Why You Should Seriously Consider a Real Estate Career
High Earning Potential
Starting a real estate career offers the potential to earn a significant income through commissions on sales and repeat business from clients. The average annual salary for real estate agents in the U.S. is $50,300 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but the earning potential goes much higher.
Top performing agents can earn well over $100,000 annually as they build their business and develop a steady flow of client referrals. As you gain more experience and become established, there is great opportunity to advance your career and increase your earnings significantly over time. Some of the top real estate professionals make over $1 million per year.
The harder you work as an agent, the more you can potentially earn. Many agents start out part-time as they build up their business and then transition to full-time. The flexible schedule that real estate allows provides time for other responsibilities while creating a lucrative career. With persistence and dedication, high earnings are within reach for real estate agents.
Flexible Schedules
One of the top reasons to pursue a career in real estate is the flexibility it offers. As a real estate agent, you’re essentially self-employed and have the ability to set your own hours and schedule. This provides a tremendous amount of freedom and work-life balance that can be hard to find in other careers.
Unlike a 9-5 corporate job, real estate agents can work as little or as much as they want. Many agents start off working part-time as they build their business before transitioning to full-time. Even established agents who work full-time still have control over their schedules. They can choose to take mornings, afternoons, evenings or weekends off as needed. Some agents even develop successful businesses working only 20-30 hours a week.
The flexible schedule of real estate allows agents to attend important family events and functions or solely focus on work when needed. Agents with children have the ability be more involved in activities and be there when it matters most. The freedom and work-life balance real estate careers provide is unmatched in many other professions.
For those seeking more control and flexibility over their schedule, a real estate career provides that. Agents can truly be masters of their time and schedule. The self-employed flexibility real estate offers is a major benefit over other more restrictive career options.
Low Barriers to Entry
Unlike many other careers, real estate has relatively low barriers to entry. The main requirement is obtaining a real estate license, which typically only takes a few weeks or months depending on your state. There are even online courses available to prepare for the licensing exam like this one offered by 360Training. Before purchasing any education package make sure to check the list of approved institutions with your state’s department of professional licensing! The licensing process is straightforward and does not require years of specialized education like some other fields.
The costs to get started in real estate are also minimal compared to starting many other businesses. You don’t need to invest in expensive equipment or commercial space. The main startup costs are exam fees, licensing dues, brokerage fees, and some basic tools like business cards. With just a few hundred dollars you can get your real estate business up and running.
Overall, the time and money needed to break into real estate is reasonably low. Within months of deciding to pursue this career path, you can obtain your license and begin showing properties and building your business. The low barriers to entry make real estate an accessible field for many people looking to start a new career.
Networking & Connections
A career in real estate provides excellent opportunities to build an extensive professional network. As a real estate agent, you’ll regularly interact with other professionals like lawyers, home inspectors, contractors, and more. Maintaining these relationships is key, as referrals are often reciprocal between agents and other professionals.
Additionally, real estate agents foster ongoing connections with clients during the home buying and selling process. Successful agents stays in touch with clients over months or years, nurturing these relationships into loyal, repeat business. As you work with families at important milestones like buying a first home or downsizing for retirement, these experiences often form lasting bonds.
The relationships real estate agents build are invaluable. Not only do they lead to more business, but they also create a sense of community and a rewarding career built on meaningful connections. If you enjoy getting to know new people and appreciate the opportunities that come with networking, a real estate career offers this in abundance.
Helping People Find Their Dream Homes
One of the most rewarding aspects of a career in real estate is the opportunity to help people through one of the biggest financial and emotional decisions in their lives – buying or selling a home. As a real estate agent, you get to guide clients through every step of the home buying and selling process. This involves not just finding listings and writing offers, but also educating clients on market conditions, neighborhood amenities, financing options, inspection reports, and so much more.
Beyond the technical guidance, real estate agents provide emotional support as well. For most people, buying or selling a home is incredibly stressful. As an agent, you can help alleviate some of that stress by being available to answer questions, coordinate showings, negotiate offers, and generally guide clients through a seamless transaction. The ability to hold someone’s hand through such a major life event is incredibly rewarding. Knowing that you helped someone find their dream home or sell their home for the best price possible provides a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in your career.
Be Your Own Boss
One of the greatest benefits of a career in real estate is the opportunity to be your own boss. Real estate agents are self-employed and independent contractors, meaning you run your own business and make executive decisions about your work.
There is tremendous freedom and flexibility in being able to set your own schedule, choose your clients, determine your work-life balance, and take time off when needed. You don’t have to ask anyone for permission or deal with office politics. As a real estate agent, you have autonomy over your career path and are in control of your income potential.
