Guides and Tips

Interview Advice

People can be unsuccessful on interviews for many reasons, and often their ability to do the job is irrelevant to the outcome. Research shows that interviewers decide on whether they want to employ a candidate within 20 – 50 seconds of meeting them. This page is a step-by-step guide on how to make your interviews successful.

Prior to the interview

Once you have been offered an interview, you need to know the following about the company you are going to see:

How long have they been established?
How many offices do they have and where are they?
What is their reputation as an employer?
Who owns the organisation?
What are their core values?
What suburbs they operate in

On the day of your interview

Personal

Give yourself plenty of time to get ready as first impressions count. Make sure you have all the things you need i.e a copy of your real estate license, resume etc.

Presentation

Always dress for the area you are working in; some areas may dress formally and some less so. A big tip is to jump on there website and get a feel for the organisation, in particular look at the team profile pictures. On the day of your interview make sure you pay attention to personal hygiene, ideally you should not smoke or drink alcohol prior to the interview.

Timing

Plan a reliable way of getting to the interview; one which allows you to be there early, note rush hour times and plan accordingly. It is much better to be 30 minutes early than a minute late! However, if you do arrive at the office early, do not walk in until about 10 minutes prior to your interview.

The interview

Always be polite to any staff you meet from the minute you walk in. This could include the receptionist or even the cleaner. These people may be more important than you realise, and they may talk with the principal
When you meet the interviewer look them in the eye, smile, and shake their hands. Greet them with a ‘Good Morning/Afternoon’, and if possible use their name and smile.
Be truthful and be yourself
Always appear to be interested in what the interviewer is saying
Try not to run the interview by over talking. Never interrupt or talk over the interviewer. It shows you are not a good listener and within real estate listening is key
Answer all questions fluently and stay clear and precise to what they are asking
Don’t constantly complain and be negative, and do not over criticise previous employers.
Try to show that you have done some research. Oyster People recommends that you have some print outs on the company’s values and highlight areas of their core values that is reflective of you.
Do not over talk about yourself.

Close

If there is time, ask the interviewer if there is anything else that they would like to know about you
Ask the interviewer what the next stage is.
Thank the interviewer and smile when you leave. Make sure you say by to the receptionist