As a catering manager I make over $60000/year. I want to get my real estate sales license and become a broker in 2 years. I want to continue working full-time as a catering manager until my income as a real-estate agent reaches $30000/year (part-time). After (6) months, I want to start advertising in newspapers, get my own web site and do as much marketing as an experience broker does. I am extremely good at dealing with my client and always come through for my guests. I can work long hours and love real estate. Do you guys think I am dreaming and it won’t work. Should I stay w/ catering? Do you think I will do better in real estate? I know I should get a broker to take me under his/her wings. Oh, yes…..I am 49 years old. Help! What do you think?
Check your licensing laws for your state. They will be on the state government website licensing section for real estate. It iwll tell you the requirements to get licensed. In my state you cannot get your Broker License until you have worked as a real estate sales agent for a minimum of two years. Most real estate firms will not be interested in you if you are only looking for part time work. It's really a full time job, although your current contacts from catering will certainly come in handy.
I have a cousin who is a real estate agent. He and his wife recently started a new business, but he still does the real estate part time. Even part time though, it still takes up a lot of weekends and daytime hours during the week. Based on what I know he does, I would say it is possible, if the weekend work doesn't interfere with the catering job, but you may need to give yourself longer than two years to become a broker.
When you hire a real estate agent, you are essentially hiring the broker they work for. A real estate agent must collect commissions from their broker. The broker has gone throughfar more education, has more experience and is the person responsible for the actions of their agents. For example, if you hired an agent who is showing you homes outside your price range or homes that don't have the features you're looking for, you can complain to their broker and have another agent assigned to you. It is not necessary, though it is definitely advised to use a Realtor for your buyer representative. For one thing, you pay them nothing since the seller traditionally pays commissions. Also, you are entering a type of business transaction that you have never engaged in before, and having an expert in your corner can prove most valuable. Also, a Realtor is NOT the same thing as a real estate agent. Realtors are members of the National Association of Realtors, and are held to higher ethical standards than those agents who are not members. Ther are stiffer penalties for those who have broken the law or the code of ethics we work under. Hope this answers your question!
First of all you can do anything you set your mind to do. You might have to become a time manager to get everything you want accomplished, but you can do it. Most people start out in this field doing it part time. So don't let that deter you. Getting a brokers license in California require that you work as a licensed real estate agent for two years or have a college degree from a recognized college. I am not familiar with the requirements of a caterer, but the demands on a real estate agent and catering to his clients are a hand full in itself as each client want to be treated as a diva. In real estate marketing is key, In my opinion working a farm is mandatory and becoming an expert in one area, thus making friends of the potential clients as well as the commercial establishment in your farm area. I find that publishing a news letter once a month and mailing it to my farm works miracles. Before the mailing you should take about 2-4 weekends to walk this area passing out fliers introducing yourself to your new clients. There will be some in the yard doing weekend chores. You will also have to develop you a professional team to assist you in, an attorney, a mortgage broker, a notary public, a home insurance agent a title rep and others that you might see fit to add to this team. I hope this has been of some use to you, good luck. FIGHT ON
