How to crack that Senior Level Real Estate Job Interview!

Now that is ROFL material! Cartoon - Canary Pete 

So you've done the rounds in search for the right real estate job placement consultant. Or, you have spent your entire month's high bandwidth internet quota uploading various resumes to numerous job portals and your inbox now has more emails than your spam folder and your recycle bin put together. No worries. All of that is an essential and character building experience as you progress in your career.

Then one lazy morning, you get that call from someone who needs a senior level manager for a Real Estate firm. You are dead sure that you are kitted out for the job. You don your lucky 'aliens eating humans cartoon' underwear, wear your best neck tie and are off to chase your new opportunity. Awesome! The post actually begins from here on;

Cracking that real estate job interview

Things you are probably thinking

#1. You have done this and that and then this again for the last 10 years in the real estate industry. You can drop some big names that you have worked with and have some cool achievements to show off as well.

#2. How many people would have helped sell such a famous real estate project? How many people would have helped build that huge mall? You think those are the things you need to talk about in that upcoming interview.

#3. What are you going to tell them when they ask you why you need a change of job? You think you can honestly tell them you need growth and more learning. Just be blatant and honest. That always works.

#4. You can handle the notice period thingy with ease. Everyone knows how such things work.

#5. What should be your desired package? Maybe a 20% hike from present levels works fine for a start.

Trouble is, your future real estate employer is not thinking about any of those things. So lets get this straightened out right away. With those thoughts, you will have a crisp and seemingly nice interview and they will tell you that they shall get back to you soon. That soon, however, will never come. Thanks.

Instead, think about these things as you gear up for the interview

#1. What does this real estate firm do? What are their past projects? Why are they hiring?

#2. With that background, try and figure out why they need a new recruit anyway? What would be the firm's expectations from you? Do they need a quick cash flow turn around by way of sales? Do they need retailers to set shop in their property? Do they have a construction challenge? Do they need you to help them raise some equity or debt?

#3. And then, how does your past experience add value to the current situation that this real estate firm faces.

Thinking along those lines will take you to a level of understanding from where you can face those questions in a much simpler and sorted out manner. It will make you look confident and that is the key to success.

3 Real Estate Job Interview Dos

#1. Be bold. Don't look like a liftman or a security guard for God's sake. Nobody hires a 'yes man' at that position. NOBODY! Keep a warm smile when needed. Maintain eye contact. Show genuine respect for those at the end of the table and you will get genuine respect from them in return. Be truthful.

#2. Keep your ears, mind and arms open. Listen to the whole question or the entire situation before you speak or start butting into the conversation with your know how. Remember that the person hiring you knows more about realities than you ever will. Accept it. He runs that business you are dying to work for. You get the salary. Also, never sit with your arms crossed or closed. It is authoritative and negative body language.

#3. Ask Questions. When you do not understand something, just ask for a clarification. It won't make you look like a fool. And if it does, you don't deserve that job anyway. No hard feelings.

3 Real Estate Job Interview Don'ts

#1. Don't ever fall for that famous booby trap. Most smart real estate entrepreneurs, including the one interviewing you will gently push a booby trap idea your way. Like "You know, I think this is a solution to our problem at hand, don't you agree?', the interviewer might just ask you. Say yes and it's curtains for your job right then!

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#2. Don't push for silly documentation right there. Real Estate folks, especially the reputed ones really value spoken words. When they say you have that job, it mostly means that you do have it. The paperwork will follow. Gently ask the HR dude as you leave to keep you posted. Or just wait up a while and friendly him. If you push for an offer letter or an appointment letter at the end of your final interview, read the last sentence of #1.

#3. Don't ever go out of context. The best senior level real estate job interviews are those where you speak exactly what is asked of you. Not lesser because showing off your know how and your intelligence is important. Not more because showing off intelligence is the stupidest thing to do in life. So there is that catch.

Above all, be yourself and not what you think you are going to be 5 years from now. That question is a darn myth started by some MBA College dropouts we tell you. And in case you really get asked about 5 year projection, pretend to have a small cardiac arrest and leave. Such a real estate firm is not worth working for!

Cheers!