Tomáš has been working in our company since March 1, 2020, and has been a member of the residential rental team for 5 months. He had joined the company very shortly before the coronavirus pandemic state of emergency was declared, and which affected the economy of the whole country. How did Tomas deal with this unusual timing?
My first 2 weeks involved training, of which 2 days a week were spent directly in my team. It was during the third week that the state of emergency was declared. Most colleagues took advantage of the home office option. I took the opportunity to stay in the office and call potential clients. I worked 10 to 12 hours a day.
I had experience in leading people and organizing. Before joining Engel & Völkers, I worked for a relocation agency. Communication there was very one-sided, in that we didn’t usually communicate with the owners directly, they often only sent us photos of the house or apartment, and I was able to see the property for the first time on a viewing with a client. The service we were offering thus suffered in terms of quality, no relationship could be established between myself and the owner. Then one day, in the course of my work, I came into contact with Mikuláš Hrubý, a salesman from Engel & Völkers, now my colleague. What I saw in front of me that day was a solid-looking businessman with a pleasant demeanour. Thus Engel & Völkers gained credibility with me, and I looked-up their job offer, I reviewed their portfolio of exclusive properties, and requested an interview.
I have participated in several interviews, mostly with a one-round format and lasting 1-2 hours. When I wasn’t accepted, the reasons for my rejection often did not appear to me to be relevant conclusions that could be drawn about someone in such a short time. I spent 8 hours at Engel & Völkers in the first round of the interview, I got to know in depth what kind of work awaited me. I was able to experience various, often stressful situations. The second round included questions of a more personal nature, what my motivation is, etc. The third round involves clarifying mutual expectations, learning the details surrounding my responsibilities and activities as well as of the commission system.
Most real estate agencies protect only their own interests, and not the interests of the client. At Engel & Völkers, it is very important to build relationships both with both owners as well as those interested in purchasing real estate. I strive to know not only the property perfectly, but also its owner.
In my previous work, a pile of papers was put on my desk in front of me, and I was supposed to follow up by self-study; there was no one to pass on their experience to me. Here I am part of an experienced team. Most of my new knowledge and understanding comes from others in the office, it's a great and quick way to become competent at my new position.
I look forward to coming to work every day, we have a great team, and there is no lack of a daily dose of humor. We work in a beautiful environment in the heart of Prague, which charges me with energy for my activities. Naturally, I enjoy making money, especially that feeling when a reservation contract is signed after a particularly complicated negotiation process.
Cold calling. Every novice at Engel & Völkers starts by trying to gain property owners' interest in real estate services. Many responses are negative, which was unpleasant for me at first. I don't feel that way anymore, now I see the whole process as a challenge; I want to carry out the conversation in such a way, as to make the call a successful one. One has to think about it a lot. It is a cyclical process. You conscript a property, then rent it out, and again have to make new and new contacts to replenish your portfolio.
I have already rented 10 properties in 5 months. I consider my biggest success to be my business relationship with a particular owner, who at first was very skeptical about using real estate services, and with whom in the end I managed to establish a business relationship. The owner discovered that our work saves him time, and we have already found him tenants for 3 of his properties!
I appreciate that in our company, my goals are set individually with my manager. I would like to have a turnover of 70-80 thousand CZK a month by the end of 2020, which is achievable.
Perseverance, patience, honesty. It is also important to be positive.
Are you interested in the story of Dominik, a new member of the rental team?
More about career by Engel & Völkers (only Czech language)
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