What is it really like to be a real estate agent, and what does it take to become one? We interviewed six Redfin Agents to find out why they chose real estate as a career and how they came to work at Redfin. Yesterday we profiled Liane Parness, who got her real estate license after raising her kids. Today you’ll hear from Arielle Sklavos, who started working for Redfin immediately after graduating college.
We’ll post a new Redfin Agent profile each day this week. If you’re looking for more agent info, be sure to check our entire series of real estate agent profiles and don’t hesitate to investigate open real estate jobs at Redfin.
Arielle Sklavos – Redfin Agent
– Washington D.C. Area
Arielle joined Redfin right after graduating from college. She took a year-long training course offered by Redfin prior to becoming a full-time agent. She is currently an agent serving the Washington D.C. area.
What did you do before you joined Redfin?
I joined Redfin right out of college, where I studied international business and French, with an emphasis in marketing. I only had a few summer jobs before I started, several of which were customer-service oriented.
What made you want to pursue your real estate license?
During college I hadn’t really thought about real estate as a career option. I was searching for jobs on the college recruiting website, which is where I stumbled across Redfin. The more I read and researched, the more I liked the company, and I decided to apply to the year-long training program.
What was it like getting your license?
Part of the Redfin training program is getting your license. I went to a classroom every day for two weeks and they taught us everything we needed to know to take the exam. It was a lot of information in a short amount of time, but I was used to that coming right out of college. After we got our license we started shadowing people in different roles at Redfin and learned more about what it takes to be an agent.
How did you hear about Redfin, and why did you decide to apply?
I hadn’t thought of real estate as a potential career choice until I learned about the Redfin business model. I really liked the fact that Redfin is different; it cuts costs and turns that into savings for clients, and the tools that Redfin gives its clients are awesome – it’s real estate for the 21st century. I like that the agent doesn’t have a commission check looming over their head. You really are working for the client! I consider myself a forward-thinker, and I consider the company to be the same, so it was a good fit for my personality.
Do you worry about the market going up and down?
With Redfin, not really. The market is going up right now, so that’s what I’m focusing on.
What’s the best part of your job?
For an entry-level job, this is amazing, I’m loving it! I like getting out and meeting new people. Everyone has a different story, and it’s fun to walk around looking at homes while talking to people.
What skills do you think are important to be successful as a real estate agent?
You need to be responsive, intelligent and savvy. You need to be able to be trustworthy with the clients and have a good relationship with them.
What would you tell people who are thinking about becoming an agent?
It is going to be a lot of work, and you need to be able to work with your clients. It’s important to build that foundation, gain clients’ trust and not lose it. Working at Redfin you need to be technology-savvy and think ahead of the curve. You also need to be able to schedule your activities and be disciplined. For students who have just graduated, I recommend giving it a shot. You never know until you try!
At Redfin our motto is “keep it weird.” What’s something “weird” about you?
I’m terrible with directions. I mix up and left and right all the time! I have to seriously concentrate on it, and sometimes I head the wrong direction anyways. I also really like lemon juice on broccoli. It’s delicious!
United States
Canada