No matter if you are training to become a real estate professional - a builder, contractor, property investor, interior designer or real estate agent - you cannot get the benefit of experience at college or through books. In order to get a better understanding of the, learn the tricks of the trade and build a base of contacts, you will have to learn from experienced professionals in the field. But since some of these market areas are highly competitive, you will not find such people handing out the best of their knowledge freely.

 

Learn to listen; Listen to learn

If you are just starting out in your chosen real estate career, the best thing you can do is join the local association of that profession. Most large cities have both official and informal clubs and associations that meet regularly to exchange information. It should not be too difficult to find a group of professional interior decorators/designers; property agents and builders usually have an official forum that will be listed in the Yellow Pages.

Once you secure membership, make it a point to attend every gathering, even if it is only a dinner meeting. Information flows most freely when people meet in an informal setting, and many useful hints can also be picked up from speeches by noted professionals. Always keep you ears and mind open for new input from such sources.

 

Announce your presence and profession

Real estate is a people industry, and you cannot expect people to guess your professional interests unless you let them know about them. One of the priorities in your real estate training is to get attractive - even expensive - visiting cards and letterheads printed. Make it a habit to hand out you card at every opportunity, even if the occasion does not seem appropriate. You never know where, when and how a useful contact will develop, or a valuable tip comes your way. In the same way, use your professional letterheads for every written communication. The money you spend on these is an important and worthwhile investment in your career in real estate. You should also invest in having a prominent listing in the local telephone directory and the appropriate section of the Yellow Pages.

 

Read every publication on the subject

Today's publishing world offers innumerable, regularly appearing magazines and journals on subjects

 

 

such as real estate buying and selling, investment, interior design, construction, etc. Identify the best of these available dealing with your particular line of professional interest and get regular subscriptions to them. Don't neglect to read every issue. In this way, you will keep yourself current on the latest developments, techniques and trends - this will prove to be invaluable on the market, be an asset in your training for a career in real estate and increase your fund of knowledge.

There are also various books available on such subjects. You may benefit from reading some of them - but keep in mind that some of the information in even the best of

real estate books published are specific to certain areas and may not very relevant to your own context. You may wind up with a lot of misleading information, and this may result in serious blunders if acted upon. As far as possible, stick to reading books by Indian real estate professionals. This rule applies to magazines and journals, as well.

 

Attend workshops and seminars

True, you will have to pay your way for some of these, but true knowledge and information does not always come cheap or free. The reason why such events sometimes charge a cover fee is that they are selling actual knowledge and information not available elsewhere. At some point in your career, you may even find yourself in a situation where you have to consult a more experienced practitioner of your trade for his advice. Do not hesitate to do so, and do not try to find a way around the expense.

One source of useful current knowledge that does come for free is the real estate exhibition. In many of these, a lot more than mere buying and selling of property takes place. Some of them have knowledgeable guest speakers that are worth listening to, and even one-day workshops that do not charge an attendance fee. If you are serious about your career, you will not miss such events.