I am in wealth management area so it is a little different from RE agent but therer are always challenges dealing with all kind of clients. Here are some views on how to be a good agent. OR realtor and other agents (and/or to be agents"), hope they are helpful for you.
I strongly agree with Beachlver's point - a good agent has to equipped with super knowledge/coommunication/determination/integrity/caring. To educate your clients and to set up a good expectation on your service."Weeding prospects" is an important step to run business more efficiently.
Most of agents are hungry for clients. However, if a client has wrong expectation or doesn't appreciate your effort, then it'll waste both of your and client's time to cont agent-client relationship. I have turned down people who expect "Guaranteed xx% return rate". If your friend is looking for property only "exists in dream" based on your knowledge, she either is lacking of knowledge (your education will work)or with "greedy" personality, you should put only minimum effort to help her. Don't expect getting deal with her soon. If she gets deal with other agent, it's fine. Most of time, experience ("growing pain" for her)will get her back to you. My experience is Asian clients are so smart and very time consuming at the begining. But they'll appreciate your knowledge/effort much more too. They'll be more sensitive if they find out the info is not as accurate (either intensionly or not). That's why product knowledge (and negotiation ability in RE) and integrity are so important.If you get their trust, you'll get referral and it'll be a great health client-agent relationship.
Being a good sale among Asian community is not easy. Most of first generation immigrant have bias on "sales" due to easy entry point (although it is very difficult to survive). They may only see the "commission" being charged and "forget" to appreciate the service value.As long as you know your goal, cont the hard work - provide the first class service to the RIGHT people, you'll make it. Smart people are also looking for good agents' service too. I benefit a lot from referrals by my Asisan clients. By now, I have not got any clients leaving me. I am always in top 10% tier national. My manager asks me to aim for "Barran 1000" but I know I won't be there since family is my top priority.
Have a nice weekend!
