Choose a career as a Real Estate Agent
If your interest lies in becoming a real estate agent, you need to learn some facts about the field first. Choosing a career as a real estate agent is not as simple as deciding you want to sell houses. There is a course of study you must take in order to obtain your license before you begin selling property. Selling real estate requires more work in the evenings and weekends than other careers because you need to be there when it is convenient for the seller or buyer. If you are unable or unwilling to set your hours according to the needs of your customers, you need to choose a career that is less customer-dominated.
If you work for a small real estate office instead of a large multi-agent office, it is more important that you set your hours based upon the needs of your customers. If you fail to do that, your career as a real estate agent will be short-lived, because those customers you refuse to meet on their terms will find someone who will. If you were a car or furniture salesperson, the customers would come to you when they knew you were at work, but customers expect real estate agents to be available when it’s convenient for them.
Your career as a real estate agent will be greatly enhanced by your dedication to the job and commitment to your customers. The professional life of a real estate agent requires a total commitment to those who contract the services of your company if you wish to become successful in your career as a real estate agent. It means sometimes you will need to hold the hand of your buyers as they embark on buying their first home, and they are afraid of the changes it may make to their lifestyle. When you choose a career in real estate, you may be performing more jobs than that of selling properties.
Some real estate agents also enjoy the challenge of appraising homes. Though some of the same requirements apply, there is a different license for those who wish to become a real estate appraiser. Although a real estate agent can conduct a market analysis on your property in order to determine a reasonable selling price, a real estate appraiser does an in-depth evaluation to determine your property’s value. A real estate appraiser may be someone on staff at a real estate firm or work independently. Some appraisers perform both functions, especially if they do not receive enough requests for real estate appraising to earn a decent income.
Some real estate firms also require the real estate secretary to have a real estate license. This may be due in part to the secretary’s involvement with the contracts and the need for someone knowledgeable to answer questions when no one else is in the office. Working with a real estate agent makes the job of the secretary more interesting and allows for involvement with the customers who enter the office. For some, it is the first step to a career as a real estate agent with real estate transactions being the primary goal. If you enjoy working with people and helping them make their dreams become reality, you may want to choose a career in real estate.
May 28th, 2008 at 3:27 am
Getting started in real estate isn’t easy
I jumped right in with both feet and it took me months before I finally felt like I could make a living from it! After learning more about real estate I started wishing I would have gone with real estate appraisal straight out of high school!
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:34 am
I have been in real estate for over 15 years and the thing that has helped me the most is patience. I build a pipeline and keep in frequent contact with my clients. They usually need some time before they are ready to buy so I send them frequent information to let them know that I am here to help when they are ready.
June 7th, 2008 at 1:50 am
It is funny that there are so many people who think Real Estate is easy and you can just jump right in and make a go of it. Real Estate is one of the harder fields to enter. It takes patience and perseverance. Far too may people think you can come in and just make money hand over fist.
June 18th, 2008 at 7:28 am
A real estate agent needs to be versatile most especially on the time they spent on work and off work. Their time must be flexible based on the customer’s needs.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
The real estate market is particularly challenging at present with many agents going under. To succeed at present customer service needs to be A1.
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:21 am
It takes a lot of work, handing out cards, networking, and self marketing. I have been in the business 6 years, if you work hard and determined you can do it.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Not sure if I qualify as true real estate agent? 20 property websites and sell 100 to 200 homes per year.
No front office - have laptop, will travel!
Great life - OK a bit tough now but it will get better soon!
July 29th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Once you’ve built up a client base, staying in regular contact with them after the sale is key. They are an invaluable resource for referrals and you need to keep your name at the top of their minds, even if it’s been several years since you worked with them. It’s far more expensive to gain a new client than it is to get repeat business or a referral from a past client.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
My Father is in real estate for a very long time and he said that too. He said that Patience is his armor.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:32 am
While the barriers to entry in Real Estate are not that hard i.e all you have to do is pass a simple test. Once you get your license and start to practice you will realize that it is not as easy to make money hand over fist like a lot of people think. Real Estate requires a large investment of time. You need to be work with other peoples schedules which is not always the easiest thing to do.
August 21st, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Career in real estate is very rewarding and exciting. But the right choice of company to work with can make a big difference.
August 24th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Whoa I thought that becoming a real estate agent wasn’t that hard. You made it sound impossible actually, anyway I will try and maybe one day I will get there.
August 25th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Agree completely with Michelle…
India is an especially tricky market where you need to compete with a lot of unethical people, and there is hardly any govt. regulation…It’s tough to be a professional here!
August 25th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Yeah! it is true that patient is what you need if you are working in the real estate. My father told that to us. That is his work too.
August 26th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Being in the Real estate is really hard. Not only patience is required but also perseverance.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
I agree with you. It is really hard. A lot of my friends shared their experienced and how hard it is being in the real estate.
September 21st, 2008 at 9:52 pm
although the housing market is taking a hit, there are still a lot of profitable areas. It just depends on where abouts in a country you are. So i think real estate may still be a viable profession for people who are looking to get into the business.
October 10th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
I just started in real estate a year ago. I was lucky because my mom has been a real estate agent for 10 years and she has taken me under her wing. My advice for someone entering real estate now, start by assisting someone that is a seasoned agent. Learn as much as you can. Then once you get the hang of it, go off on your own. Or, if you are really brave starting out on your own. Call all the FSBO’s you see. They are a perfect place to get new clients. Right now they need all the help we can give them!
October 13th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
That is one of the reason why I never chose to be in the real estate. I don’t have patient like my Dad.
October 21st, 2008 at 8:14 am
Great post for those interested in a career in real estate, and contains some useful info. I didn’t know secretaries had real estate licences in some firms? Interesting.
October 21st, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Five weeks ago I started a new side career as a on line realtor (Spanish real estate for Swedes)…I worked as hard as i could, day and night (and still do)…got my site up there in a top ten position for competetitve keywords. Everything looked great. Then the entire world economy took a dive. No one is looking to buy houses in Spain right now. Cest la vie.
However…many aren´t updating ther sites at all…giving me the opportunity to drive past them and be in a top position when the market finally turns again. At least that is positive.
October 21st, 2008 at 10:01 pm
That is one of the reason why I did not chose to be in the real estate. I’ve heard that being in the real estate is pretty hard and depressing.
October 30th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Being a Realtor is not as easy as we make it look. It is a roller coaster of emotions on a daily basis, with big highs and lows. We really don’t make as much as people think when we add up the hours we work and then take into account the income and expenses of our business.
Great Post!
Julie Anne
http://www.deerparkbarringtonrealestate.com
November 7th, 2008 at 3:16 am
This is definately a tough time to start selling real estate but if you can cut it now you will be very successful in 5 years when the market bounces back.