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On Labor Day: Is Real Estate a Job or a Career?

By Mary Hutchison, SRES, ABR

Real Estate Agent with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate-Kansas City Homes

September 03, 2012 01:22 AM

It’s been a relaxing weekend for me so far...and it feels great! I did work with some out of town buyers relocating to Kansas City, and took the girls shopping. Tonight, we are having friends over for dinner, although it’s too hot and muggy to eat outside. I’d like to visit the pool one last time! This is the last holiday weekend until..Thanksgiving, at least for most folks who don’t work for the government.

While relaxing on Saturday night, I started watching a Chris Rock concert on HBO. I’m a fan of his humor. He’s very smart and sharp when it comes to composing his comedy bits. Like all good comics, he bases his humor on what he sees and feels about everyday life. At one point in the show, he started riffing about the difference between a job and a career. Chris Rock

He started out by admitting he stupidly dropped out of high school. He got a job in the back of a fast food seafood restaurant, scraping shrimp off plates. For hours and hours, he scraped, scraped, scraped those plates. And that job was the best he could do with his level of education at the time. He hated it.

Then, Chris started talking about his career. As a comic, he works a lot, constantly coming up with new material, searching for inspiration on new bits to develop, working in movies and as a stand-up comic. Because he loves what he does for a living, he emphasized this is his career, not only a job. WIth a career, you are focused, determined, motivated to do better. A job is just a way to earn a paycheck, and you can’t wait until your shift is over.

Inspired by Chris, I was thinking of my career as a real estate agent on this Labor Day. In the beginning, it felt like just a job, but without a regular paycheck. I had to educate myself on various neighborhoods, contract documents, financing, attend inspections, learn how to market myself and my services. It was tedious, time consuming, and with very little income. But I liked what I was doing, so I worked long hours on my own little ‘start up’ business. There were times in the beginning when I had nothing I had to do that day for my job, but I worked anyway. There was so much to learn, and so I forced myself to soak up as much as I could about being a professional, knowledgeable agent--even though it would have been easier to just blow off the day and watch movies on the sofa. Eventually, I turned the job into a career. When did that happen? When I really started to enjoy what I was doing, when I felt this was a service I could provide to people and be proud of it. When I started learning from the mistakes, when I realized I was in control of the business. When I felt a sense of accomplishment and appreciation from my clients. When I had to work three days straight with one client but enjoyed their company so much, it was a bubbly mixture of work and interesting conversations.

Now I still work long hours and am constantly trying to improve myself as an agent. Keeping up with technology, new rules and regulations, recognizing the shifting needs of buyers and consoling sellers who can’t get what they want for their house--these challenges are ever present. But like Chris, I really like what I do and have developed my career. Thankfully, it will never be just a job to me.

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Christine Blaski

Cornerstone Real Estate - Frisco, CO

Frisco, Summit County CO Realtor

Certainly a career - within my own business.

By the way, I'm a little envious you had a relaxing weekend. Reading a few minutes of AR was my break this weekend. Yet, I loved every minute of my busy-ness.

Thanks.

Sep 03, 2012 03:02 PM

Jon Quist

REALTY EXECUTIVES ARIZONA TERRITORY - Tucson, AZ

Tucson's BUYERS ONLY Realtor since 1996

In my case I feel it's a career. Usually. I do long for the good old days when it really WAS a lot of fun as well, but, hey...

Sep 03, 2012 03:46 PM

Bob Miller

Keller Williams Cornerstone Realty - Ocala, FL

The Ocala Dream Team

Hi Mary, we agree. We love our real estate careeers and enjoy our jobs so much that when we do take time off, we can enjoy that as well.

Sep 03, 2012 08:00 PM

Richard and Jean Murphy

Harborview Properties - Portland, ME

(207) 712-4796

Mary, I always remember what a long-time Realtor told me years ago. Once you work as a Realtor fo 5-years, you "cannot" do anything else. It appears he was right! Nothing compares to this job in terms of having to stay on top of your game and having to keep up with the changing markets and changing technology. Not for the faint of heart.

Sep 03, 2012 08:21 PM

Dana Hollish Hill

Hollish Hill Group, JPAR Stellar Living - Bethesda, MD

REALTOR * Broker * Coach

Real Estate is also a lifestyle choice that impacts your family. While other families are at the pool on the weekends, my kids know that mommy is working. By your definitions, my real estate business is a career for me. I love it and can't imagine doing anything else. But, there are sacrifices that Realtor parents make that not all 9 to 5 employees must make.

I worked all three days this weekend because that is when my clients didn't have to work. I made all of my appointments in the mornings and spent the afternoons with my family. My husband has to step up when I work weekends. So I think real estate is more than a job, career, or business. It is a lifestyle as well.

Sep 03, 2012 11:31 PM

Mary Hutchison, SRES, ABR

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate-Kansas City Homes - Kansas City, MO

Experienced Agent in Kansas City Metro area

Dana: You are so right about the lifestyle aspect with children. I could not do this job w/o my husband's steady paycheck and benefits, plus the regular work schedule he has. However, it's nice when the kids have'snow' days, to just work from home with them playing outside!

