Real Estate Resume Templates & 10 Resume Writing Tips
This article is part of a larger series on How to Become a Real Estate Agent.
A real estate resume is necessary for agents and brokers to showcase their skills and expertise to prospective clients and hiring brokerages. It should be in a skimmable format, include a brief summary of your experience, have proper phrasing, and emphasize your sales and marketing experience—putting your skills at the forefront. We’ve gathered real estate resume templates that you can use to build your own, along with proven writing tips that will make your resume stand out from the competition.
Minimalist Resume Template
Source: Fit Small Business
Cost: Free
The resume template offered by our experts at Fit Small Business is designed with simplicity, clarity, and organization in mind. It is divided into five sections: contact information, summary, education, technical skills, and experience. Notably, your name is prominently displayed in a larger header, effectively highlighting it and making it more memorable to those reviewing your resume.
Minimal resume sample (Source: Fit Small Business)
Geometric-style Template
Source: Fit Small Business
Cost: Free
This resume template from Fit Small Business uses a darker margin to separate particular sections from the rest. This focuses on your professional and personal skills, contact details, and awards. It also provides a designated area for a professional picture. Having a photo on your resume can enhance your chances of being remembered by reviewers as it adds a personal touch to your application. The overall geometric design also adds visual structure to your resume.
Resume sample with a darker margin and professional picture
(Source: Fit Small Business)
Simple Real Estate Resume Template
Source: Canva
Cost: Free or $12.99 per month
This template is very well organized and shows the power of simplicity. It includes six different sections and is easily scannable for potential brokerages or clients. The organized sections even leave room for an agent headshot, and the use of a single color helps this resume stand out from others. Since this realtor resume template is from Canva, you can easily change the purple color to any color of your choice for free.
Simple real estate resume sample (Source: Canva)
Credentials-enriched Resume
Source: Novoresume
Cost: Free (one-page resume with predefined layouts) or $19.99 per month (up to 10 pages per resume/CV and custom layouts)
This realtor resume example uses a thick, dark-colored margin on the left side, covering some of the most important information, memberships, certificates, and skills. It also uses the same dark color to highlight the realtor’s contact information, including her social media pages. It shows how impactful a summary can be, with specific details like “5+ years of experience,” “closed 30+ successful transactions,” and “certified property manager.”
Set apart the most important details in your resume
(Source: Novoresume)
Color-blocked Resume
Source: Template.net
Cost: Free
This example uses a left-hand margin to distinguish the agent’s logo, contact details, and social media pages. It also has a “Profile” section summarizing her expertise. Instead of listing her skills and attributes, she shares “personal facts” about her family, hobbies, and interests. This adds personality and sets her apart from other resumes. Small design elements like graphics on titles enhance the resume’s professionalism.
Example of a color-blocked resume
(Source: Template.net)
Classic Black & White Resume Template
Source: Creative Market
Cost: $9 per download
If bright colors don’t fit your brand, you can stand out just as much with just black and white. This template uses a bold black line and logo. It’s professional and organized, with clear sections for summary, work experience, education, and contact details. The “software” section is great for applying to tech-focused or virtual real estate companies.
Example of a black and white real estate resume template (Source: Creative Market)
Read our guide on choosing a real estate company to help you select the right brokerage. Learn about different types of brokerages and commission plans, and ask the right questions during your interview.
Infographic Real Estate Agent Resume
Source: 99designs
Cost: Varies
Being a real estate agent means you are also a salesperson, which is why numbers and data play a crucial role. This resume stands out from typical resumes with its infographic design. Highlighting awards and sales statistics instead of work history may attract potential clients.
Real estate resume sample that highlights awards and selling statistics (Source: 99designs)
Consider using 99designs for a custom resume design. The platform lets you specify what you want, prompting multiple designers to submit their conceptual ideas. Then, choose the perfect design for your needs.
10 Resume Writing Tips for Agents + Examples
Now that you’ve looked at different ways to format your resume, it’s time to put your resume together. Here are some tips and examples to help you make a great resume that will set you apart from the competition.
1. Choose a Scannable Resume Layout
Most people naturally scan a resume before actually reading the details, so starting with a clean, organized layout is key. Think of your resume like any other marketing material: The goal is to answer, “Why should I hire this agent?” Whether you’re showing your resume to a potential broker or client, they should be able to understand how they will benefit from working with you almost immediately.
Make sure your resume is scannable by making use of the following elements and styles:
- Bullet points
- Spaces between lines or sections
- Use bold, italics, and underlines to highlight sections or headings
- Large font for titles and headings
- Graphic elements to separate sections
- Bold colors to draw attention to items you’d like to showcase
Use bullet points to make it more scannable
(Source: Canva)
By using a graphic design tool like Canva, you can take advantage of this strategy without having to create two or three different real estate agent resumes from scratch. Canva provides access to hundreds of templates free for use. You can start by choosing one design, and then simply edit the information.
