You’ve just spotted the perfect Estate Agency job – an ideal fit for your skillset and your temperament. You know it’s just the job for you!
You’ve worked hard at putting together your Estate Agent CV, and you’ve ticked all those CV boxes. But, there’s one thing missing – your Estate Agent cover letter. You know you need one, but two questions are on your mind.
- Why are Estate Agent cover letters so important?
- How do you write an Estate Agent cover letter?
Not just any estate agent cover letter but a great one – a cover letter that will give you the best chance of landing your dream estate agency job!
What is a Cover Letter? Why does it matter?
A cover letter is a document you send to a hirer alongside your CV. The point of a cover letter is that you write it with the specific job in mind. Your CV might represent an overview of your qualifications, skills and experience. However, your cover letter will be a vehicle for showcasing your abilities and expertise that relate directly to the estate agency role you’re applying for.
The result of a great cover letter – an interview … or the ‘reject’ bin?
When it comes to landing that dream estate agency job, writing an effective cover letter might be the last thing you think of. But – putting together a great letter can make all the difference between being granted an interview or ending up in the ‘rejected’ pile. A well-written, neatly-formatted covering letter will help you to stand out from the crowd. It will add that extra ‘something’ to your application – something about you as an individual – rather than just another candidate. It will also give you the chance to expand on your achievements.
Alongside your CV and the interview itself, your cover letter will form a vital part of the job application jigsaw.
Tailor your cover letter to your employer
Before you write even the first word of your estate agent cover letter, carry out your research.
Find out more about the company and about the job you want. It’s time for a spot of legitimate espionage.
Check out:
- the estate agent’s website
- its executives’ Twitter feeds
- its executives’ and employees’ LinkedIn profiles
This research will help you explore the company’s culture – their ethos. You’ll be able to customise your cover letter and use the right ‘tone of voice’ – reflecting the company’s language and style of writing.
Why not connect with the hiring manager? Either on LinkedIn or simply by email. You could begin by asking a question about the role. Then, you can open your cover letter with something like
“Thank you for replying to my question last week ….”
Don’t worry if your attempt to connect doesn’t get a response. At least you’ve shown willing and initiative.
Which parts of a Cover Letter should you tailor to the employer?
You won’t be able to gear every part of your cover towards your prospective employer. But you can certainly begin with the salutation. Never start with Dear Sir/Madam. Instead, make an effort to find out the hirer’s name and address your cover letter to them personally.
Personal connection
In the body of your cover letter, you might mention some personal connection you have with the estate agency. For example,
I was brought up in Abington Street, just round the corner from your Bletchley office, so I know the area well and was an active part of the local community.
Your specialist skills
You could also introduce one of your skills that might be especially relevant to the role you’re applying for. For example –
“I’ve always noticed how active you are on social media. With my background in this field, I’d welcome the chance to support your digital marketing activity.”
Maybe, you could introduce, if relevant, one of your interests –
“I see you enter a team in the local cricket league. As a slow left-arm spinner, I’d love the opportunity to join in.”
Reflect the details of the job description
If well-written, the job description will be detailed and should list individual functions you’ll be expected to cover. Take the opportunity to highlight how you have experience of these functions. Wherever possible, back these up with evidence of your achievements.
“Your job description explains that you’re looking for someone with the ability to work as part of a team. A year or so ago, I played a major role in supporting a project ….”
Best practice when writing an Estate Agent Cover Letter
1. List your basic personal information.
Your:
- name
- pronouns (optional)
- address
- email address
- phone number
- LinkedIn URL
2. Word your opening paragraph in a way that ‘hooks’ the reader.
Write in a relaxed, natural way – but of course avoiding slang. Don’t try to impress your reader with long words or long, convoluted sentences. Begin by identifying precisely the Estate Agency job you’re applying for (the hiring manager may be fielding enquiries for numerous different roles).
3. Highlight why you’re applying for the job.
Make it clear how keen you are to get a job with this particular company. Is there something that’s struck you in your research that appeals to you – maybe something about the company values?
4. Underline why you will be such an excellent fit
Focus on why you will be such a good fit for the estate agency role being advertised. The hirers won’t be so interested why it will be such a great opportunity for you and for your career. They need you to tell them about how your skills and temperament will be so good for their business. How will you benefit them and their profitability?
