What motivates you in your professional life?

"What motivates me the most is becoming the best in my field, and as a result having the opportunity to make an impact on a greater scale and contribute to the company's long-term success. For instance, with this position, what motivates me the most is the opportunity to (X newly acquired duties that will enable you to help the company be more successful, as per the job posting)."

Tell the interviewer about your passion for this career, what motivates you to be the best in your field, and what you look forward to the most in this position. Review the job posting and company website before your interview to familiarize yourself with the company and duties involved, and mention one or many duties that you look the most forward to (related to your motivation), and why. This will show the interviewer that you are passionate about your work and that you also did your due diligence before your interview.

We have a multi-line telephone system. How many lines are you accustomed to answering?

"I have experience using a multi-line telephone system, which I have used extensively in my position of (X position title) for (X company)."

Always review the job posting before the interview to familiarize yourself with the duties involved and preferred qualifications for the successful incumbent.Answer this question by mentioning the telephone systems you have had to operate - including the one(s) listed on the job posting if you have such experience, to demonstrate you are indeed the perfect candidate for the job by virtue of your previous experience - and the company(ies) you were working for. Should you not have such experience, emphasize you are a quick learner and that you have a willingness to learn, as required by the employer.

What are your long term career goals?

"In seven to ten years from now, for instance, I hope to have grown within the same company and moved to a position involving more managerial duties, e.g., such as working as a Team Leader, which will enable me to have a greater impact on the success of the company. I wish to commit to one employer and have a long-term career as opposed to a job."

Tell the interviewer your career goals in ~seven to ten years from now, e.g., where you see yourself, the position you would like to hold, whether you would be interested in keeping the same position for the long term, and so on. Answer by emphasizing your desire to commit to one employer and grow within the organization. This will demonstrate your commitment to one organization and that you will not leave for another opportunity.

Describe a situation when you had an angry customer contact you. How did you or would you handle the situation?

"I always remain calm and professional as I must ensure to adequately represent the company at all times. I calmly listen to the customer, and then do my very best to assist him/her in a timely fashion regardless of how angry he/she is. In the event I am unable to solve his/her issues, I immediately get in touch with my superior, or a more experienced colleague should my supervisor be unavailable. An example of a situation with an angry customer is (X situation) when working as a/an (X position title) for (X company). (.... X details regarding the situation and how you respectfully and successfully handled the situation, resulting in positive resolution)."

Answer this question by providing examples of your customer service and relationship building skills. Furthermore mention your ability to work under pressure while remaining calm, collected and professional at all times. Lastly, provide an example of a situation reflecting your ability to handle an angry customer.

Real Estate is a very fast paced environment with multiple tasks going on at a time. As such, tell me about your organizational skills.

"I believe excellent organizational skills are essential to successfully perform the duties of a Real Estate Receptionist. For instance, if I have to perform numerous duties in a short period of time, I need to know how to prioritize and meet the respective deadlines. I will use lists to keep track of upcoming duties by prioritizing the most urgent ones, and a calendar to keep track of deadlines. Regarding the documentation, I will ensure to keep the different documents in their respective place to facilitate the organizational process."

Tell the interviewer about your organizational skills in a work environment by providing an example of your capabilities.

What is your primary goal when answering the phone?

"My primary goal is to assist customers to the best of my ability so as to resolve their issues in a timely fashion."

Answer this question by putting emphasis on respect, good communication and professionalism. You should always take time to carefully listen to customers and ensure you are a good representative of the company, and seek to help them in a timely fashion.

Tell me the top three office related skills that you possess.

"The top three office related skills that I possess are time management, organizational and relationship building skills."

Ensure to review the job posting before the interview to familiarize yourself with the work involved and skills required for this position. Answer this question by mentioning two skills listed and an additional skill that you possess, which will contribute to your success in this role.

What does great customer service look like to you?

"Customer service involves professionalism, excellent communication and respectful interactions. It is imperative to always listen to what the customers have to say and take their perspective into consideration. It is furthermore mandatory to do your best to resolve their issues in a timely fashion."

Answer this question by putting emphasis on respect, good communication and professionalism. You should always take time to carefully listen to customers and ensure you are a good representative of the company.

Give me an example of when you received excellent feedback from a customer.

"I received excellent feedback from a customer while employed for (X company) as (X position title) (... X further information regarding the situation). The customer was particularly impressed by my ability to complete his project on a very short deadline while providing high quality services, and he did not hesitate to praise my work to my superior."

Always review the job posting before an interview to familiarize yourself with the personality traits the employer is seeking. Answer this question by mentioning some of the familiarity traits listed by providing an example in a professional setting.

