Very good subject. Here in sexy Miami as sad as it sounds a large amount of customers want that "sexy" young thing be it female or male. 

One of the many great things about a career in real estate is that the agents appear to come in all age ranges, all with different perspectives and fresh ideas. I'm totally comfortable and am thoroughly enjoying growing older gracefully in this business! Thanks Tabitha

I feel we can grow old gracefully in an business or career.  If we are confident in who we are and how we do what we do ... age should not be an issue. We can serve others at any age.

My motto is:  love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe.  That said, I don't pay much attention to what others are doing.  I find when I do, then that takes MY time away from paying attention to what I am doing!  I am growing older, maturing and aging.  What I do with that is up to me . . . and my paddlin'

Tabitha, it cuts both ways from what I've seen.

There are some agents who have been in the business since Biblical times and still operate that way, and I don't think they've learned from their experience other than to pile on the mileage on their cars.  Others who have been working alongside them for as many years are true fountains of wisdom.

On the other end of the spectrum, some new agents think that a fresh face will solve any issues or concerns.  Other newbie agents bring a fresh approach which has caused me to apprecaite their perspective.

It turns out my task is to separate those I can & should learn from, because there are always people to learn from when we continue this craft.

I think you summed it up nicely with the statements regarding we can all learn from each other... true the younger set has more tech savvy and the older set has more built in long term experience/ wisdom... pair up, find the balance and make it happen! Great Post!

We got a bunch of non-quitters born in the 1930s still drive clients around showing homes. I would not want to ride with them. They are octogenarians.... One was stopped. He lost his drivers license years ago.

What a great topic! I think real estate may be one of the only industries where you can grow old and still compete. Well, at least, there's no forced retirement. However, it's still only the younger 20 and 30 somethings, that are recruited for reality T.V. This may be of no interest to you, and your booming business may be off the charts but, in this country, youth is revered - for better or for worse.

Great blog and so many great comments!

Wow Tabitha Rector-Richardson!

You really hit a hot button with this post.  126 comments already!

Patricia Kennedy beat me to the age statistic. I researched that on my way to deciding to become an agent. I have seven+ years of experience to accumulate before I become the average age of 57.  I'm definitely new to the business, but I'm no spring chicken either. 

I think the mix of newbie vs. seasoned is the same as in any industry. The mix of fresh eyes with well-earned seasoning keeps both groups on their toes, regardless of their chronological ages.

I have both learned from VERY experienced agents and those who have been licensed for days.  I believe in staying "current" with technology.

Hey, Tabitha!

I included this post in today's summary of Last Week's Favorites on ActiveRain. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Hi Tabitha Rector-Richardson - In my area Sedona Arizona the average age of residents is 57.  We have a lot of older agents and it is no problem at all.  I agree with Kat Palmiotti - acting old could be a problem.  As long as you stay up on the tech, marketing, and trends in real estate, I am pretty confident you can go on until you don't want to retire.  The longer you are in the game the more chances you will see lots of referrals.  If you have a good base and you work your referrals you should be able to work smarter and not harder as you age!

Tabitha - this is such a great message for experienced people, not just Realtors.  There is a level of experience and maturity that help the younger workers who can, in turn, help with technology.

So true! I've learned and used technology rather than anti-aging cream to compete with younger agents. And I love mentoring newer agents... they help me as much as I help them!

I turned 40 years old myself this year and I don't feel any pressure to "compete" with younger agents. I've got over 17 years in the industry with many more to come. 

I let my old age looks work for me!

I missed you at first. I found this post through Patricia Kennedy 's post... 

I'm growing older and I'm going to just stay me. Not worried about perception. 

The anti-aging products just show how very shallow our society is about judging aging people, women especially and how looks seem to be more important than they really are. Look at the 7 year-old, burned over most of her very young body in NY state, who lost all of her family in a fire the year before and has had many MANY painful surgeries. She just wanted 100 Christmas cards for Christmas, she didn't ask for a whole new face. The outpouring of love that came from the WORLD as a result of her aunt putting her request on Facebook was so phenomenal that it only goes to show that it's about the HEART AND SOUL of a person, not their physicality. She didn't shirk from the cameras, she showed her wonderful sense of herself, and at such a young age, we can ALL learn from her about what life really means.