary depending on whether they’re assisting with a purchase or a sale – but the broad strokes of the role remain consistent.

Real estate agents need to stay informed about the current state of the housing market, performing regular market analysis and identifying properties through open property listings. They need to carry out administrative tasks, like updating property listings and scheduling property showings. And perhaps most importantly, they need to market properties – through networking, on social media, through promotional campaigns, and through direct property showings.

Needless to say, this portfolio of responsibilities demands great communication skills! In particular, real estate agents need to be able to negotiate effectively on behalf of their clients. They also need to demonstrate industry knowledge, problem-solving capabilities, and a high level of personal organization.

Because real estate agents perform such a crucial and complex job, they need to be licensed in order to work. You’ll need to complete a series of pre-licensing courses, then take your state licensing exam. Bear in mind that the requirements for obtaining a real estate license may vary from state to state – it’s important to do your research and plan accordingly.

You can also bolster your credentials as a real estate agent by earning a certification. These supplementary qualifications can help you to develop expertise in your field. They’re also usually a great asset to showcase on your resume!

How to Write a Real Estate Resume

Preparing to write a resume in a field as competitive as real estate can be daunting, especially if you have no experience in the industry. However, experience is only one component of your resume. If you don’t have experience to fall back on, you will need to foreground your qualifications and skills instead.

Keep in mind that even if you’ve never worked in real estate before, you may have relevant experience from other parts of your life. You might have participated in volunteering work, or engaged in relevant hobbies; you might even have a previous career in an unrelated field behind you. If you have any of this experience, you can and should use it in your real estate resume.

As a rule, a real estate resume written by a candidate with no prior work experience should contain the following:

• A summary
• Your education
• Your skills, including any certifications or licenses you have
• Any experience you have

The Best Format for a Real Estate Resume

In general, when choosing your professionally-designed real estate resume template from our selection, you should think about what hiring managers will want to see from you. Jobs in real estate require a mixture of skills, qualifications and experience. As such, a candidate with prior experience in real estate might not need to choose a resume that prioritizes one section over another.

But if you don’t have any past experience in real estate, you should consider pulling focus to your education or qualifications instead. The format you choose for your resume can steer a hiring manager’s attention to your strongest facets as a candidate. Make sure you choose a template that will ensure your most impressive achievements are front and center!

There’s one more thing to consider when choosing a resume format: many hiring managers sort through resumes using an applicant tracking system, or ATS. If your resume doesn’t make it past the ATS software, which filters out resumes based on keywords pulled from the job description, it will usually be taken out of consideration. Naturally, this can be frustrating for candidates, who run the risk of their resume being thrown out before it reaches a real person!

Fortunately, we’ve made sure that all of VisualCV’s resume templates will get through ATS software. Because our layouts won’t jumble your text or confuse the software, you’ll have the best chances of making it through to the next round. That means you can focus on writing up the best resume possible, and leave the rest to us.

3 Real Estate Resume Examples

Most resumes begin with a summary, which offers a concise explanation of your best qualifies. It should reflect the job description, which means you’ll need to write a summary for each role you apply for. This might seem like a lot of work, but recruiters can spot a boilerplate summary a mile away – don’t give them a reason to throw your resume out!

If you don’t have a lot of past experience, focus on your education and skills when writing your summary. Later in your career, once you’ve worked in a relevant job, you can focus your resume summaries on your past experience instead. 3 summary examples:

• Real estate agent licensed in Louisiana, with a degree in Communications and past work experience in retail. Looking for the first step in my real estate career!
• Licensed real estate agent with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. Outgoing, adaptable, and always willing to learn. Driven to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
• Newly licensed real estate agent looking for work in California. Previous work experience as a paralegal, specializing in real estate law. Sociable, organized, and highly motivated.

How Not to Write a Real Estate Resume Summary

Remember, your resume summary isn’t a cover letter – it needs to be shorter and much more to the point. Don’t fall into the trap of writing a long, wordy, overly-personal summary! Keep it brief, and focus on what you can bring to the table in the role you want.

Do You Need a Resume Objective?

A resume objective is a one-sentence statement summing up your career goals. This is different from your resume summary, which is a short description of what makes you well suited to the job you want. But do you need a resume objective at all?