Why are you the best Real Estate Receptionist for us?

"I am a hard worker who does not hesitate to go above and beyond to ensure successful completion of projects, and I am more than willing to take on duties beyond my original job scope. I sincerely believe the company's success is my success. I furthermore meet the required professional and educational qualifications for this role."

Answer by emphasizing your greatest strengths against the advertised position. What do you pride yourself on the most? Which strengths will be, in your opinion, most beneficial to this role? Which will contribute to the company's success? Which strengths make you indispensable?

How do you prioritize when you, for instance, have three phone calls on hold and a customer waiting in front of your desk?

"Customer service involves professionalism, excellent communication and respectful interactions. As such, I believe it is imperative to assist customers to the best of my ability so as to resolve their issues in a timely fashion. In this particular situation, I would do my best to answer customers in the order they contacted me and I would not hesitate to kindly tell the customer in front of me to wait one instant as customers who contact me over the phone matter as much as in-person customers."

Answer this question by putting emphasis on respect, good communication and professionalism. You should always take time to carefully listen to customers and ensure you are a good representative of the company.

In your opinion, what are the three most important skills that a Real Estate Receptionist should have?

"The top three skills required to be successful in this role are relationship building skills, ability to work under pressure and being customer-oriented. I can proudly say I possess all of the above."

Ensure to review the job posting before the interview to familiarize yourself with the work involved and skills required for this position. Answer this question by mentioning two skills listed and an additional skill that you possess, which will contribute to your success in this role.

What are your short-term career goals?

"I see myself working for the same employer, being established and having grown with the organization and contribute to the bottom line. I hope to keep learning and being given the opportunity to prove myself as a valuable team member."

Provide an honest answer and do not hesitate to mention you would be open to eventually moving up the ladder should the opportunity arise, i.e., that growth opportunities will be more than welcome. This will demonstrate you have leadership skills, a willingness to learn beyond your original job scope, and a desire to commit to your employer.

How would your former employer describe your work ethic?

"My supervisor would describe my work ethic as excellent. I am a hard worker who thrives on challenges and who works tireless to get the job done. I am also a committed and reliable professional who remains highly respectful and professional at all times."

Employers are looking for commitment, reliability, respect and professionalism, among other things. As such, answer this question by including how committed, reliable, respectful and professional you are, notwithstanding the challenges you may face.

Why do you want to work in real estate?

"I decided to pursue a career in real estate because I (X reasons for pursuing that career, such as passion for this field or having a parent who worked in this field). I also sincerely feel the position I applied for is a perfect fit as I already possess the personality traits, required experience and educational qualifications for this role."

Provide an answer as to the reasons that led you to pursue a career in real estate, and link this answer to the position you are applying for - so as to demonstrate your chosen career field/original career goal is in line with this role.

Real estate never slows down. Are you able to work overtime, evenings, weekends, or holidays as needed?

"I carefully reviewed the job posting numerous times before this interview and am aware of the work schedules. I am willing to work over the weekend, in the evenings, overtime and holidays, as needed."

Always ensure to review the job posting before the interview to familiarize yourself with the work schedules. Should an interviewer ask such a question, it is highly likely you will have to work such days/hours. As such, the interviewer will expect you to have applied for the position after carefully reading it, in turn expecting you to be able to work as needed.Should these requirements be mentioned on the job posting and should you answer in the negative, you may be immediately disqualified. Not only would you not meet a crucial requirement for the role, this would also show you did not carefully read the job posting before applying and the interviewer may think you simply applied to get any job - and as such, you are not serious about working for this employer specifically and/or will not commit.

Tell me about your educational qualifications, and how they will contribute to your success in this position.

"I have a Bachelor's degree in Management from the University of Florida and a Real Estate Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania. Based upon these courses of study, I know that these qualifications will undoubtedly help me be highly successful on the job."

Tell the interviewer the degrees and certifications that you have, by emphasizing the ones that will help you succeed in this role.

As a Real Estate Receptionist you have many opportunities to improve company processes and customer service. In that respect, what is the biggest impact you have made in your most recent position?

"I am particularly proud of the time I (X project/initiative you are particularly proud of). I went above and beyond because the client's satisfaction mattered to me and my employer, and (X other reasons why you were committed to the delivery of high quality services). The client was so satisfied by the high level of commitment and quality of my work that he hired our company for all of his upcoming projects, which significantly contributed to the company's bottom line."

