A real estate career is not only a great career move, but a great life choice. You have the potential to earn great amounts of money through real estate, above and beyond your salary, through commission. You also have the opportunity to make a real difference to people's lives when you find them the home they have dreamed of. It is certainly a fantastic feeling making your clients happy whilst getting paid well for it.



Another nice aspect of a job as a realtor is that you can practically set your own hours. You will have clients and will need to work around their schedules, but for the most part you can decide when you want to work. And you get to decide how much you want to work. Of course, the more showings you are willing to go on and the more work you put into marketing yourself, the more you will make. But if you just want to work as a realtor part time, you may be more able to do so then with many other careers.

Most real estate agents work for an agency amongst other agents. Many agencies have targets you must strive to meet, whilst others are more relaxed. It will generally depend on what sort of market you are working in and how high pressure it is there. Every real estate market is different so choosing where to work once you are qualified is an important decision. Do you enjoy the high pressure and fast pace of an inner city real estate agency or would you prefer the slow paced country towns? These are decisions you will need to make when you are ready to seek employment as a real estate agent.

Before you can act as a real estate agent you must become licensed. A university degree is not required for this profession. You can attend college to obtain your real estate agent licence. You must pass the course and all exams to get your license. These courses often take less than two years and can be studied part time. Unlike many career choices, you will not go into work with a huge debt.

Another option for a real estate agent career is to undertake an apprenticeship. Although real estate apprenticeships are not as common as other apprenticeships they do exist in many areas. It is worth asking your local real estate agent if they would consider taking you on as an apprentice. They may appreciate the extra help and you can earn money while you study but more importantly, gain that vital industry experience.

A real estate agent must have excellent communication skills and sales ability. You will be selling people the most expensive item they will ever buy, so making them feel at ease and confident is part of your job. You must also be honest and seek to do the very best by your clients. Honest real estate agents gain an excellent reputation and generally end up earning the most as word of mouth leads them to gain more listings than other agents.