On behalf of introverts everywhere, I have to say I have no problem getting along with almost anyone, however, do not confuse being introverted with being shy.

Personally, I think introverts can often make BETTER agents because we tend to be great listeners and take a true interest in our clients, as well as tending to be well organized.  Not that extroverts cannot have those traits, of course!!  We just do things a little diferently.

Introverts need to recharge alone while extroverts recharge with others around them.   Too many people think they are introverts when in fact they are shy or have social phobias.  I am 90% introvert but can also be the life of the party.   Some introverts are also shy and do not want to be around people at all - THAT is not always a good combination.  Also, there are many introverted prospective clients in the world and extroverts can exhaust them.  ;-)

Yes.  Quiet, reserved folks like me do very well in real estate.

My team and I have sold $20Million - $27Million per year. 

In my case, I have a persona that I switch on when I am with clients.  I also have a persona I use when I am in public, and someone asks me, "How's the real estate market?"

I am happy when I am alone, working ON my business, building better systems and processes so my team knows what to do when things happen.

I am happiest when I work at home and the house is empty.  I fire up my guitar amp and practice my blues guitar skills on one of my guitars when I need a break from working ON my business.

Yes, you do not have to be a people person to be successful in real estate. However, success is much easier with a sparkling personality.

There is an agent in my area that absolutely crushes it when it comes to sales numbers.  That said, he's terrible with people and his clients are often unhappy with him by the end of it.  He just keeps buying leads and pushing them through.  I guess that could be defined as success?  

The one word answer for this Debbie Reynolds is - YES!

Great question! I definitely think you need to be a "people person" to be successful. You don't have to be an extrovert necessarily, though. You just have to understand people and what they are looking for. Pair that with a great personality and I think a person can be extremely successful.

I am definitely not a people person, Debbie, and I think I've been pretty successful.

Personality, alone, does not sell real estate. I do not have an outgoing personality but I have sold over a hundred resales a year in my most productive years.

I would not consider myself a people person, although in this job I have been growing in that way.  I will say that when I click with people they are very loyal and we do develop good relationships.  

Debbie - This is a very interesting question. It made me stop and think "What IS a people person?"

• Is it someone who is the life of the party, knows everyone in town, and is outgoing and gregarious? 
• Or is it someone who genuinely cares about other people, even though they may be more quiet and reserved? 

I think both can be successful, but I prefer to deal with choice #2.

As an introvert, there are parts of the job that drain me of energy such as showing property with clients in my car. That said however, many other qualities make me good at what I do. Detailed, listending, research, dependable, etc. I might just attract a different type of client who I will not meet at parties or on the golf course but who appreciate me for who I am. About showing property, I now tend to have clients follow me, gives me a chance to re-charge between showings.

Great post question and answer string.  I always tell new agents in my office that it's very important to know yourself, and to be able to work around your "faults" or "limitations" in order to turn them into what works for your own success.  I've done it my whole life.  :)

Can you be a successful real estate sales person without being a people person?

If one's concept of the function of a real estate sales person is one who guides folks through houses, shows homes to prospective buyers, counsel's them through their seasons of uncertainty, assures buyers and sellers they can be confident in the data before them, deflect intruders whose intent is to subvert the clients goals...then being a PEOPLE PERSON will be very important.

However, there exists many, many, many, many more business models in real estate that does not require a degree in compassionate hand holding.  As we all observed in the preceding collapse,,,,you can be hugely successful and NEVER meet a buyer or seller. That is only one model. There are many more.

If you are working the first time home buyer market, (in the pure definition of the term) being a people person will prove essential.

I believe that you can be. Obviously it depends on how you define a "people person." Lots of people believe you need to be very gregarious and outgoing to be a "people" person and successful in sales. I'm not very gregarious and outgoing and, in fact, very reserved. But I know how to talk with people and I know how to get my message across and have never had issues in selling successfully.