Answer this question by providing an example of a situation in a professional capacity - preferably related to customer service and the position you applied for - by mentioning a project or initiative you are particularly proud of, such as going above and beyond to ensure the company's success. Alternatively, provide an example in any other professional or volunteer capacity, or in a university setting. Add that you are positive your skills will be transferable in this role.

How would you describe your communication skills?

"I pride myself on my excellent communication skills. For instance, (X example of your excellent communication skills, e.g., when working on a team project in a professional or volunteer capacity, or in a university setting, and how your skills contributed to the project's success)."

Should such a question be asked, it is highly likely that communication will be particularly important in the work that you will be performing for this employer. This is why you should always ensure to review the job posting before the interview to familiarize yourself with the day-to-day work involved. Such question would be expected if you are adequately prepared for the interview.Answer this question by providing an example of your excellent communication skills.

Tell me about your computer skills, including your proficiency in real estate programs and software.

"I am proficient in (X programs/software, including some mentioned as requirements on the job posting, if you are indeed proficient). I am also currently studying for (X programs/software). I additionally read on your posting that you require (X program/software); I am not yet proficient but am absolutely willing to study for this program/software)."

Always do your due diligence beforehand by reviewing the job posting, company website and social media pages to familiarize yourself with the work involved and technical requirements. Should technical skills be a requirements, including proficiency in specific programs or software, these are likely to already be outlined on the job posting. If you applied for this role, the interviewer assumes you already know about these requirements, that you are already proficient and/or that you are currently studying for these programs or software (i.e., studies in progress).

Do you enjoy interacting with the public?

"I pride myself on my excellent communication and relationship building skills, and I truly love interacting with the public. For instance, in my last role at (X company), I regularly had to interact with the public in my position of (X position title). I (.... X further information re: communication/relationship building projects or duties undertaken and ability to successfully interact with the public)."

When an interviewer asks such a question, it is highly likely that you frequently will have interact with the public. As such, the interviewer wants to ensure you have good communication skills and that you are customer-oriented. Answer this question by providing an example of your communication and relationship building skills in another position as for employers, past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior.

Tell me about your reception experience.

"I worked as a Receptionist for (X company) where I was responsible for (X duties as per the job posting). I also performed reception related duties at (X company) where I was initially hired as a/an (X title), including (X reception related duties)."

Answer this question by mentioning your reception experience in any capacity, i.e., even in positions you did not officially work as a Receptionist.

Real estate is a very deadline driven industry. As such, tell me about your time management skills, and what you would do should you be unable to complete everything that was asked of you by the end of the workday.

"I frequently work on tight deadlines, which I throughly enjoy. To make sure I meet them, I anticipate and identify the most pressing project and use to-do lists and a calendar to keep track of all upcoming duties and important events. I review my list every morning and at the end of each day to ensure the duties assigned were completed in a successful fashion. I also do not hesitate to work overtime or delegate if necessary."

Answer this question by providing evidence of your time management skills.

What is your greatest weakness, and what are you doing to improve in that area?

"I am sometimes overly independent and incredibly meticulous as I am used to completing projects on my own instead of delegating them, to complete them in a quicker fashion. But throughout my career, I have come to realize that I am working as part of a team of professionals who are as capable as I am and whose perspective can be greatly valuable. As such, I try to seek my colleagues' input as much as possible as we are all working to benefit the company."

Tell the interviewer your greatest weakness which can nevertheless benefit you in this position.

What is your greatest strength?

"My greatest strength is that I am extremely customer-oriented. I strive to treat all clients with the utmost respect and professionalism. I always maintain my composure and reflect the values of the company I represent. For instance, in my previous role, I was the first person to encounter an upset client one morning. I made sure to listen, validate their feelings, and then offer up a solution to that client. They left me to meet with my boss with a much more positive attitude having felt heard and as if I had shared the burden of their problem."

Answer by telling the interviewer what your greatest strength is, related to the position you applied for. Ensure to mention how this strength will contribute to your success as a Real Estate Receptionist.

What do you know about our company?

"I reviewed the job description and website before this interview and know you are a company specializing in (X services you noticed on the company website). I am particularly excited about (X programs/initiatives) that I saw on your (website/social media pages) as I (X reasons you are excited about these programs/initiatives, such as passion or similar initiatives undertaken in school or volunteer capacity)."

Tell the interviewer about your knowledge of the company you applied for. It is imperative to always conduct your due diligence before an interview by reviewing the job description, company website and social media pages to familiarize yourself with the company and work involved. It is also important to show the interviewer you did not apply to the advertised position simply because you are looking for just any job, but that you wish to work for this company specifically.

