Thinking of Becoming a Real Estate Agent? Consider these Things First
Real estate can be an incredibly rewarding career, but there are some very important things to consider to determine of it’s the right career path for you. As an agent, you have a lot of freedom that allows you to work when and how you want, but being able to handle such freedom and still get the work done is just one of many challenges that agents new and old alike face!
Know the Requirements
Before you can even pursue a career in real estate, it’s important to note how you can become qualified as an agent. For starters, you must be at least 18 years old in the state of North Carolina. In addition, you must be a US citizen, a non-citizen national, or a qualified alien under federal law. You will also need to complete a state-approved 75 hour broker licensing course, and pass the North Carolina State Licensing Exam. Lastly, you’ll have to complete an additional 90 hours of post-licensing education within three year of passing the state licensing exam.
You can learn more on our real estate agent requirements page.
Understand the Workload
Often times the workload of real estate agents can seem like solely entails showing and selling homes, but there’s a lot more that goes on behind the scenes! As an agent you’ll be managing your office, regularly filling out paperwork, discovering and generating leads, as well as negotiating on behalf of your clients. You need to be prepared to put in the hours to do all of this and more to ensure your success as an agent.
Know you Work Schedule
As an agent you can set your own schedule each day, which means that you won’t be working specific hours each day. While this sort of flexibility can certainly be nice, it’s important to note that this means you’ll often be working weekends and holidays as your work is year-round. In addition, this means that when a client calls you immediately take time for them, even if it’s time that would typically be spent doing something other than work.
Business can Start Slow but Improves as you do
Often times in the beginning of your real estate career, you’ll typically be spending more money than you’ll be making in order to get yourself started. Often times new agents have a bit of money saved to sustain them while they find their stride in the real estate business, so planning a bit for this early challenge can put you ahead of the curve!
That said, one of the biggest benefits of being an agent is that your earnings are based solely on how hard you work. The more success you have as an agent, the more money you’ll earn, which means that your earnings are completely in your hands!
Real estate can be incredibly rewarding and there are a lot of reasons to like what the field has to offer. Understanding the different rewards and challenges of a real estate career should be the first thing any prospective agent does!