2. Prominently Display Contact Information
As a real estate professional, your contact information should stand out on your resume layout because your contact information helps you build a pipeline of clients for your business. Those reading your resume may be looking at multiple candidates, and it can be easy for them to confuse your unique qualities with someone else if your name isn’t prominent on the page.
This resume example includes the contact information at the top of the resume. It draws attention to it with a clear heading and an orange box. It also displays the agent’s headshot to bring a personal feel and accentuate the agent’s brand.
Good example of a real estate resume with apparent contact information
(Source: Adobe Stock)
3. Start With a Real Estate Resume Summary
It’s common to include an objective on your real estate professional resume, but consider using a summary instead. Whether a broker or potential client reads your resume, its goal is probably apparent and doesn’t add value. Every word and section should be intentional on a one-page resume and express why the reader should work with you.
A great summary should only be a few sentences long and provide context about your background and what’s unique and valuable about you. You can call it a “career summary” or “real estate profile” or leave it without a label. In this example, the agent highlights her customer service and sales experience.
Good resume summary (Source: LiveCareer)
4. Include Employment History Emphasizing Sales & Marketing Experience
To become a practicing real estate agent, you need to find a real estate brokerage to work with. As a newly licensed agent, it can be challenging to communicate how your past employment outside the real estate industry will help you in a new career. On the other hand, agents who have been working in real estate for several years won’t find it difficult to specify their strengths and weaknesses in the real estate industry.
Regardless of your previous work experience, it’s important to focus on the right things and use the proper wording on your resume. Simply naming your real estate company isn’t enough to persuade readers to work with you, whether they are brokers or potential buyers and sellers. Make sure to highlight the most relevant elements of your past employment, like sales, marketing, technology, and communicating with clients.
Here are a few tips and examples for making your experiences stand out:
Be specific about your accomplishments using hard numbers and data. By including specific numbers, the reader can easily understand the scope of your achievements.
Bad Examples | New Agent With No Real Estate Experience | Experienced Real Estate Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Increased sales of widgets by 15%. | Sold 70+ homes for 15% over ask in 2021. |
Instead of using typical resume jargon like “responsible for” or “tasked with,” choose action verbs focusing on your contributions. This highlights your personal accomplishments and shows your ability to take initiative and work independently.
Bad Examples | New Agent With No Real Estate Experience | Experienced Real Estate Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluated organic website traffic using Semrush and addressed potential problems. | Generated three (3) qualified seller leads per week through organic website optimization. |
Pro tip: If you’re at a loss for different action words you can use, consider using Bloom’s Taxonomy to classify your learning objectives. This can help resume writers effectively showcase the tasks they’ve completed in past or present positions.
Using action verbs is one way to show that you are a go-getter and don’t wait to be told what to do. In addition, highlight any specific instances where you take the initiative, like a company project or working with freelance clients.
Bad Examples | New Agent With No Real Estate Experience | Experienced Real Estate Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Analyzed data to propose and create new social media channels and content. | Built social media accounts and increased the rate of Instagram leads by 35%. |
Real estate is an increasingly tech-driven industry. Applicants with skills in social media, digital photography, video editing, and web design have a leg up over applicants who don’t.
Bad Examples | New Agent With No Real Estate Experience | Experienced Real Estate Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Photographed and formatted photos for online advertisements to increase traffic and click-through rate by 15%. | Shot and edited listing photos that decreased the average listing time on the market by three days. |
Don’t forget to include any achievements on your real estate agent resume, like salesperson of the month or most improved. If you don’t have any specific awards to share, include personal milestones and achievements instead.
Bad Examples | New Agent With No Real Estate Experience | Experienced Real Estate Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Named Employee of the Month in 2021, 2022, and 2023. | 2023 Keller Williams Top Producer |
5. Add Education
In this section, indicate where you received any college or professional degrees. Include any leadership positions you held while in school and extracurricular activities. Even if your education is not sales or real estate-related, showcasing your education is important in displaying your background to a potential broker or client.
Education section of resume
(Source: beamjobs.com)
6. List Credentials, Certifications & Designations
There are tons of real estate designations and certifications you can get, like the National Association of Realtors E-PRO, Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), or Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) certifications. They should have a prominent spot on your resume, like a bullet point section or title next to your name. Your credentials prove that you’ve made an effort to gain experience and education to improve your skills constantly, and they go a long way to prove your authority.
Real estate resume with certifications and credentials
(Source: Easy Resume)
Don’t forget about continuing education or professional development classes. Include relevant classes or certifications in digital marketing, public speaking, finance, or other topics. These show that you take the initiative and always strive to improve your skills. You should also include memberships like the local community board, Mayor’s council, Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), or Rotary Club.
