Should I Become a Real Estate Agent?
There are many benefits to becoming a real estate agent. They work flexible schedules, earn good money, and explore amazing houses. Notably, some realtors make six and seven-figure commissions. You can’t expect to reach that level in your first year. On average, agents make around $48,770 annually. However, the actual pay varies wildly due to several factors.
As with many positions, realtors earn different commissions based on their state. In Ohio, for example, the median pay is around $56,400. On the other side of the country, Californian real estate agents make closer to $80,000. Similarly, your location within a state can affect your commission as well. Consider how many more clients you’ll find in cities and suburbs versus isolated rural areas. Beyond location is how much time you dedicate to your trade.
Realtors work on commission. Thus, their annual income depends on how many houses they can get off the market. You get to choose how many hours you work in real estate. You can’t expect to hit those big figures if you’re only putting a few hours in a week.
However, this shines a light on one of the many benefits of becoming a real estate agent: you can be your boss. You can work as much as you need to work. Indeed, even spending less than 20 hours per week on the job can land you an annual take-home of $43,889. That’s a higher salary than many of the other jobs you can get without a degree.
Keep reading to learn why you should become a real estate agent.
Top 10 Reasons to Become a Real Estate Agent
There are countless reasons to get involved in real estate. For example, you get a great work-life balance, amazing benefits, and the ability to make a difference in someone’s life. Whatever your motivation and goals, you can change your life for the better by becoming a real estate agent.
1. Be Your Own Boss
As we mentioned, being a real estate agent means the opportunity to work for yourself. Of course, you can work with an agency as well.
When working as your boss, you determine your goals, schedule, and coworkers. As a realtor, you’ll often work with a team to best help your clients. Your crew can consist of inspectors and mortgage brokers that you can recommend. Also, you can team up with another realtor to expand your clientele and help more people.
2. Leave the Office Behind
Most jobs keep us cooped up in the office all day. We’ll spend our 9-5 at a desk and behind a computer screen. As a real estate agent, you get the opportunity to leave all of that behind. Indeed, you’ll explore homes, attend networking events, and spend each day somewhere new. Not every house you see will be a pristine mansion, but you get to explore new areas and discover the hidden gems of your state.
So, if you’re someone who hates office jobs, consider if you should become a real estate agent.
3. Every Day is Unique in Real Estate
No two days will be the same in realty between new clients and new houses. You’ll explore beautiful estates one day and old historical homes the next. Depending on your niche, you may become an expert in mobile homes, local history, and more.
Additionally, as a realtor, you’ll need to network to succeed. As a result, you won’t just meet diverse clients. Through events, get to know who else works in the field, such as interior designers, maintenance workers, and more. The people you meet will benefit both you and your clients.
4. Choose Your Workload
We mentioned earlier that you can spend less than 20 hours per week at work and still make a profit. Truly, real estate agents have a lot of freedom. As fewer houses are sold in the winter, you can pack more work time in summer. Then, you can spend those cold months indoors and with your family and friends.
Additionally, if you’re looking to build up your career, you should upscale your marketing. At first, you’ll spend more time getting your name around before getting clients. Once you’ve effectively marketed your business, you can find more jobs through word of mouth.
Basically, with more time and experience, your marketing efforts will become more passive. You’ll find yourself with more clients and more time to yourself.
5. Unlimited Earning Potential
When you consider whether you should become a real estate agent, consider the unlimited earning potential. Notably, there is no cap on your annual pay. We’ve gone over what the average real estate agent makes. However, you don’t have to stick to the average income.
The more time you invest in your business, the higher your earning potential grows. Good reviews and marketing make a huge difference. People want someone they can trust for something as huge as buying a house. When potential clients see well-made ads, they’re more willing to reach out to you.
Additionally, people who have had a good experience will recommend you to friends and family. As a result, you’ll find new clients without any extra effort on your end.
In the end, you get to choose how much you earn every year. You need to research and learn what to focus on to reach your goals. For example, consider high-end real estate if you’re looking to make the big bucks for less time. Also, your marketing efforts need to reach your niche to ensure success.
6. Meet New People
If you’re a social butterfly, meeting new people can be a benefit in this career. As we mentioned, networking helps you meet new clients and potential partners. Additionally, communication skills are vital in real estate. You need to know how to talk to people to sell them a house. However, getting to know strangers does more than help you at work.
Meeting new people can enhance your understanding of the world. Truly, if you’re only talking to the people in your immediate area, your experiences will be limited. Expanding your social circle helps you learn new concepts and ideas. You’ll also open yourself up to new personal opportunities, including finding new hobbies and learning new skills. Additionally, you might even find yourself with a new friend.
7. No Degree, No Problem in Real Estate
You don’t need a four-year degree to become a real estate agent. Indeed, all you need to get started is your license. Some states do have different requirements to earn your license. You can learn about what you need by clicking here.
In Ohio, you need 120 hours of relevant training and coursework, and you must earn at least 70% in your program. Additionally, you’ll need to be sponsored by a broker.
As you don’t need a degree, you can feel comfortable knowing it’s never too early nor too late to get started. Indeed, you don’t need to worry about building student loan debt or going back for a degree after being out of school for decades. Rather, you can start your training today and begin your career in just a few months.
8. Meaningful Work
One of the amazing benefits of joining real estate is that you’re helping people with one of the biggest decisions they’ll make. Buying a house is a huge deal for most. In real estate, you’re helping people find the home in which they’ll raise a family, build their careers, and start their lives.
Overall, you can end your day knowing you helped someone find the house of their dreams.
9. Embrace Your Creative Side and Learn New Skills
One of the biggest issues in 9-to-5s is they stifle creative ideas. It can be difficult to think outside the box when you’re filling out the same reports daily and week-to-week. However, real estate not only encourages creativity but also rewards you for it.
Namely, you can put a lot of creativity into your marketing efforts. You can build your platform on any social media site by posting unique content. Write interesting posts, take photos of beautiful or strange things you find in homes, and generally have fun. In the end, the more creative you are with marketing, the more successful you’ll be.
10. Make a Difference
The real estate industry is huge and complex, and sometimes dangerous. Notably, some homebuyers will fall victim to schemes and dishonest sellers. For example, you can find horror stories all over the internet about people who thought they had found their dream home only to find it filled with termites. As a real estate agent, you have the opportunity to educate your clients. Teach them what to look for and how to be safe. Your information can be life-saving the next time they move.
Additionally, you share helpful hints for home buying and selling with an online platform. You can also share tips like home renovations and design.
Finally, realtors can also make a real difference in their community. When you get to know an area, you learn the needs of the people in it. Some will take an extra step to care for everyone they see week-to-week.
Final Thoughts
Ready to become a real estate agent? As with any career, real estate comes with its ups and downs. However, it is a spectacular career option with extensive benefits, great pay, and the ability to get started right away.
Truly, you can begin your real estate career in just a few months. You can even start building your online platforms while studying and preparing for your test.
As a real estate agent, you can work full-time or part-time. Build your niche and work with the houses and clients of your dreams. You get to design your practice, meet great people, and help others take the next step in their lives.
Overall, becoming a real estate agent sounds like a dream come true.
Live in Ohio and Want to Become a Real Estate Agent?
Lakewood University offers an online Real Estate Sales program to fulfill Ohio’s education requirements. The course takes eight weeks to complete. You’ll study Ohio real estate law, principles and practices, appraisal, and finance in it. You can ask questions and get help from your instructor, a real estate professional with over forty years of experience. After you pass the program, you’ll receive a certificate and be prepared to take your licensure exam.
Ready to enroll? Reach out to our admissions team to learn more and get started today!