Richard and Jean: One reason I went into real estate is that I knew I could do it as long as I wanted--we have a working agent in our office who's 80! If you can keep up, you can keep going!

Jon, I believe things are getting better but there are still 'down' days -- I just try to stay positive!

Christine, I hope your working weekend paid off...that's how it is around the holidays. I hope your clients understood that YOU would like a bit of time for yourself over the weekend.

Sep 04, 2012 12:37 AM

Tony Barker

Premiere Home Realty - Tony Barker 832-867-0835 - Houston, TX

I think of Real Estate as a way of life.

Good post!

Tony

Sep 04, 2012 12:40 AM

Yaz Elshurafa

Realty Executives Elite Ltd. - London, ON

Excellent post!

Sep 04, 2012 12:51 AM

Zoe Horlick

Schwab Realty, Inc - Sequim, WA

Buying and Selling,its all about YOUR needs

Great post! It is so true when it comes to just a job or enjoying what you are doing to help others.

Sep 04, 2012 02:22 AM

Hans Bruhner

First Priority Financial - Sebastopol, CA

Sonoma County Home Loans

thank you and thanks to Chris as well. That is a great idea for a video for me. As a mortgage banker/broker I am in the same boat as Realtors and I have trained and educated myself and when compared to someone who is at a call center at Wells Fargo or B of A for a paycheck, there is no comparison.

Sep 04, 2012 02:25 AM

Paula Stills

Elite Realty - Rogers, AR

Full time Real Estate, Ready when you are!

Passion, interest and excitement is something we should all strive for in our work life. It shows dedication.

Sep 04, 2012 03:36 AM

Anonymous

Jewel Johnson

Absolutely love the post Mary. Regardless of your profession, everyone should think this way. Thanks for sharing.

Sep 04, 2012 03:43 AM

#78

Anonymous

Michelle

BTW, all of us Realtors who have a viable business.....we Built It!

Because I don't remember anyone else by my side helping, giving me money or providing moral support all those long arduous hours to get to where my business is today.

Just saying....:-)

Sep 04, 2012 06:32 AM

#79

Gene Riemenschneider

Home Point Real Estate - Brentwood, CA

Turning Houses into Homes

I think that was insightful post and I feel better working 60 hours a week at this job than I did working 40 hours at others. So it is a career. Chris Rock gives me mixed emotions. He is foul mouthed more than he needs to be ( I am no prude but cussing to cuss is not funny) and is politics are opposite of mine. Yet I also agree he is a very smart man and very insightful about certain things.

Sep 04, 2012 10:25 AM

Sharon Vest

Century 21 JC Jones American Dream - Grants Pass, OR

I have been "ready to retire" for the past 3 years, can't figure out how to do it! It becomes a lifestyle as much as it is a career. It is as much who you are as what you are! How does one stop being "you"? I will always be a Realtor even when I am finally "retired".

Ever notice how when you drive around you are thinking "I sold that house or I wonder where the (sellers) are today"? We do more than build a career, we help shape our communities by what we do on a daily basis. It is like making a quilt, stitching together our neighborhoods one block at a time.

Sep 05, 2012 07:11 PM

Mary Hutchison, SRES, ABR

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate-Kansas City Homes - Kansas City, MO

Experienced Agent in Kansas City Metro area

Sharon, one of the reasons I chose real estate as a career was b/c I knew no one could 'fire' me and I could do it as long as I was able. I loved your comments about shaping a community--that's inspiration for another blog post!

Sep 05, 2012 11:31 PM

Nan Jester

Exit Real Estate Gallery Jacksonville Beach, FL - Jacksonville Beach, FL

Realtor, Exit Real Estate Gallery

In my way of thinking, you would almost be out of your mind to do this profession of Real Estate as a job. Else, you might kill your own self.

Sep 07, 2012 12:29 AM

Monique Ting

INET Realty Honolulu, HI - Honolulu, HI

Your agent under the sun

Very well said. In order to last in the business one has to view it as a profession and be passionate about it. This is definitively not "just a job"!

Sep 08, 2012 02:56 PM

Steve Higgins

RE/MAX Kelowna - Kelowna, BC

Hi Mary,

It certainly is my career, I love it even with all the frustrations that go along with it.

Sep 13, 2012 05:14 PM

Thomas J. Nelson, REALTOR ® e-Pro CRS RCS-D Vets

Big Block Realty 858.232.8722 - La Jolla, CA

CEO of Vision Drive Realty - Coastal San Diego

Many people that start in real estate come from W-2 jobs, so they tend treat it like a job and like they're getting a paycheck. The day it becomes a career, is the day they run their business like a business and collect a commission check.

I enjoyed your post and reading about the journey you took thanks for sharing and being so transparent. I enjoy Chris rock too.

Jan 30, 2016 01:08 PM