7. Highlight Applicable Skills
Real estate is an industry that isn’t dependent on higher education, and anyone with the right work ethic and strategy can gain massive success. This is why it’s crucial to have a “skills” section where you can bring attention to the specific qualities you bring to a new role.
Differentiate between your traits and skills
(Source: Usana)
As you make your list, make sure to differentiate between your skills and attributes (traits). While attributes are critical to your real estate career, they describe natural and personal qualities like empathy, creativity, positivity, and self-motivation. Skills are more tangible qualities learned through work, education, or personal experience. Although some sound similar to attributes, skills are backed up by specific experiences and examples. Some important skills for real estate resumes are communication, negotiation, time management, and technical expertise.
8. Use Proper Grammar & Proofread Your Resume
Even with a beautiful and organized resume, multiple grammar mistakes or typos can make you look unprofessional. One proofreading trick to catch errors is to read the resume backward. This can help you catch mistakes that are easy to miss when you look over them the first time.
Use spell check or Grammarly on your resume, but don’t depend on these tools for perfection. Sometimes, even correctly spelled words aren’t in the right place, like writing “broken” instead of “broker.” Online tools won’t catch these mistakes, so it’s worth taking extra time to proofread and read over your resume.
Hire professional proofreaders through Fiverr (Source: Fiverr)
A great option to ensure your resume is mistake-free is to hire a professional proofreader or resume reviewer to look it over. With Fiverr, you can access thousands of freelancers and specialists with various skills in any industry and view their profiles, previous work, and reviews to choose the right one. There are hundreds of specialists available at affordable prices to proofread, edit, or format your resume. Search for a resume specialist right now.
9. Optimize Your Real Estate Resume
Since brokers, clients, and partners will generally value different things, consider creating multiple versions of your resume to have on hand for every need. For example, potential listing clients will be more interested in your ability to sell properties for the best value, while brokers may want to know about your work ethic and certifications.
Here are a few ideas to optimize your resume for different needs:
- Brokerage interviews: Interviewing for a sponsoring brokerage is one of the top reasons to have a great resume. In addition to details about your sales records, include your marketing skills and software experience. If you don’t have real estate experience, tailor your resume to highlight skills and experience that will make you an excellent real estate agent.
- Potential buyers: Focus on your ability to evaluate potential properties, find homes that fit different buyers’ needs, and negotiation skills.
- Listing presentations for potential sellers: Highlight your listing marketing strategy and properties you sold over the asking price or in record time. Mention your tools, resources, and network that help you sell houses for the maximum value.
- Referrals: Emphasize your past successes with clients to show that you are trustworthy, plus highlight any communication skills or systems you put in place to make the process as easy as possible.
10. Use Tools to Help Create Your Resume
Creating a professional-looking resume can be a daunting task. Luckily, there are many tools available to help you craft the perfect resume. The table below shows various tools and their key features to help you create a standout resume.
Tool |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
Best For | Customizable premade resume templates | Hiring pre-vetted designers | Hiring freelancers for quick and inexpensive projects |
Key Features |
|
|
|
Starting Price | Provides a free plan | Varies by project and designer, but a contest starts at $299 | $5 for quick tasks |
Learn More |
Try VistaPrint to customize your print materials (Source: VistaPrint)
To create a lasting impression, consider delivering your resume in a customized presentation folder. VistaPrint makes creating a customized folder with your logo, brand colors, and contact information extremely easy. It’s also the best source of customized print materials for direct mail, real estate signs, tissue boxes, clothing, and unique client gifts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
For an effective resume, you should include a summary or a real estate profile that shows what is unique and valuable about you. Also include your educational background, work experience, certificates, skills, awards, and selling statistics. Furthermore, make sure to include your contact details so that it will be easy for reviewers to find them easily.
If you have no experience, write your resume highlighting your educational background and leadership positions or extracurricular activities you had while in school. Make sure to add your skills and attributes. Real estate is a tech-driven industry, so include your skills in social media, digital photography, video editing, and web design if you have any. You can also include personal facts to help reviewers learn more about you. These can help you stand out from other applicants as well.
The realtor job description for a resume typically includes responsibilities such as helping clients buy and sell properties, conducting market research, negotiating contracts, and providing guidance and advice throughout the entire real estate transaction process. They must know the local market and have excellent communication and customer service skills. They must also be organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously. Lastly, a strong work ethic and a commitment to ongoing education and professional development are also important qualities for a real estate agent.
Bottom Line
Whether you’re a brand-new real estate agent or have years of experience, you need to take your resume seriously. Start creating or improving yours by writing a concise summary, focusing on your sales, marketing, and technology skills, and using a professional template or design to “wow” your audience.
