Real estate is a thriving industry, and it is one of the steadiest jobs to be in; people will always need property. That isn’t to say that there aren’t a few setbacks when the economy struggles but this is true for a lot of industries. To have a successful career in real estate, you need to be passionate, personable, and ambitious. Real estate offers many different opportunities for growth and development within your career, but what are the other benefits? Read on to find out.
It is a Rewarding Career
There are not many other careers that are as rewarding as real estate. You get to spend your day helping people to find their dream homes, the place where they will raise their family and grow old. Buying a home is a milestone in many people’s lives, and you are there to facilitate that, from helping a couple buy their first home or helping some downsize in their retirement. This is why the levels of job satisfaction are often high among real estate agents.
It Offers High Incentives
It is no secret that there are some really high incentives up for grabs for real estate agents. Often the commission on a single sale will be higher than most people’s yearly salary. This is one of the biggest attractions for those looking to get into real estate. This is not to say that real estate is easy money because it does take work. However, when done properly, the payoff can be huge.
Amazing Networking Opportunities
If you want to have a successful career in real estate, you need to have solid people skills. This can be make or break for your career. However, it works both ways. Working in real estate often means that you are presented with networking opportunities. Making these contacts can lead to other more lucrative opportunities for you down the line. So if you don’t think your networking skills are up to par, make sure you work on them.
Flexible Working Hours
A career in real estate affords you a certain level of freedom, more so than other jobs. A lot of people don’t like working in an office because they don’t like the hours or they don’t like being confined to an office all day. Some people like to get up early, and they feel the most productive when doing so; others are naturally late risers preferring to work later into the evening. A lot of jobs don’t take this into account, but real estate does. In addition, you are in charge of scheduling your own day, which means that you can make sure that your work schedule fits around your other commitments.
Stability
It may not always seem like it because of fluctuations in the market, but real estate offers a decent level of stability. Of course, it will suffer during major economic crises, as will most industries, but industry-wide layoffs are incredibly rare. There might be a recession going on, but people still need a place to live, and they always will. The secret to a successful real estate career is not just facilitating the buying and selling of homes, but the rentals too. This is what keeps the industry stable, and when the economy is in a slump, people are much more likely to rent than buy.
Career Development
Usually, with other jobs, it can take a while to make any progress; you need to put in the time before you are offered and opportunities for growth. They are still there; they just take longer. Real estate, on the other hand, does not follow the same rules. You are in charge of your own opportunities; if you grow your portfolio to a certain level, the opportunities tend to come in quickly.
Widen Your Skillset
Real estate is comprised of a lot of different moving parts, and so anyone who wants to be a successful real estate agent is forced to pick up a lot of skills. For example, you could be responsible for staging the property, which requires a keen eye for interior design. In addition, you may host open houses, which puts your planning and hosting skills to the test. You also need to have a head for business. These skills can be learned during the early stages of your career, and most of them are transferable, too, should you ever want a change.
Be Your Own Boss
While being your own boss might sound like a big undertaking with a lot of responsibilities, it also means that you have a lot of independence. As touched on above, you will be responsible for your own work and your own development. You get to decide how, when and where you work, you make the decisions for yourself. You can march to the beat of your own drum in that sense. If you want to travel, network or show homes, you are in charge of what your day looks like.
Unlimited Income Potential
The real estate market is vast; people are always and will always be buying, renting, selling and investing. As a real estate agent, you have total control over what your earnings look like. If you put in the work, then who knows what you can bring home? There is no limit on how much you can earn a year. It depends entirely on how much real estate you can sell. If you operate in a particularly lucrative market, you can earn thousands on each individual commission.
No College Degree Needed
You do not need a college degree to be a real estate agent, which means that it is more accessible in that respect; you do not need to go into debt to be able to qualify. All you need is motivation, perseverance and a real estate license. The requirements vary a little by State, but luckily Agent Advice has a ton of resources on how to get a real estate license for your State, so be sure to consult their guides to see what you need to do in order to get started with your real estate career.
Professional Creativity
A lot of real estate agents create their own marketing strategies and produce their own materials. You can let your creative juices flow when you are coming up with your print advertising, internet ads, social media accounts, virtual tours and photos. You can gain a better knowledge of graphic design and marketing, which can translate to a lot of other careers should you want to make a change. You may also have a hand in staging or the interior design of a home too. This level of creativity can be so much fun, and it also allows you to experience a more well-rounded career while giving you more opportunities in the future.
In Conclusion
If you are considering a career in real estate, then make sure you do your research first. You need to understand the market in-depth so that you can understand how to best make money. You should also consider the State of the economy too because while it doesn’t usually lead to layoffs, it can be a hard business to get into when the economy is in a downturn; if you are more established, you are much more likely to weather this without it harming your finances.