THE SILVER LINING CHRONICLES - IS REAL ESTATE A GOOD CAREER?

IS REAL ESTATE A GOOD CAREER?

In SRES class, we learned about Russell, a real estate agent at the age of 103.  For most of his life, he was a physician.  Now, he sells houses.

DOES IT KINDA MAKE YOU WONDER WHO'S DOING THE DRIVING?

Many years ago, my mom retired after 25 years of government service. Feeling bored and without purpose, she turned to volunteer work. It helped some, but not quite enough. She found her focus again in real estate. First, an agent, then, a broker. She was hooked and continues to work to this day.

A buyer that I met, recently, had a difficult life. Way back in the 1950's, she started out as a nursing student. A traumatic event kept her from finishing school. Late in life, she became a real estate agent. Now she has the career she always wanted.

It's not like commission sales are so easy.

There's the frustration you feel when you're trying to get a client into a house and the listing agent will absolutely not answer his phone or respond to voicemail or email. There's the hurt you feel when your client says she doesn't feel comfortable with you and it all appears to be based on something out of your control like skin color. There's the stress you feel when your client speaks the same foreign language as the homeowner (a language you don't speak) and they enter into a long-winded conversation outside the home. Shortly after they dismiss you,  your mind starts working overtime and imagining the worst case scenario.

OKAY, so I had a tough week.

But WHY CHOOSE REAL ESTATE?

Everyone I meet has a story. For some, it may even be the 3rd or 4th career change of their lives. Maybe it's because the start-up costs are so relatively low

or maybe it's because

Real Estate is the great equalizer. It doesn't matter your age, gender, religion, level of education, or native language. All that's required to get started is a good deal of motivation, some basic real estate knowledge, and a lot of hard work and persistence. It is also necessary to have superb organizational skills since you are running your own business and the realization that relationship building takes time. A nest egg to live on is crucial for the first 9 months or so when you likely won't have any income. Just as important, is the ability to listen well and really hear your client's needs.

NOT REQUIRED? An overly-aggressive, sales-type personality!

In high-trust sales, where consumers are making, what may be, the most important and expensive decision of their lives, at the very least, you need to possess a sincere desire to help.

We all have housing needs and the market has different niches.

Stick around a while and you'll find the place that best suits your personality.