Part-Time Agent Considers Clients "Side Dishes"

Well, I've actually known quite a few very good part-time agents in my 17 years in the industry. I know it's not the norm but they are out there. I've been shouting it from the rooftops for years that we need a higher level of education requirement to become an agent. Now that I'm a teaching broker maybe I can have some influence over that. 

There is no doubt that some part timers think this, but there are also plenty who would like to be full time and can't yet. They take it seriously and do a very good job. 

I tend to agree with Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner It's hard to break into real estate especially for the younger generation who also have families to support. I would not have been able to do it early in my career so chose a different path. Now? Full time and loving it and have made it my lifestyle.

I don't have a problem with part-time agents who know the limitations on their ability to deliver results and have a plan in place when the customer demands (deserves) better.

Wow!  This part-timer did a great job of summing it all up!  Hope that she is has a full-time professional at her office she can pay to do all of the work of preparing the main dish!

She's licensed in the state of Texas which has one of the highest amount of training hours required to become licensed; she's a Realtor which means she is bound by the same code of ethics other Realtors are .. and she works for a broker which means there was some interview/vetting process in some way shape or form.  I didn't take the same apparent offense to her article that you did and believe she may have an inside tract with her co-workers and other corporate workers who would perceive her as "one of their own", which I think would be to her advantage.

I too know many part-timers who do a great job.  On the flip side, there are some full-timers who don't respond quickly, or are hard to reach.

I get that some part-timers are good at what they do and they need the extra income - but this article riles me as well.  We get better as we get experienced - and that comes with working a lot of hours.  

The bottom line is that the clients could (and do) get hurt by agents that simply aren't getting enough time on the job.

Part-time isn't a great fit for real estate, but less-than-great agents are everywhere. Perhaps their shortcomings are more obvious as part-timers. But there are some great agents out there - and here in the Rain - who make it work well.

Hank agreed the bar should absolutley be raised HIGH to enter the real estate industry. We've attempted that for many years and  it gets shot down as it's a legistlative issue that must be voted on. The reason I last heard is that they can't discriminate or keep people from working in a 'right to work' state.  Makes no sense to me as to cut hair it's about 3000 hours, to do nail it's about 3000 hours - need I go on. To handle most people's largest financial transaction it's 100 hours - real scary. With that said - with a good 'hands on' broker new agents will have supervision and guidance.

Hank Miller Interesting post - couldn't read the original article as it requires an Inman subscription.  Unfortunately it's a numbers game.  Unless it becomes too expensive for the part time (or low producing full time) agent to stay in the industry, they will continue.

I'm not even going to waste my time reading about what a "part time" agent is writing about.  If an agent is doing it for the money . . . they are NOT in the real estate business for the right reasons.  I have based my 16+ years REPRESENTING CLIENTS!  Most agents don't have a clue what this is all about . . . because they are "just" doing it for the money.  The general pubic, and the majority of real estate agents, don't know FIDUCIARY DUTY from a hole in the ground.  

Part-timers do not last long in my market area. They may see some success to keep at it as a part-timer but eventually they won't be around if they need an income. In my state, the transactional side in a real estate sale is overwhelming. However, there will always be new ones to replace the ones who leave. There are changes headed our way, like it or not, and, many agents are blind to what's coming.

That's just rationalization.  Part time agents are part time because they can't quite make it as full time agents.

Always will be part time agents. Some are OK. Some aren't. I have never been a part time agent so I can't relate. Maybe when I retire I will understand.

I was part time for a long while. Some differentiating traits with me was that my mentor was my dad with 50 years in the business now. I was also clear with anyone working with me what they would expect. I never worked with more than one or two clients at a time. I made more income part time that a lot of full timers.

We have to look at the individual, not the "title".

Hank Miller - wondering if this is ever going to change! Yes, people do need to make money - however, there is a lot of risk involved in it when not done right.

DANGER report is so right!