How You Can Become A Luxury Real Estate Agent

It’s no wonder so many agents are attracted to the high-end real estate market. There’s the glitz and glam, celebs and mansions—and of course the huge commissions.

But it’s not a simple matter of just targeting wealthier neighborhoods. It requires experience and understanding the needs of a very exclusive and demanding client base.

Being a luxury real estate agent isn’t only about selling luxury properties; it’s about selling a luxury lifestyle.

And to sell that lifestyle, you’ll need to prove that you can move in the same circles as the ultra-wealthy.

In this article, you’ll learn:

💡 How to upgrade your personal brand and image for the luxury market.

💡 How to deal with high-income clients.

💡 The steps to getting your first break in luxury real estate.

Reasons for Getting into Luxury Real Estate

Firstly, let’s consider the pros of joining the high-end real estate market. If it’s going to be a challenge, what’s the payoff?

Having the opportunity to earn higher commissions 

This may be the biggest reason for becoming a luxury real estate agent. Selling more expensive properties means you’ll earn larger commissions.

Establishing a portfolio of high-roller clients 

Networking with high-net-worth individuals, like athletes, business owners, and celebrities, may boost your reputation. Name-dropping can impress others and get you more business, especially if you can get referrals.

Service fewer clients

If each deal is worth more money, then you can hit revenue targets and sell fewer properties. You might go from having 12 clients per year to only 3. This gives you a chance to build solid relationships with your clients.

Being able to hang out in mansions

One of the most obvious benefits will be spending time in magnificent surroundings and being able to see how the rich and famous live.

Preparing to Become a Luxury Real Estate Agent

Here are some of the steps you need to take before trying to break into luxury real estate. 

Can you present yourself to clients well enough to be taken seriously? Do you know enough about the market? And most importantly, do you understand how to deal with the types of clients that are looking to buy multi-million-dollar homes?

Personal brand and image

Becoming a luxury real estate agent requires you to exude luxury and expertise in every aspect of your business. 

Look and act the part

People in the higher income brackets like to deal with people like them. That’s why you need to emulate the lifestyles of the clients you want to work with.

Your brand needs to be luxurious and instantly recognizable. 

Ensure all your branding and marketing materials are high-quality and sophisticated. 

Look at the branding efforts of successful luxury agents in your area—what do they emphasize, and what are they missing?

Source: zazzle.com

To appeal to high-end real estate clients, you must dress and act the part. While it may push you out of your comfort zone, upgrading your image and style can help you earn the trust and respect of clients looking for homes in a higher price range. 

Jennifer J. Janzen-Botts, agent at K. Ann Brizolis & Associates.

Get certified

Luxury real estate clients like to work with the very best people. You’ll therefore need to prove that you have the knowledge and skills to handle high-value assets. 

There are several designations and certifications available to agents wanting to get into luxury real estate, including:

With the LHC, not only will you be able to distinguish yourself as an expert in the luxury market, but you’ll also discover:

🧑‍🎓 How to get into luxury real estate.

🧑‍🎓 How to work with high-net-worth clients.

🧑‍🎓 Effective luxury market research techniques.

🧑‍🎓 How to fairly evaluate home pricing.

🧑‍🎓 Advanced negotiation tactics.

After finishing the course, you will also join the ranks of other luxury real estate agents with a one-year membership to the Luxury Home Council—a good networking opportunity.

Socialize with the people you want to work with

Getting involved in the luxury real estate industry is all about networking. Socializing with potential clients opens up a world of opportunities.

Discover where the elites of your community hang out and ensure you’re there, too. 

One way to do this is to find a sport or leisure activity that attracts wealthy people and take up the interest, hobby, or activity yourself.

You can also start going to local coffee shops, restaurants, and country clubs, or attend charity events and wine tastings. Playing golf is the perfect way to spend time with potential clients.

If you start interacting with high-net-worth individuals, then they are more likely to come to you when they need help selling their property or shopping for a new home. 

Become an expert in the luxury real estate field

Your high-end clients need to trust your abilities as an estate agent. To do this you’ll need to prove you are an expert in your field. 

You never know when a wealthy prospective buyer or seller might call, so you must always keep up with opportunities in the luxury real estate market.

This means staying up to date on the following:

🏠 The number of listings.