Tell me about your professional experience against the position you applied for.

"I pursued a Bachelor's degree in X at (X university) and upon graduation I worked as an Intern for [X company] where I was responsible for [X real estate related duties ]. Since this internship, I have also gained considerable reception experience working for [X company] where I managed [X reception related duties] and for [X company] where I was responsible for [X reception related duties]. These are some of the reasons I believe I am a perfect fit for your position."

Provide an overview of your professional experience while putting emphasis on your real estate and reception experience as per the advertised position, proving you indeed have the qualifications required for this position. Review the job description before your interview and answer this question by selecting some of the main duties on the posting and telling the interviewer you have performed these duties in the past, when and how.

Have you ever made an error as a Receptionist?

"Fortunately, I have never made errors because I am extremely meticulous and always review my work numerous times before completion to ensure accuracy."

Tell the interviewer whether you ever made significant errors, and how resolved the situation. Alternatively, humbly mention the reasons why this never happened to you.

Real Estate Receptionist Interview Questions

Go Back

1. What motivates you in your professional life?
2. We have a multi-line telephone system. How many lines are you accustomed to answering?
3. What are your long term career goals?
4. Describe a situation when you had an angry customer contact you. How did you or would you handle the situation?
5. Real Estate is a very fast paced environment with multiple tasks going on at a time. As such, tell me about your organizational skills.
6. What is your primary goal when answering the phone?
7. Tell me the top three office related skills that you possess.
8. What does great customer service look like to you?
9. Give me an example of when you received excellent feedback from a customer.
10. Why are you the best Real Estate Receptionist for us?
11. How do you prioritize when you, for instance, have three phone calls on hold and a customer waiting in front of your desk?
12. In your opinion, what are the three most important skills that a Real Estate Receptionist should have?
13. What are your short-term career goals?
14. How would your former employer describe your work ethic?
15. Why do you want to work in real estate?
16. Real estate never slows down. Are you able to work overtime, evenings, weekends, or holidays as needed?
17. Tell me about your educational qualifications, and how they will contribute to your success in this position.
18. As a Real Estate Receptionist you have many opportunities to improve company processes and customer service. In that respect, what is the biggest impact you have made in your most recent position?
19. How would you describe your communication skills?
20. Tell me about your computer skills, including your proficiency in real estate programs and software.
21. Do you enjoy interacting with the public?
22. Tell me about your reception experience.
23. Real estate is a very deadline driven industry. As such, tell me about your time management skills, and what you would do should you be unable to complete everything that was asked of you by the end of the workday.
24. What is your greatest weakness, and what are you doing to improve in that area?
25. What is your greatest strength?
26. What do you know about our company?
27. Tell me about your professional experience against the position you applied for.
28. Have you ever made an error as a Receptionist?

Real Estate Receptionist Interview Questions

1. What motivates you in your professional life?

2. We have a multi-line telephone system. How many lines are you accustomed to answering?

3. What are your long term career goals?

4. Describe a situation when you had an angry customer contact you. How did you or would you handle the situation?

5. Real Estate is a very fast paced environment with multiple tasks going on at a time. As such, tell me about your organizational skills.

6. What is your primary goal when answering the phone?

7. Tell me the top three office related skills that you possess.

8. What does great customer service look like to you?

9. Give me an example of when you received excellent feedback from a customer.

10. Why are you the best Real Estate Receptionist for us?

11. How do you prioritize when you, for instance, have three phone calls on hold and a customer waiting in front of your desk?

12. In your opinion, what are the three most important skills that a Real Estate Receptionist should have?

13. What are your short-term career goals?

14. How would your former employer describe your work ethic?

15. Why do you want to work in real estate?

16. Real estate never slows down. Are you able to work overtime, evenings, weekends, or holidays as needed?

17. Tell me about your educational qualifications, and how they will contribute to your success in this position.

18. As a Real Estate Receptionist you have many opportunities to improve company processes and customer service. In that respect, what is the biggest impact you have made in your most recent position?

19. How would you describe your communication skills?

20. Tell me about your computer skills, including your proficiency in real estate programs and software.

21. Do you enjoy interacting with the public?

22. Tell me about your reception experience.

23. Real estate is a very deadline driven industry. As such, tell me about your time management skills, and what you would do should you be unable to complete everything that was asked of you by the end of the workday.

24. What is your greatest weakness, and what are you doing to improve in that area?

25. What is your greatest strength?

26. What do you know about our company?

27. Tell me about your professional experience against the position you applied for.

28. Have you ever made an error as a Receptionist?