If you are interested in getting into this career as a realtor, … Pro: As an agent, you’re asked to do a lot of things that may fall outside your purview. Basically, a real estate agent does a little of everything. As a real estate agent you don’t have the luxury to rest on your laurels. You can also be either a residential or a commercial agent: Residential Real Estate Agent The deal could fall through in many different areas, and if you count your commission as soon as the offer is accepted, you’ll be out of luck and left feeling disheartened because you ‘lost this much money’. Don’t become a real estate agent and expect for your business to come to you. Real estate is an unpredictable industry where the stakes are high. This leads us to believe that real estate is about investment. You have to be the stable presence that allays their fears and solves problems. It was perfect.” The reason they didn’t is they were afraid to make a decision. You need to develop a brand that sets you apart from the rest of the market and gives potential clients a reason to choose you over someone they know on a personal level. Real estate is akin to customer service in how much you’ll interact with clients. I tend to work from home, which gives me more time to spend with my family. Then being a real estate agent is NOT the job for you. Problems come up at the last minute, and you have to think and act quickly. We had just passed our licensing test, and we sat down in the Re/Max office ready to get our new venture as real estate agents started. Being a real estate agent isn’t just a job. A payday is coming!” Because of this excitement, you’ll want to figure out exactly how much you’re going to make from this deal. Here are the ten things I personally wished I had known that day. It is a job that requires hard work and ongoing sacrifices, promising a lucrative return if you get a little lucky and are good at what you do. Real estate is about finding the right house for the buyer, letting them in to look around, and then, letting them make the decision. Let everyone you meet know you are in real estate and ask them if they have a trusted real estate advisor, or if they would they consider working with you. Things move much too fast for you to serve your clients effectively and work another job. For example, if you put an offer on a home and then miss a deadline for an inspection contingency, your client could be contractually obliged to buy the house or lose their earnest money if they decide to walk away. As a real estate agent, not only are you selling real estate, but you’re also selling yourself - and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Consistency is hard to find so budgeting is important. Because of this, they want to think about it and really consider they’re options. We have had a ton of success quickly. When last-minute issues come up, your clients may panic.  But you can’t panic, too. Your job is to produce leads. There are currently 400 agents in our local Board of Realtors. We found an experienced agent in our office that we loved talking to and communicating with, and we got to know her. Selling real estate is more work that you might imagine and, although there are some very successful real estate agents, there are many who struggle just to make ends meet. After all, you’re selling someone a home — likely the biggest purchase of their life. The next month, you won’t have any. The buying process is not that easy. 7. You have to go out and market yourself to get the business and make the leads come to you. The job requires someone who can adapt quickly to a changing market. Most of your customers have 9-to-5 jobs, so they’ll likely sign a contract or do a walkthrough in the evening. We joined Re/Max, and we were able to instantly start selling. You’ll need to know how to communicate, listen, provide suggestions and decipher the information people provide. A real estate agent needs to demonstrate certain traits for them to succeed in this line of work. There are some agents that do, but the reputation soon makes them irrelevant. And you have more specific knowledge, like whether that newly listed bungalow is in a flood plain, which would require costlier insurance. Thank you in advance! Here are a few ways of being better at prospecting, contacts management, and marketing. The best real estate agents realize the need for a marketing plan, which extends beyond your team, and stretches into the use of your technology. There are still SO many areas that the deal can fall through. You can learn things a broker might tell you about fees, commissions, etc. Pro: As a real estate agent you know the ins and outs of your community. Agents are all scrambling for the same clients and the competition is cutthroat. A real estate agent can list homes for sale, help buyers navigate the process, show homes to prospective buyers, and handle the various paperwork of a real estate transaction. Being an agent isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle! The key is to live well below your means, budget your money, and let the leftovers from your feast carry you through the famine. What about your income? Most jurisdictions require real estate agents to be affiliated with a brokerage for consumer protection purposes. The really sad thing is we have had people say “I really should have bought that house. You must care about how you look because others will. If you do your job well (lead generation), then you get the reward of selling some real estate. The job requires a personality that is flexible and adaptable to the needs of the customer. The ones that do, however, seem to understand that success in real estate takes time. One month, you’ll have 7 closings and be on top of the world. 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