Carefully examine the job description for hints as to the kind of employees they’re looking for. What challenges do they have that they are hoping you’ll help them to resolve?
5. Support your relevant experience
Make sure you can prove with concrete examples how you’ve been able to successfully apply it in previous roles. For example, it could be that you’ve enjoyed significant experience in the lettings sector. You could write
“In a recent role, I headed up a lettings team, and within four months, we managed to increase lettings income by 23%.”
Treat this section as a way of writing mini case studies about you your skills and achievements. This is a chance for you to blow your own trumpet, but because you’re backing up your claims with solid evidence, you won’t come across as arrogant or fake.
Hiring managers will always be impressed by reliable evidence, especially when expressed with numbers. You’ll be showing how you had a measurable impact in a previous role … and that is employment gold dust!
If you have no prior work experience as an Estate Agent, that’s fine, but list your qualities and experiences in other industries that can be utilised as an Estate Agent. Check out our article on writing a CV when you have no experience.
6. End with a compelling conclusion.
Don’t close with some cliche-laden throwaway, such as
“Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.”
Or
“I look forward to hearing from you.”
Instead, think of your final paragraph as an opportunity to underline your enthusiasm for your potential employer and to sum up how you’d be a terrific fit. Here’s an example –
“I believe that my energy and my experience as a team leader will serve Move Now Estate Agents well. I have a proven track record in boosting sales and overcoming challenges. I would relish the opportunity of an interview so that I can find out more about the role and present my skills and experience in person.”
You can also use your closing paragraph to drop in a few essential details, such as the fact that, if offered the post, you’ll be happy to relocate.
Finally, sign off with either Kind regards or Yours sincerely.
7. Be confidently modest.
Does that sound like a contradiction in terms? It needn’t be. This is all about how you come across as a human being – how your tone reflects your personality. It’s important, not so much to ‘sell’ but to authentically ‘present’ yourself. Be confident but don’t go overboard. Don’t make the mistake of claiming that you simply must be the hirers ‘number one choice’. Don’t be excessively proactive, announcing that you’ll call soon to arrange a meeting.
8. Formatting your cover letter.
Your estate agent cover letter might read beautifully. It might include all the critical elements that showcase you at your best. But, if you present it as a solid block of unremitting text, then many of its plus points will be instantly negated. Your hirer might not even reach the end. Your cover letter mustn’t only sound good. It must look good too.
This means that you must format your letter so that it’s visually appealing. Use
- A simple sans-serif font, such as Calibri
- Headings
- Sub-headings
- Bold text (but use sparingly)
- Bullet lists – like this one!
- Spacing – leave a space between each paragraph
- Left-justified text
9. Proofreading and editing your estate agent cover letter.
This is a vital part of the cover letter process. Imagine how your prospective employer will feel if their first impression of you is spoilt by coming across spelling and punctuation errors. There are numerous techniques for checking that your cover letter is error-free and sounds convincing and compelling.
- Take your time. Leave your cover letter for at least 24 hours before checking it over. The longer you leave it, the more mistakes you’ll spot and the more elements of syntax and style you’ll want to amend.
- Read through it aloud or use the Microsoft Word ‘Read Aloud’ function.
- Print it out. You’re much more likely to pick up mistakes from a printed version than from your laptop screen.
- Try reading the last sentence of your cover letter first. Then, the penultimate sentence. Then the one before that, and so on. This stops your brain from anticipating what’s coming next.
- Run your cover letter through Spell-check, Grammarly, or one of the many other reviewing platforms. These are becoming increasingly sophisticated and don’t only check spelling, grammar and punctuation. They also give guidance on style and delivery.
- Ask a friend – one who you’re sure will be honest with you – to check over your cover letter. Don’t only ask them to check spelling and punctuation. Invite them to answer these two questions:
- Does this cover letter present me as the best person for the job?
- Does the prospect of employing me excite you?
Go to the top of the estate agent hirer’s mind … and stay there!
Your Estate Agent cover letter matters – much more than you might believe. Get your letter wrong, and, within minutes, your letter and the CV that accompanies it, will find themselves headed straight for the power-shredder. Get your cover letter right, and your application will, in no time, be standing loud and proud at the top of your hirer’s in-tray and in the forefront of their mind.
