Commission is no longer agents' top priority when it comes to choosing which developers to represent. Here, I highlight the most important factors.

Almost every real estate developer in India and UAE is working tirelessly to attract top agents to sell and promote their projects. I am sure that developers who are in the business for the long term very well understand that a network of good real estate agents once created can bring great value to their brand and it is a highly sustainable and cost-effective way to close sales.

I want to share with developers what indeed trigger agents to channel their energy towards a particular developer or one specific project.

Because the motive has changed as the real estate market is changing swiftly. Needless to say, in the past, the primary driver for agents to work was the commission. So, developers who offered the highest commission were often the developers that got the attention of most of the agents in the market.

In my opinion, today as we near the beginning of a new decade, the commission is no longer deemed by agents as the primary driver. It is the product itself, how well priced, how well located, how good the payment plan for customers is, how useful the features and specifications of the project and how good the developers’ brand and credibility is. Also, how much resources the developer invests to educate and engage agents and to sell the project to agents. Because today good agents have to be sold on your project and product before they go out to the market to sell it to their clients.

Now, after having all of above as a priority, the commission comes at number 2, and then how fast the commission is paid is number 3. So, if you are a developer and you want to create an edge over other developers when it comes to partnering top agents to work on your product, the first thing you have to do is to invest in training the agent.

The agent has to be well-versed with your project and its competition, and the agent also has to be knowing what is available in the market, for the agent to address questions and for the agent to make a fair comparison that showcases the real advantages of your project to buyers. Believe me, if you sell to the agent first, if any agent is convinced about your project that is the best value proposition you can ever have to attract more agents to work aggressively and to sell your properties to more buyers.