Gen Z can be the best estate agents in history

Turn your Agency into an Academy of Excellence

By Jamie Beers 

Gen Z is characterised by their addiction to screens, uncompromising demand for work-life balance, and preference for texting over face-to-face communication. They might seem like the last people you'd want navigating the fast-paced property market, where relationships and communication are everything

I couldn’t disagree more. Gen Z has all the attributes to be the most successful generation in history. They just need a little help. 

Some might roll their eyes and reminisce about a time when hungry young agents just got on with it and learned on the job. Look at it a different way: the investment in developing Gen Z talent is negligible compared to what they can contribute. For boutique and independent agencies especially, this includes maintaining the unique, tailored, customer-first experience which is key to their survival.  

Generation Snapchat 

What are the three most important qualities of a great estate agent? Communication, communication, communication. So what happens when technology transforms the way people talk, interact, and negotiate? 

Many agencies report that junior agents often lack communication skills – like a willingness to pick up the phone – that until recently, we all took for granted. This isn’t meant as a criticism of Gen Z; we are all shaped by the technologies of our time. But we can’t afford to ignore it, either, because, buying and selling houses isn’t something you can normally do by text. It requires delicacy, tact, nuance, and above all, complex negotiation. 

None of this is possible via a messaging platform. How can agencies uphold the highest standards of customer service when they employ an increasing proportion of Generation Snapchat? Equally importantly, how can they bridge the generational chasm between older sellers and young agents, who have very different communication preferences?   

The Ownership Divide

Other challenges are not only unique to Generation Z, but completely outside their control. When I started, a mortgage was around three or four times your salary, and home ownership was a realistic prospect for many people in their twenties. Today, that’s a distant dream even for those on great salaries. 

This means most young agents are negotiating a process they’ve never undertaken themselves. They can learn the mechanics of selling houses, but it takes a lot more than knowledge to be a great estate agent. It requires empathy, the ability to ask uncomfortable questions about earnings, and to sooth, calm and counsel your clients.  

For Generation Rent, it can be hard to empathize or build rapport with people in the middle of the biggest, most stressful transaction of their lives. 

The Greatest Generation

Given these challenges, why do I rate Gen Z so highly? Simple: because anyone can learn new skills, but this new cohort has something you can’t teach and can’t fake: values.

This generation is often derided as “snowflakes”, but that’s just a snarky way of saying they care about their communities, colleagues, and clients. In our industry, that’s priceless. The same goes for their hunger and receptiveness to new ideas. The same technological revolution that sometimes hinders face-to-face communication has forced them to learn new skills with embarrassing speed. 

Other distinctive values include loyalty and purpose. They are much less motivated than money than by making a difference. They expect the same from their employers: they don’t just want a great work-life balance, but expect investment in education and training. If agencies can provide that, they’ll find that Gen Z will run through brick walls for them.

The question is: how do we harness these qualities to foster the Greatest Generation of estate agents?

From Agency to Academy

Agencies are businesses, not universities. Yet every industry invests in education and training, and our sector shouldn’t be exempt. “Soft skills” like communication can’t be taught solely in a seminar room, however; they have to be learned on the job.

The skill we can teach is the most essential of all: resilience. Agents require thick skins and the ability to bounce back from disappointment. You can see a huge sale fall through in the morning, and have to put on your best face to meet a new client in the afternoon – it’s all in a day’s work.

The best way to develop this resilience is by helping new employees understand that being told “No” is simply part of the journey to getting to “Yes”. Data is key. For example, you need to know how many phone calls will result in a viewing; how many viewings will result in an offer. It’s only by being realistic about success rates that you can help them use those knock-backs as motivation to do what comes unnaturally: pick up the phone and speak to the client. 

That’s what I mean by being an academy. It’s not about lectures and PowerPoints; it’s about being a data-driven business that sets expectations, and prepares Gen Z for a career in our rollercoaster industry.

By making your business a place where everyone can learn, develop, and test ideas, you’ll develop a culture where ambitious young people will want to make a difference for themselves and others. That will make a huge difference to employee retention and business reputation. And you’ll quickly find that Gen Z aren’t a problem to be managed: they’re the best investment you’ll ever make.