🏠 Recent sales and those that are pending or expired.

🏠 Details about similar properties for sale in the area.

🏠 Information about the neighborhood.

🏠 Amenities.

🏠 The latest building materials, interior design options, and other home design ideas.

If you don’t know enough about the area you want to market properties in, talk to the residents. You can even set up meetings with members of the homeowner’s association to find out specific details.

Learning to deal with high-income clients

The types of clients looking to buy multi-million-dollar homes are nothing like those in regular real estate.

They have high expectations and different needs and are looking for more than just a home–they’re looking for a lifestyle.

Sell an experience

For high-income individuals, luxury is not only defined by the price but also by the level of service provided.

It’s likely that luxury clients are used to receiving special treatment and they often expect the same from their real estate agents.

Every property and client needs a different approach. Go the extra mile to make them feel like they are getting a personalized experience. 

Simple things like a bottle of wine sent with an invitation to a client entertainment event will help get people’s attention. Or, you could create a 3D virtual tour showcasing the properties you recommend for them.

Open houses for the super-wealthy should be treated as events. They present an incredible opportunity to create the ultimate luxury experience to network and attract potential buyers.

Spare no effort to match the quality of the open house event with the quality of the home. Hosting real estate events should be thoroughly planned and extravagant. 

Always be available

Luxury clients have tight schedules and agents need to demonstrate flexibility and reliability.

You may have rearranged your day to accommodate a property showing for a luxury client, only for them to cancel at the last minute. That’s the reality of dealing with luxury clients—but being flexible will help you reap big rewards.

Wealthy clients often expect a higher level of service than the average customer. Because of this, it’s important to go above and beyond. Try to answer their phone calls and emails right away, even if it’s after hours.  

Give your clients regular status updates about how their transaction is progressing—for their peace of mind.

If you take extra care of your clients and do a great job with their listing, they may recommend you to fellow high-net-worth individuals. 

Understand your clients’ needs

High-income individuals aren’t just looking for a place to live, but a location that offers them a luxury lifestyle.

Agents who get to know and understand their clients’ lifestyles are more able to help them find their dream homes.

As a luxury buyer’s agent, it is important to understand what your clients want in a home. Are they looking for good local amenities? Perhaps a beautiful location? 

What do they want the impact on their lives to be? More privacy? A better quality of life for their children? 

Consider what the local community can offer them. You need to be knowledgeable about the following:

  • Schools.
  • Country clubs.
  • Fitness clubs.
  • Golf courses.
  • Riding stables.

Another way to enter the market is to solve a problem for a luxury client. This could include:

  • Legacy planning.
  • Real estate taxes.
  • Insurance.
  • Asset appraisal.
  • Banking and lending.
  • Asset preservation.
  • Common property.
  • Prenuptial agreements.
  • Asset privacy.
  • Knowledge about easements and zoning boards that have a say in renovations and restorations. 

This adds an extra level of value to your services. If you can solve particular problems that clients have, then you gain their trust and their business, and you’ll be more likely to get recommendations and referrals. 

Pay attention to detail

Luxury property buyers are often interested in the finer details of home design. Highlight every high-end feature a property has to offer and how it contributes to their luxury lifestyle.

This could include luxury finishes, the indoor pool, or the cutting-edge audio system in the home theatre. 

Are you selling an expensive historic home? Find out its unique history and heritage. When were certain features installed? Has it had noteworthy occupants?

Learn the proper vocabulary as well: know a cornice from a corbel, and the difference between balusters and the balustrade. 

Looking to market properties on the water? If so, then you need to know everything about boat permits and docking. 

Selling mountain retreats? You’ll need to know where the best ski lodges and fly-fishing spots are. 

How to Get Your First Sale in the Luxury Real Estate Market

Your branding screams luxury, you’ve done your research, you know everything there is to know about the market you want to work in, and you know what motivates high-income clients. 

Now it’s time to get out there and start selling. Unfortunately it’s not quite as simple as calling yourself a luxury real estate agent. 

There are a few steps you’ll need to take before you can start earning those huge commissions.

  1. Have experience in real estate

This first step may seem obvious, but too many agents want to jump into the luxury market with little experience.

It’s a tough industry; you can’t break into it until you are a successful real estate agent. Start by doing the groundwork and becoming an experienced agent. Then target bigger sales and more affluent clients in the luxury niche.