If you’re applying for a non-entry-level position, the answer is usually no. But if you don’t have much past work experience, or if you’re applying for your first job in an industry, you should consider including an objective alongside your summary. Real Estate Resume Objective Example:

• Licensed real estate agent seeking to apply my training in a new career.

How to Describe Your Experience on Your Real Estate Resume

If you don’t have much past work experience, don’t panic! Though it’s easy to be intimidated by the Experience section of your resume, you can always leave it out entirely, and focus on your education, skills and qualifications instead. If you really don’t have any work experience, this is the way to go.

On the other hand, if you have any experience at all – whatever it looks like – it’s worth including. You just need to be aware of how you present it on your resume.

Describe Your Experience Effectively

When you’re writing up your past experience for your resume, make sure it focuses on your achievements, rather than the tasks themselves. Remember, recruiters want to see what you accomplished in any given role. Tell them exactly what positive outcomes you achieved through your work – that way, they’ll have a reason to believe that you can accomplish similar things in a new position. Real Estate Resume Experience Example: Part-Time Sales Associate, Walker’s Department Store | 2017-2019

• Delivered top-tier service to customers from all walks of life while managing the cash register
• Researched trends in retail and merchandising to produce eye-catching and heavily trafficked display tables
• Advised customers on product options to suit their needs, enhancing customer experience and boosting sales figures

How Not to Describe Your Experience

How to List Skills on Your Real Estate Resume

If you’re struggling to decide which skills to include on your resume, you’re not alone – it can be tricky! While the job description can point you in the right direction, it may not give you a comprehensive list of the skills you’ll be expected to have. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of the most in-demand skills for real estate professionals.

For general information about skills on your resume, check out our resume skills guide here!

Top Real Estate Resume Skills in Demand

Hard Skills for Real Estate	Soft Skills for Real Estate
Problem-solving	Communication
Industry knowledge	Ethics and Integrity
Local knowledge	Organization
Knowledge of real estate law	Time management
Adminisstrative skills	Customer service
Technology skills	Negotiation
Research	Collaboration
Driving	Motivation

Professional Certifications for Real Estate Agents

Earning a certification shows that you can take the initiative to further your career. It also acts as proof of your skills and abilities, which can bolster a hiring manager’s confidence in you as a candidate. As such, taking the time to earn a certification can give you a real edge as you search for a job!

As a real estate agent, you will need to obtain a state license. But if you want to go even further, here are some of the most common certifications that could help you stand out from the crowd. While many real estate certifications require you to have extensive experience as a real estate agent, the certifications listed here don’t have any experience requirements.

Real Estate Negotiation Expert

This certification is offered by the National Association of Realtors, and it’s only available to licensed members. However, it’s a great way to affirm and develop your negotiating skills – and it only requires you to attend a two-day course, with no exam requirement.

At Home with Diversity

Also offered by the National Association of Realtors, this certification will show that you have the skills and awareness to serve all social groups equally. It requires you to attend a course either in person or online.

Green Designation

This certification is also offered by the National Association of Realtors, and it provides an education in sustainability and energy efficiency. You’ll need to take two courses, then pass an exam with a pass threshold of 80%.

The Most Important Soft Skills for Your Real Estate Resume

Soft skills will boost your ability to complete your daily tasks as a real estate agent. More importantly, though, they’ll prove to any hiring manager that you’re equipped to take on the substance of the role. If you don’t have any prior work experience, your soft skills could make all the difference as you search for a job.

Here are the most important soft skills for your real estate resume!

Communication

Real estate agents need to be able to talk to current clients, potential clients, and other real estate professionals. They may also need to write compelling promotional materials and property listings. This job is all about communication – if it’s not your thing, this may not be the role for you!

Ethics and integrity

For most people, a real estate transaction is one of the biggest transactions they’ll ever make. As a result, real estate agents need to take their business ethics seriously. Otherwise, they could risk losing their clients’ trust – and their business.

Organization

No two days as a real estate agent will ever look exactly alike. If you can stay productive under changing circumstances, all while delivering a great standard of work, hiring managers will be much more interested in your application.