Every once a while, I get some emails about how to begin a journey in Real Estate. Honestly, I dont know why I get them. But everytime I do, I do my best to help tell my story from my point of view.

Here's some pointers to share (through my own story):

I started the real estate journey with no intentions of making an income, much less making this into a full-time endevour. My dear husband and I wanted to purchase rental properties and after seeing so many houses, the agents really do expect us to put in offers. Since we are very conservative financial people, hence you might know, we were even slower to make the offer. I'm an engineer (in my past life) so the numbers MUST work! I became an agent soon after that - only with intentions to service our own portfolio. Right around the same time when I started, our friends seeked "advice" in joining the quest to HomeOwnership. So, the beauty was that I got paid along the way.

My first 3 years, I did nominal marketing. I think I spent no more than $500 that first year to print some calenders - just to look like a real estate agent. I considered myself making great supplemental income. I did around a handful of transactions per year. On top of that, I rebated my clients. (I really didnt need the income and I had a "for friends" attitude). My first transaction was 4 months after I got my license. Very quickly, I built a small "fan club" - ie my family and real close friends sell me more than I "sell" myself. My 1st client was through my sister's friend's friend. 1 month later, I was the listing agent for the 1st time - my mom's friend. Not before long, business was picking up. It definitely was better than checking out customers at Walmart (you can tell, I'm easily contented).....

(Be gentle with this comment. If I'm wrong, I humbly apologize because I know nothing other than the world of Discount Brokerage)
I think a rookie can win if you go to a resourceful discount broker (not just any broker) - to pay the broker on a per transaction basis and the rest are mine to keep. Remember, this industry is about you as a person, not the sign on your business card AS Jeff Belonger have put it in his informative blog. I pay a desk fee and I pay my dues... I cover all my expenses in 1 transaction back then.

Your longevity in this business really depends on a few factors (broker/training, finances, attitude). Once you get the attitude down, the road ahead will look bright. Do take this is a business, not a job. It takes alot of entrepreneurship to succeed, alot more of discipline and hard work to churn ideas into reality. It much more than is required of me and I found out about this only after I took this business seriously.

You and your broker must be on the same page. If the broker sees you as a "recurring" paycheck, then it may not be for you. This broker needs to understand where you are at, where you plan to go and help you grow to where you want to be (at your pace!). When I started, my broker gave me 1-to-1 training. I followed him just as often as I could. If he cant be there for you, try partnering ie slavering yourself (I'm kidding - but you get the picture) to a more competent agent! Help do whatever it takes so that you might learn..... However, I find that agents and agents (in the same area) seem to have a heart-to-heart envy and really never want to truly help (I choose to see it as a healthy phenomenon). If you can find it, go for it. Jeff Belonger said this perfectly on his blog.

Another alternative is to find a real estate coach who has been there and done that. I'm very skeptical about signing up for training (again, El Chepo is my middle name). I am one of them that thinks that I'm signing up making this person rich, not quite getting the same from the materials. So, I never did look into this avenue until I met my coach (yes, now I do). Her personality is very similar to mine - we are highly organized, highly pumped, yet we are very "shy" and never really possess the "loud personality". The best thing for me was that she gets paid only when I get paid. I like this business model - it's simple because she does have a vested interest in my success. So, challenge yourself to see if you can find a coach that shares similar personality and character traits. 

The last factor to the longevity is the finances. Have a good pile of savings to sit on (at least 6 months they say). Since I'm on the conservative side. My financial business philosophy is simple: I dont spend money I dont have. That's just me. Hence, I ran my business that way. I let my profits of the business cycle itself. I think a zillion times before I spend it. And it needs to be justified. I have a "x" amount that I want to retain each year. This number varies each year.

For those who have been in the business for a while, empower the rookies by sharing your story of how you got started. Everyone has a story to tell. It's your turn.