Have you ever considered working for yourself?  Be able to set your schedule while making high potential earnings?  Are you social?  Take a look at some pros and cons to help determine if a career in Real Estate is right for you.

First Step to a career in Real Estate

Pros: In most states, you can complete the required training, become a licensed real estate agent, and start a new career in just a matter of weeks or months (depending on state regulations).

Cons: There is an investment in time, money, and effort required. Also, it comes with no guarantees. Passing the state real estate licensing exam is difficult and demands an understanding of complex topics and a varied skill set.

Be your own boss

Pros: You’re an independent contractor and control your own book of business. You make the decisions. Couple together a good attitude and solid work ethic, and there are virtually no limits for the growth of your real estate business. 

Cons: You’re an independent contractor and are on your own to learn the market and the business.  You are in charge of building your lead list, maintaining your client’s needs, networking relationships, marketing your business, and managing the day-to-day office needs. It’s all in your hands. Many new agents fail to recognize how much work it takes to become a successful real estate agent.

High income potential

Pros: Your income isn’t limited by an hourly wage or a corporate-dictated salary range. As a real estate salesperson, your income is largely dictated by the time you invest. Grow your real estate business by adding an assistant or get the appropriate license that lets you build your own brokerage. The growth potential is huge. 

Cons: At first, your cash-flow direction will be out. Most new real estate agents need a nest egg to begin their careers. Getting your first sales to come in will take some time, and it will likely be a couple months or more before you cash your first check. Depending on the market you cover and existing relationships you can farm, it can be a feast or famine situation.

Set your own Schedule

Pros: You don’t work a mundane 9 to 5 job. Real estate agents set a daily work schedule that works for them. Much of a real estate agent’s time is spent socializing, meeting people, and building relationships.

Cons: Having a flexible schedule in real estate means you have to be flexible to the client’s needs.  In real estate, you tend to work when everyone else is not. That includes weekends. If a client calls, can you drop everything and be attentive to their needs, even if it’s a time that you normally would be spending with your friends or family?

Assist with the largest investment most people make

Pros: Real estate agents receive genuine satisfaction from helping clients find the perfect home or sell their property at a great price. This is an exciting time for both buyers and sellers, and they look to the real estate agent as the expert to help them manage their way through the process with excellent client services.

Cons: Real estate transactions generally are one of the most stressful times of a client’s life, and you will need to be confident in your skills and abilities when things don’t go as planned. If a client leaves unhappy, whether it was due to your efforts or not, word-of-mouth spreads quickly and can affect your referral network and, ultimately, your bottom-line.

Real Estate is a Great Business

Real estate really is a great career choice. This article isn’t meant to scare anyone away from real estate, but is offered to be an honest look at the real estate business from both sides of success and failure. It can be a very difficult career if the training and work ethic fails, but it can be a seriously rewarding career if you are self-motivated, hard-working, honest, and enjoy networking and helping people.