{"id":94659,"date":"2024-07-04T06:24:07","date_gmt":"2024-07-04T06:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bayut.com\/agentportal\/?p=94659"},"modified":"2024-07-04T06:40:19","modified_gmt":"2024-07-04T06:40:19","slug":"continuous-learning-in-real-estate-my-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bayut.com\/agentportal\/continuous-learning-in-real-estate-my-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Industry Eye with Maria Gastelum: How Continuous Learning Drives Success in Real Estate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this edition of Industry Eye, Maria Gastelum, Property Consultant at Engel & V\u00f6lkers Dubai shares her positive experiences of continuous learning and attending our workshops at Bayut Academy. She discusses the multitude of benefits that come from a learning-based professional evolution and her take on the essential skills you need as a realtor.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria’s first steps in real estate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I am a businesswoman, mother of three, wife and friend. I hold a degree in biochemical engineering, an MD in education and a leading innovation and change diploma, among many others. I\u2019m passionate about female leadership, lifelong learning, environmentalism, feminism, reading and healthy cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With more than 20 years of experience in sales, trade marketing, customer service and category management, mostly in the FMCG industry, I decided to join the real estate industry in Dubai. Why? My experiences with agents in the past weren\u2019t great. It was obvious to me that this field needed professionals offering better customer experiences and aiming to be in the market for the long run. So, I decided to prepare myself even before joining the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once in, I reevaluated not just how, but what and from whom I was learning. With my research, I aimed for the big players in the industry and the most professional companies in Dubai. That\u2019s when I found Bayut Academy and my current company, Engel & V\u00f6elkers, who I\u2019ve been with for almost 2 years now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why learn?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It doesn\u2019t matter how long you\u2019ve been working in this field. There\u2019s always a better way of doing things and we must be open to keep learning to improve ourselves, along with the experiences we offer our clientele. Learning is not a one-time event. A truism that holds even more credence in Dubai\u2019s dynamic market. As agents, we need to keep up with the challenges we face on a daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is great to learn from experiences, but it\u2019s better to be prepared ahead of time to be ready for all kinds of scenarios. This is why I believe that by investing in your education, you build trust with clients and provide better service \u2013 always!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experiences with Bayut Academy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It was a blessing to have discovered Bayut Academy. Finding professional trainers who are very well prepared not only with market knowledge, but also in didactic learning, made my life easier and my learning curve exponentially grew in no time. Small, concise sessions, combining theory and practice, with lots to read afterwards (if you wish to know more about the topic, of course) \u2013 I just loved it! I\u2019ve been lucky enough to attend all the topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you ask me about my favourite sessions? That\u2019s an unfair question, but, I would say the ones I enjoyed the most off the top of my head would be off-plan sales, talk like an investor, emotional intelligence, how to get listings, and social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think that success isn\u2019t just about learning new skills but also polishing and practicing the ones you already have. I like that I can practice my skills at Bayut Academy\u2019s workshops. I also get the opportunity to brush up on my knowledge of UAE\u2019s real estate laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through these trainings, I have learnt to nurture my leads, be patient and empathetic while dealing with my clients. Not everyone is ready to buy or sell right away, so it is way better to educate my buyers (and sellers). I believe it is way more effective than just pushing for a deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"bayut
Bayut Academy’s role-plays has helped attendees master skills effectively<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve also learnt to use creativity to get listings. I enjoy prospecting and finding my sellers on a face-to-face basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The benefits of learning in the long run<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dubai\u2019s real estate market is super competitive and dynamic. By staying informed about market trends, legal changes, upcoming projects or government investments in the country \u2013 and topping it off with selling skills, you position yourself ahead of others in the field. In practical terms, you provide better service, offer better advice and close more deals in less time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With continuous learning, I can understand my client\u2019s needs and therefore, offer the best available solutions. Many of my new leads come from my clients recommending my services. In addition, I try to keep in touch with my clients periodically by sending them market updates on their properties when relevant. That is, resources like national or international reports on the property market through which I can really make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have made great connections with like-minded people by attending sessions at Bayut Academy; in fact, we have stayed in touch since. My network isn\u2019t just to collaborate (agent-to-agent deals), but to learn from each other. We share experiences and tips and we have productive conversations. We support ourselves and that\u2019s amazing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, my clients are not a one-time transaction. They are the base of my business and an important part of my network. I don\u2019t think continuous learning is a \u2018one size fits all\u2019 answer to getting ahead in your career \u2013 it depends on individual needs. You can start by listening to relevant podcasts, attending workshops at Bayut Academy, of course, following the big guys in the field (internationally), looking for a mentor and referring audiobooks or real books. But whenever you are ready, set aside a learning budget from the commissions you are receiving. There are international seminars, diplomas and master\u2019s degrees that can help. It really pays off!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I plan on refreshing my programming and data management skills. Perhaps I will go back to basics on PowerBI \u2013 not only Excel spreadsheets \u2013 and brush up on finance and economics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time management is so crucial in this business and although I work hard to focus on the important stuff, urgent tasks and unavoidable time-consuming activities continue to pop up. There is little time available when you are fully immersed in sales. But even during those periods, I take the most of my Audible subscription! Audiobooks and podcasts are amazing when you drive more than 200 km per day and spend several days on viewings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And whenever there is a big training (two days, one week, one month), I plan for it if I don\u2019t want to miss it. I try to attend events and meet my clients in closer areas so I can reduce commuting times. Using Zoom, Google Meets, and Microsoft are time-saving wonders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes it is not easy \u2013 that\u2019s true. A day only has 24 hours, sadly \u2013 and even when you increase your productivity, you can get exhausted. It\u2019s important to set your limits. You are not a 24-hour business machine and your clients can understand this (even the international ones with big time gaps versus Dubai). Respect your personal time \u2013 you can do wonders with it as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve always been passionate about knowledge and making the most of it. It makes my job more interesting and not boring at all. Learning gives me the fuel to keep going! And I enjoy sharing my knowledge with my friends and colleagues as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Maria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Maria<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Maria Gastelum is a Property Consultant at Engel & V\u00f6lkers Dubai. She is committed to her clientele, offering top-notch service while walking them through their real estate journey. Her extensive understanding of the real estate market provides her with the tools to help her clients make informed real estate decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Engel & V\u00f6lkers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Engel & V\u00f6lkers<\/a> has over 45 years of experience in international real estate, which has paved the way to their excellence in Dubai’s real estate market. Their services include helping buyers, sellers or renters navigate the Engel & V\u00f6lkers Dubai has a team of over 200 expert agents, who offer professionalism and dedication to their clientele. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maria Gastelum from Engel & V\u00f6lkers shares her the multitude of benefits of continuous learning and attending our workshops at Bayut Academy. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":94704,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[383],"tags":[],"category_group":[],"yst_prominent_words":[79,67],"yoast_head":"\nMaria Gastelum: Industry Eye | Agent Portal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Maria Gastelum from Engel and Volkers Dubai shares her insights on learning and attending Bayut academy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"googlebot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"bingbot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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