Yes, you can, I met many of such sales people. We don't sell merchandise or cars, but houses. I think many clients like to have strictly business relationship with their realtors.

I think you have to at least be able to turn it on to get through the transaction.  If the buyer hates you because you're standoffish you will get nowhere. 

Yes, you can be!  However it really helps to have a great personality.  A

I think this depends on what personality you are working with.  If you are the type that can adapt to any personality then great.  Perhaps you have a team and you can delegate certain agents to certain buyers or sellers. I do think you must know the personality type of your buyer or seller. This has been the most helpful to me dealing with a buyer or seller.  Study the disc test, this is the number one thing for dealing with any personality including your own.

I'm not that outgoing but I do well, as Marte Cliff said, I genuinely care about other people, even though I may be more quiet and reserved. I also think that if you're not the outgoing, sparkling personality you can make up for it by working harder. That I do.

Do you need to be one? No. Do you need to act like one? Yes! I am introverted, but I am not shy so I can approach people and network with the best of 'em. I just need "quiet time" afterwards to unwind.

Well said, Susan, #10 and Marte #33!!! . . . and ALL of you, actually, said great comments!

 I don't like to "label" people introvert/extrovert but unfortunately we live in a world that does do that. It kinda gives the labeled person who is labeled introvert a "second class" label which is far from the truth!!  My dear husband is quite the opposite from me. He prefers one on one interaction and is reserved -- I'm energized by being in crowds and talking with all kinds of personalities -- one is no better than the other. 

I think one CAN be very successful as a Realtor/Broker who is reserved and quiet (ie an "introvert")

I think it would be difficult to be successful if you don't like dealing with people.  I have seen Realtors in my area that I question their success because their personalities do not come across as being a people person.  This leads me to believe that there are 2 types of people. Ones that are naturally personable, that can interact well with others, take other people's feelings into consideration and are just genuinely nice people.  Then there are the "used car salesperson" people. They are in the mindset of "what's in it for me" and only see the dollar signs at the end of a transaction.  They do come across as being a people person and do a very good job at it.

I see it all the time, agents that are too analytical & get themselves all riled up in numbers. I don't think it's so much as a personality type as much as you must educate yourself to do things you prefer not to do. Ex. cold calling, open houses with strangers, giving bad news.

I can't really answer that qustion, but I personally believe that for me as an extrovert, I am HONESTLY always  interested in people, try and find out what they need, and if I can help serve them. If not, we'll both know we are not a match.

 Absolutely! Not being a people person is all about behavior disposition and some people, dare I say, DO NOT LIKE people with people personalities. See this this story by a fellow AC blogger, we often think the extroverts are the only ones who are excited, but introverts get excited and just display different behaviors. 

Yes. I have seen this. (And other way around, too.)

Get on a team, some people are not good at sales, but excell at paperwork.

It certainly helps to have an outgoing personality in this business. I hate chit-chat, but I can talk business all day.

Great question Debbie... I've trained agents for over 30 years and I have to tell you that the one thing I always insisted on during the interview was likeability... I can teach most anyone with the desire to learn how to sell real estate... however I can not teach anyone how to be likeable...  So my answer to your question would be... NO!

Debbie Reynolds what a great question you posed!  I agree with Jared,  if an agent is playing the numbers and not focused on repeat business, they can be very successful converting leads.  We need to focus on our strengths.  I like building life long Realtor relationships.

Being a People Person can mean different things to different people.  I consider myself a people person and yet I am very shy in larger groups ... but one on one? That's a very comfortable place for me and my clients feel comfortable with me and the attention and expertise I bring to them. We all have different gifts and as long a we recognize where we excell and move in that, we will find success.

Real Estate definitely does not require one to be a 'people person'. One must have the ability to deal with all types of folks in a variety of situations but I don't necessarily consider those abilities the mark of a 'people person'.

In most cases no. Some markets do need order takes but a true sales person can be made from taking classes, it is a mix of personality, knowelge, skill and a little luck.