Real Estate – It’s More Than Flexible Hours With High Commissions

June 30, 2006 on 2:15 pm | In Real Estate | No Comments

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Real estate professionals seem to have it all! Who wouldn’t want to be in a career that allows you to be self-employed, work part-time, make plenty of money, and help individuals and families make one of the most exciting purchases of their life? On the outside, real estate jobs sound attractive and enticing, but just like everything, as you learn more you will find the flip side.

According to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, real estate sales agents held 115,000 jobs in 2004 and the market should continue to grow through 2014. However, those interested in entering the field should be weary that employment hinges on the stability of the economy and its interest rates. When economic activity is on the down slope and interest rates are on the rise, the demand for sales agents falls along with lower sales volume. When real estate professionals find themselves in this situation work can become frustrating and unstable.

Agents can’t always predict sales for the week and especially for the month. Without the luxury of a paycheck coming in every two weeks and an undefined income, professionals should be prepared to budget their money accordingly.

Besides balancing money, it is also critical for agents to budget time. Most full-time sales agents have extremely busy and long work weeks. They are not only spending time and energy researching homes on the market, showing homes, and finding new leads, but agents must also constantly obtain listings for homes and properties–agreements by owners to allow agents to make the sale. Not to mention other demands in their personal and family life.

One of the best ways for agents to obtain new listings is to work through referrals and always be-up-to date on the wants and needs of their clients, local zoning, tax laws, what is going on in the neighborhoods that will fit their needs and being capable of helping clients with financing options.

Due to the number of responsibilities sales agents have, many full-time agents have a competitive advantage over those who work part time. Similarly, although it is easy to break into the industry and become a licensed real estate agent, well-established and more experienced agents will have a much better chance of acquiring listings and closing deals.

It is true that there are a lot of perks to working in the real estate industry. However, it is important to recognize that it is a profession that takes dedication, motivation, persistence and enthusiasm before one can find consistent success and enjoy the flexible hours and high commissions.

About the Author

Content provided by 10x Media. Established in 2003, 10x Media provides innovative online marketing tools. It has expanded its online presence through networks such as Inside Real Estate, Inside Finances and Grab Real Estate, which contain thousands of pages for city and state specific real estate information across the nation.