The Advantages of a Career in Real Estate

At a recent sales meeting, I asked the agents in my office why they had started a career in real estate.  Here were their answers:

-It is a privilege to be involved in peoples’ lives during a transitional time in their life.

-The flexibility of the career allows them to balance work and family.

-They are their own CEO, therefore they can earn their own raise.

-The only reason they would ever get laid off is if they do it to themselves by not working hard enough.

-It is a career that is ever changing and provides professional and personal growth constantly.

-It involves so many facets, some days you are a psychologist, a marketing expert, a consultant, or a   teacher so that you never get bored with your job.

-They love creating new relationships with people through the process of working with buyers and sellers.

- Matching homes to buyers is a fun and rewarding experience.

-They are able to use their creativity whether it is for marketing a home or in negotiating the sale of a home.

- They are true entrepreneurs.

Hearing their answers made me so proud of them because of the people that they are.  They teach, listen, consult, and truly care about the people they work with. No one said it was about money or homes!

If you have ever contemplated a career in real estate, the answers they gave may entice you to take the step.  Being your own CEO does sound kind of nice, doesn’t it?

The Transition

You've done it, passed the exam, and now you are ready to embrace your dream, selling real estate. How do you make the transition from a 9-5 job with a salary to working as an independent contractor with commissions as your income?

First of all, you have to have the mindset that you are your own CEO and can work as hard as you want to, or as little as you want to. You give yourself raises by your own work ethic...that's the beauty of working for yourself. If you have motivation, self discipline and a great work ethic, then you can transition into your new career very easily.

Some of the steps you need to take: 
Sign up with a Broker that will give you one on one training in developing your new career
Create your database of friends, family, neighbors, co-workers from your previous job
Send announcements to everyone in your database to let them know you are an agent
Learn your local market inventory...preview properties 2-3 times a week
Network within your community
Sign up for social media sites and have a presence everyday
Become the real estate expert in your neighborhood by doing open houses every Sunday
Send out announcements for your open houses
Learn your contracts inside out so that you will be confident when you write your first offer or take a listing

A career in real estate can be extremely rewarding for many reasons. You are helping people with transitions they are making in their life whether it is buying their first home, or selling their last home before they go to assisted living. You are their trusted advisor, and the more you learn, the better agent you will be. Read, observe, become a good listener and you will have tremendous success in your new career!