In this edition of Industry Eye, Maria Gastelum, Property Consultant at Engel & Völkers 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.
Maria’s first steps in real estate
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’m passionate about female leadership, lifelong learning, environmentalism, feminism, reading and healthy cooking.
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’t 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.
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’s when I found Bayut Academy and my current company, Engel & Vöelkers, who I’ve been with for almost 2 years now.
Why learn?
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been working in this field. There’s 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’s dynamic market. As agents, we need to keep up with the challenges we face on a daily basis.
It is great to learn from experiences, but it’s 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 – always!
Experiences with Bayut Academy
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) – I just loved it! I’ve been lucky enough to attend all the topics.
But if you ask me about my favourite sessions? That’s 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.
I think that success isn’t 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’s workshops. I also get the opportunity to brush up on my knowledge of UAE’s real estate laws.
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.
I’ve also learnt to use creativity to get listings. I enjoy prospecting and finding my sellers on a face-to-face basis.
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The benefits of learning in the long run
Dubai’s real estate market is super competitive and dynamic. By staying informed about market trends, legal changes, upcoming projects or government investments in the country – 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.
With continuous learning, I can understand my client’s 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.
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’t 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’s amazing.
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’t think continuous learning is a ‘one size fits all’ answer to getting ahead in your career – 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’s degrees that can help. It really pays off!
Next Steps
I plan on refreshing my programming and data management skills. Perhaps I will go back to basics on PowerBI – not only Excel spreadsheets – and brush up on finance and economics.
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.
And whenever there is a big training (two days, one week, one month), I plan for it if I don’t 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.
Sometimes it is not easy – that’s true. A day only has 24 hours, sadly – and even when you increase your productivity, you can get exhausted. It’s 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 – you can do wonders with it as well.
I’ve 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.
About Maria
Maria Gastelum is a Property Consultant at Engel & Völkers 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.
About Engel & Völkers
Engel & Völkers 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 & Völkers Dubai has a team of over 200 expert agents, who offer professionalism and dedication to their clientele.