  1. Join an agency with experience in luxury real estate

You’ll find that there’s a big learning curve when breaking into the luxury real estate market. 

The best way to learn anything quickly is to surround yourself with like-minded experts and mentors in that field. 

By joining a brokerage specializing in luxury properties, you’ll start gaining experience and making connections that can help you in the long term.

  1. Find a mentor

Having a mentor is a great way to learn from someone with firsthand, real-world experience that you can mimic and put into practice.

Look at what other luxury agents are doing. Some traits and practices to look out for as you study luxury real estate agents include:

  • How they present their brand.
  • How they market themselves.
  • Their websites.
  • Their business cards.
  • How they dress at events.

Remember, being a part of the luxury real estate market is about networking—a good mentor should be able to introduce you to some useful contacts.

  1. Start by co-listing

Breaking into any new market is tough. One way to get your first sale is to co-list a property with a luxury home broker already well-established in the area.

A smart tactic is to approach an experienced agent who is too busy to take on a luxury listing by themselves and ask to co-list with them. Offer to do most of the work for them in exchange for a share of the commission.

Even though you’ll split the commission, luxury homes sell at high prices, meaning you’ll still earn a fair amount.

The benefits of working with another agent are:

  • You get the opportunity to network and gain firsthand experience when it comes to selling luxury homes.
  • You can start building a portfolio of luxury properties you’ve sold.
  • You split the marketing costs with another agent (marketing luxury listings can cost much more than regular real estate).
  1. Look for opportunities with expired listings and new luxury residential projects

Once you’ve made a few sales through co-listing, you’ll be looking to attempt your first solo listing.

As a first-timer, there are some ideal opportunities to get your foot in the door.

Expired luxury listings

Luxury homes can take two to three times longer to sell than the average home because fewer people can afford them. Plus, many are custom-designed and have unique features, making it challenging to find the right buyer.

This means luxury listings often expire before being sold, allowing you to reach out to the homeowner and potentially win their business. 

But to get them to sign on with you, you’ll have to convince them that you’ll do a better job than the last agent.

Because you are approaching the seller, you’ll need to prove that you’re an industry professional and the right agent for the job. 

Offering solutions, like a new angle to market and sell their home, can earn you the listing.

New luxury residential projects 

Pushing to become the representative for a new property development project is a great way to get sales opportunities in the luxury market. 

Each new development could potentially provide you with multiple high-value deals.  

The best way of connecting with these developers is to keep track of new construction projects they are working on. 

Try to find clients who are interested in buying into their developments and approach the developer as a buyer’s agent—this will prove to them that you’re able to sell their houses. 

If a developer likes the work you’ve done to sell it, chances are they’ll keep doing business with you, and may even ask you to become their representing agent. 

It’s a mutually beneficial relationship that can grow and develop over time. 

Florida is seeing an explosion of such developments, so there is plenty of opportunity for estate agents looking to break into the luxury real estate market.

Staying Organized

Success in real estate relies on consistently being well organized. This is even more important when dealing with multi-million-dollar transactions and clients.

That’s because being an agent in the luxury property market can expose you to more risk. 

With immense capital on the line, clients are more likely to seek legal recourse for any errors, or breaches of duty that they perceive may have affected the sale or purchase of a property.

That’s why you need software that will simplify the transaction process. With Paperless Pipeline’s real estate transaction management software, you can stay organized by:

🗄️Using a single system for recording all of your transactions and documentation. 

No more risk of losing track of important information and documents. Paperless Pipeline allows you to upload documents, real estate research, contracts, notes, and other critical pieces of information so that everything needed to close the transaction exists in one place. 

🗄️Using checklists and other tools to track files closely.

By developing custom lists of specifications for each type of transaction, you benefit from the most precise and effective way to ensure your files stay up to date and organized throughout the transaction closing process. 

🗄️Having access to your transaction management system—anywhere, anytime.

One easy way to reduce a paperwork backlog and stay organized is by employing a transaction management system that allows employees to deal with paperwork at any time and from anywhere. No matter where agents are in the field, documents can be uploaded and attached to files conveniently and as they are received. 


Try Paperless Pipeline with a 100% free trial today and see how simple it is to organize your brokerage’s files—keeping your agents selling and your clients happy.