The ability to be an entrepreneur and your own boss is hugely appealing to many real estate agents. You can build a book of business on your own terms and follow your own vision, rather than being constrained by someone else’s rules or organization. Your success depends on your ambition, resourcefulness and self-motivation. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and like being in the driver’s seat, real estate can give you the independence and flexibility you desire in a career.
Stay Mentally Engaged
A career in real estate keeps your mind sharp by providing new and interesting problems to solve on a daily basis. The housing market is always changing, with fluctuations in mortgage rates, inventory levels, buyer demand and more. As a real estate agent, you need to stay on top of these trends and understand their implications for buying and selling homes in your area.
This requires strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills. You may encounter unique situations with each client that require creative solutions. Whether it’s finding a way to structure the offer to make a deal work for a budget-conscious buyer or coming up with a staging plan to maximize interest for a seller, you get to flex your mental muscles regularly.
Real estate professionals must be adept at analyzing data, trends and housing inventory to best position their clients for success. This keeps the work engaging and mentally stimulating. No two days are ever the same in the fast-paced world of real estate. If you love a job that challenges you intellectually, a real estate career has a lot to offer.
Variety in Day-to-Day
One of the great benefits of a career in real estate is that no two days are ever the same. As an agent, you get to enjoy a wide variety of activities and tasks throughout your workday which keeps things interesting and engaging.
A typical day might involve meeting with new clients, giving property tours and showings, catching up on paperwork, creating marketing materials, negotiating deals, and more. The diverse set of responsibilities means you’ll get to flex different skillsets on any given day from interpersonal communication to marketing and branding to data analysis.
Unlike a more routine 9-5 office job, real estate provides so much variety in your daily work which makes the time fly by. One hour you may be hosting an open house and speaking with potential buyers and the next you could be creating targeted social media ads or mining your network for new client referrals. You’re always on your toes and getting to do something different.
The constantly changing schedule and diverse tasks allow you to stay nimble and sharpen a wide variety of professional skills. No two days or clients are the same so you have to be adaptable and thoughtful in your approach. Rather than performing repetitive duties, you’re constantly learning and expanding your capabilities. That variety keeps things exciting and rewarding in real estate careers.
Be Your Own Boss
Many people dream of being their own boss and working for themselves. A career in real estate allows you to make this dream a reality. As a real estate agent, you are self-employed and run your own independent business. You get to be the one to make important executive decisions and call the shots. There is a tremendous amount of freedom and flexibility in being able to set your own hours and be your own leader.
You don’t have a boss telling you what to do. You get to decide how to best run your business in a way that works for your life and schedule. The flexibility extends to how involved you want to be, as some agents choose to work part-time while others work overtime. With the freedom of self-employment comes responsibility, so you’ll need to be motivated and able to manage yourself. But the independence and control over your work-life is hugely rewarding. Real estate provides an excellent path for those eager to be their own boss and write their own paycheck.
Opportunity to Specialize
The real estate industry offers agents the chance to develop niche specialties and tailor their business to match their own interests, skills, and goals. Rather than taking a broad approach to buying and selling homes, real estate professionals can choose to focus on a particular market segment.
Some common real estate specialties include:
Luxury real estate – Helping high-net worth clients buy and sell multimillion-dollar properties, ranches, vacation homes, and other high-end real estate. Requires knowledge of the luxury home market.
Residential real estate – Working with clients to buy and sell homes for personal rather than investment purposes. Involves understanding local residential real estate markets.
Commercial real estate – Specializing in commercial properties like office buildings, industrial parks, or retail spaces rather than residential real estate. Requires knowledge of commercial real estate financing and tenants.
Foreclosed & bank-owned properties – Focusing on distressed properties, short sales, and bank-owned real estate. Necessitates an understanding of the foreclosure process and real estate owned (REO) properties.
Green real estate – Advising clients on energy-efficient homes and helping them buy and sell sustainable properties. Requires expertise in sustainability, solar panels, EV charging, etc.
Relocation specialist – Assisting people moving to a new area, whether it’s helping corporate transferees or families moving for personal reasons. Involves extensive knowledge of local communities, schools, and amenities.
The ability to specialize allows real estate agents to play to their strengths, pursue their passions within the industry, and stand out from the competition by becoming experts in a niche area of real estate. Choosing a specialty can help agents boost their earning potential and build a focused, successful real estate business. Interested in learning more about a career in real estate? Let us know!