So, why choose real estate over law?

As someone who has a license to practice both real estate and law and who spent the first several years of my career as an attorney, I get this question all the time.   Even from my parents! 

This is how I respond:

As an ATTORNEY: 

• People usually come to see you after the fact, after things get screwed up big time!  NOTE: There is a lot that attorneys can do to counsel people before things go wrong; BUT for some strange reason people prefer to spend BIG $$ to get themselves out of a mess instead of spending much less to prevent it.  Remember, An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure.
• There's a lot at stake whether it's money or personal freedom (in the case of criminal law)
  
• Most people are not accustomed to dealing with lawyers
• They think we're going to be expensive
• People have heard all the attorney jokes.
• Do you know how many lawyer jokes there are?
• ONLY ONE!  ALL THE REST ARE TRUE STORIES
• Law is by nature CONFRONTATIONAL -- one party wins, the other loses -- and we are trained to think that way in law school.
• People are genuinely nervous, anxious and scared when meeting with an attorney

So at an initial meeting, we've got to overcome all of these things.

NOW, As a REALTOR: 

• For most clients it is an exciting time in their lives
• They are buying their first home -- YEAH!
• They are moving up to a larger home
• They are getting a job promotion and can afford a nicer neighborhood
• Their family is getting larger (the stork is on its way)
• They are selling their house and making a good profit
• (sure for some clients w/problems they are losing money or don't want to move, but this is the minority)
• People are making a big investment and rely upon our guidance
• Many people have dealt with Realtors in the past
• Although they may think we are going to be expensive if they are selling their home, and there is no actual cost for buyer representation, the clients DO NOT HAVE TO WRITE A CHECK OR RECEIVE A BILL.  It comes out of the proceeds.  For most people that is a helluva lot easier than writing a check to an attorney.
• There are many fewer Realtor jokes
• Thanks to NAR's promotions and Code of Ethics, we are still viewed as above attorneys and used car salesmen on the food chain.
• Real estate involves much more COOPERATION instead of CONFRONTATION and COMPETITION

Right off the bat, the relationship is much more cordial and friendly.

Both professions have their pros and cons and their rewards and stresses.  And both allow you to make a living using your brain to help and counsel people around some major pitfalls in life.

This is what I have found:

Working for a law firm might mean endless hours of work, often on a small part of a case, working for the partner's clients, playing office politics and trying to make partner in 8-12 years or more.  If you leave the firm, you generally don't take your clients with you.  You get a nice steady paycheck, but there is a limit to your yearly increases.

Working in real estate might still mean lots of hours, but you are working for yourself and have much more control of your time (i.e., I usually eat all 3 meals a day with my wife -- this is important to me!).  My clients are mine (well technically the broker's), but they are loyal to me, and were I ever to switch brokerages, the clients would follow.  There is little if any office politics.  And you create your own destiny financially -- there is no limit to how good a year you can have in real estate.

The Bottom Line:   I have had 2 career mentors in my life.  One in law and one in real estate.  They are both about the same age (early 60s) finishing up their careers.  They are both incredibly successful.  They both work hard.  But, in the four years that I've known both of them, I've never seen the attorney stop working around the clock.  He's taken one vacation for a week and a half since I've known him.  The Realtor takes off a cumulative total of 6-7 weeks a year and travels and pursues outside interests.  The Realtor seems happy and healthy all the time.  The attorney has had several major health issues as well as frequent up and down weight gains and losses.

I am very thankful for my legal education and background and it helps immensely in my real estate career, but 

WHERE DO I WANT TO BE AT THAT AGE?  TAKE A GUESS!