I've been considering going into real estate off and on for some time now and I'm looking for some advice from people currently working in real estate.What is your job like? How are the hours?Was the licensing process difficult?Is it worth it?Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated :)
I am with Glenn on this, starting in RE is starting your own small business. The majority of your success will depend on how you are with time management and people. I talk to alot of people, work on marketing my listings, getting more listings. There are no set hours, you make your own schedule, which is part of the problem for some entering the business. If you are not focused, it is too easy to goof off, spend hours dinking around on the internet, going to play a round of golf on a sunny day rather than going door knocking, etc.. I did not feel the licensing process was difficult, but I know people that took the test a number of times and never passed. Whether it is worth it is up to you. You dictate your success. It is rough starting out, and you can go months and months without getting paid, so you will need means to sustain yourself while you get going.
You are your own boss. It can be a large initial investment, but once you get it started the money can begin to roll in. The single most important thing is Location Location Location. If you or any real estate agents are looking for a home warranty to increase home asset value I recommend this site. Don't forget to check out their home page. starnationalprotection.wordpress....
Real Estate sales in not a job. It is starting a small business. You set your own hours the way a store sets its own hours- the more you are available- the more you could sell. The licensing process is sort of like trying to weed out people that can not memorize stuff or do math. It does not help you become successful- just gets your license. Find a broker/company that will provide lots of good training and maybe mentoring- because that is where you actually learn to sell. I have done this for 32 years so far and really enjoy it. I really can't tell you how many hours I work. I was at church this Sunday and two separate people walked up to me about listing their homes- I sure don't intend to work at church and only took down a short note to call them later- but I did not do anything that would make them feel uncomfortable about talking about real estate. I just can't tell you for sure that I am ever off the clock. Even on vacation- I sometimes find myself looking at how real estate sales are done in another location- or how houses are built in another area.
