Improving Your Teamwork Skills for REALTORS
Louisiana REALTORS • April 28, 2020
“Teamwork makes the dream work” may sound like a tired cliché, but at the end of the day, it became a cliché for a reason; it’s true. While it applies to a wide variety of activities, organizations, sports, and businesses, it definitely applies to REALTORS®. From your relationships with mortgage officers to your experience with home inspectors and appraisers to the title companies that make closing your clients’ deals a breeze, everyone has a part and plays a role in doing what’s best for the people you represent.
While each part of the home buying and selling process has its own requirements and prerequisites, how you, as a fiduciary to your client, interacts with each of the people in these different steps can dramatically influence the entire transaction. Collaboration and communication are key. Here are a few ways that you can enhance your teamwork skills.
Understand Your Goal
It’s in everyone’s best interest for you to do your job well. It’s also in everyone’s best interest for them to do their job well. The mortgage banker earns a commission, the inspector earns his fee, the title company collects their closing costs; it’s a win/win.
With everyone on the same page you can align your actions and create the synergistic results that your client deserves.
Be Reliable
You should provide the same type of accountability that you expect people to provide for you. Responding to emails, phone calls, and texts, as well as the other things that can occur during a real estate transaction are essential to completing it smoothly. Be sure to meet your deadlines and take care of your objectives so that everyone else can do theirs; expect the same from them.
Listen Actively
Active listening
is a valuable skill. You can drastically improve your retention and communication skills by focusing, asking questions, paraphrasing, asking for elaboration, and more. These simple, quick actions can mitigate misunderstandings and problems down the road.
Manage Your Time
Because everyone is going the same direction, the way you manage your time, and the way they manage theirs can impact your arrival. Solid time management skills are imperative to make sure that you have done what you need to have done on time. You should expect the same from other parties.
These are only a few ideas for how to be the best teammate you can be. As a professional, knowledgeable REALTOR®, all of these actions are in the best interest of your clients, your prospects, and people you work with on a daily basis.
Louisiana’s 2026 Regular Session opened this week with several developments that matter directly to REALTORS ®, property managers and housing providers, alongside some broader political shifts worth watching. HB 292: Security Deposit Return Timelines Rep. Delisha Boyd’s HB 292, which addresses procedures for returning residential security deposits, was deferred to next week. This provides additional time for stakeholders to engage with members on practical impacts for lease administration, move out inspections and documentation standards. We’ll continue working to ensure any changes to deposit law are clear, workable and do not expose housing providers to unreasonable liability. Land Use and Development: St. James Parish Decision The Louisiana Supreme Court’s recent St. James Parish decision significantly tightens the standards for overturning local land use decisions, reinforcing that zoning and permitting authority rests with parish and municipal governments as long as their decisions are not arbitrary or capricious. For real estate and development, that means more predictability if projects are aligned with adopted plans and ordinances, but also higher stakes in local elections, planning processes and parish-level negotiations. Governor’s State of the State In his State of the State address, Governor Jeff Landry reiterated his push to phase out the state income tax, expand the LA GATOR and MJ Foster scholarship and workforce programs, and replace vehicle inspection stickers with a QR code system. These programs frame a debate around long-term competitiveness, workforce readiness and household cost of living which are all key drivers of housing demand and migration patterns. Business & Market Trends The business community is focusing the session on insurance, workforce and energy. Commercial and property insurance costs remain a top concern for employers and property owners, and we are monitoring civil justice and insurance reform proposals that could affect market stability and availability. At the same time, Louisiana is seeing more than $100 billion in announced industrial and data center projects, which could reshape local markets, labor conditions and housing needs in multiple regions of the state. Please view the weekly bill tracking report at the link below provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.
Learn how Louisiana real estate regulations, disclosure laws, and licensing standards help protect homebuyers and create safer, more transparent transactions.
Nominations are open now through April 24, 2026, for the Louisiana REALTORS® 2025 REALTOR® of the Year & the 2025 Lawrence R. DeMarcay, Jr. Distinguished Service Award. Both awards are aimed to showcase an individual who has volunteered their time in service to the real estate industry. Recipients of the awards will be recognized during the Spring Legislative Conference. (Registration coming soon!) Please see the below links with the selection criteria and consider submitting a nomination today. Contact Donna Teekel at (225) 224-0704 or dteekel@larealtors.org with any questions.
