August 3, 2022
“I signed up for the top real estate school.”
“I’m tired of my current job.”
“I’ll never get rich working for somebody else.”
On the first day at our real estate school, we ask people why they are getting their real estate license. The responses vary, but when we talk to the most successful graduates of Garden State Real Estate Academy—the people who got their new real estate license and are now earning six-figure incomes, we hear common answers as to the rewards of a real estate career.
“I like owning my own business”
There is nothing like being in control of your own destiny. Some people invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy a franchise, only to then be constantly challenged by employee problems, rising rents, paying franchise fees, etc. As a new real estate agent, you will be starting your own business—typically for less than $3,000 in first-year expenses.
“I like the idea of unlimited income.”
When you work as an employee for somebody else, your income is at their discretion. You slave away doing a fantastic job and then get a 1% salary increase next year. In real estate, YOU set your income goals. If you want to earn enough to take the family to Walt Disney World next year, you can. But if you want to earn $100,000 in your first year and $250,000 a couple of years later—you can do that also. There is literally no limit to your earning potential—except the limitations you put on yourself.
“I have the freedom to set my own schedule”
“I would love to cheer on my son at his school track meets!”
“I wish I could devote more time to doing volunteer work.”
“We’re empty-nesters now and I’d like to spend some time during the week having “Us Time” with my partner.”
Most real estate agents are independent contractors. As such, they are in control of their own schedules. No employer can order them to be at work for certain meetings or other obligations.
Yes, to be successful, you may want to work some weekends and evenings, but that is your decision. And if several times each year you want to take a few of glorious days for a mini vacation or to visit friends—that is also your decision, not that of a boss who puts his own interests first.
Few professions have better opportunities for a great work-life balance than real estate.
“I love helping people.”
People call real estate professionals during some of the most stressful and important milestones in their life: People getting married, people getting divorced, buying a first home, moving to a job in a new city, buying a vacation or investment property, needing a bigger or better business location. . . these are just a tiny example of the client calls a real estate agent gets on a typical day.
Being able to show empathy, providing over-the-top service when a seller asks for help in selling their home before it goes into foreclosure, or when a grieving family member calls to say they need to sell the home where they grew up now that mom has died. . . these are the times when you will feel like you really made a difference in somebody’s life today.
“I just like showing houses.”
Few genres of TV program have seen more growth than those that offer insights into helping people buy and sell homes. Everybody likes looking at other people’s homes—and now you can get paid for doing it!
Rarely do you show two identical homes, and it is fun to show your clients some of the great new gadgets and features that many of them have.
“I can never be fired.”
When COVID-19 hit, more than 40 million people lost their jobs. Decent, honest, hardworking smart people were suddenly thrown into endless sleepless nights worrying how they could make their mortgage payments or provide for their families. And all through no fault of their own.
Most real estate agents work as independent contractors. That means they are their own boss. They can fire themselves. . . if they sit home all day waiting for business to come to them, but they are running their own business, in control of their own future.
In good times and bad, people still need the services of real estate agents. When interest rates are up or down; when the economy is in boom or bust mode; whether Republicans or Democrats are in power . . .
- People are getting married, and they need to buy houses.
- People are getting divorced, and they need to sell houses and buy new ones.
- People are having babies, and they need to buy bigger houses.
- People are becoming empty-nesters and retiring, and they need to sell their large homes and buy smaller houses.
- Whether for personal or employment reasons people move, and they need to sell and buy houses.
- And sadly, people die, and their heirs need to sell houses to settle their estate.
“No two days are ever the same.”
Tired of a dull job, always doing the same thing? You will love real estate!
According to 30-year real estate veteran Dave Forward, “I have real estate colleagues who sell a little bit of everything. Then there are others who have developed a unique and profitable niche that sets them apart as industry specialists.
“One has contracts with national franchises to locate sites for their new restaurants. Another specializes in selling multi-million-dollar homes to NFL and NBA stars must sell and buy quickly when traded to or from another team. Another only sells oceanfront homes in Florida while yet another ONLY sells condos in Center City Philadelphia. I know agents out West who primarily sell ranches and farms and one has developed a nationwide reputation for selling mobile home parks. Oh, and he made $325,000 doing so last year!
“Yes, it is a cliché, but in real estate, no two transactions are ever the same and neither are any two days.”
“It feels good to be considered an ‘expert.’”
People will respect you as a person who has the expertise they need to solve their problems. A law firm needs 10,000 square feet of Class A office space; a job transferee from out of town has 7 days for you to find a home for her family near good schools and within 20 minutes of their new workplace; A relative calls from a faraway state saying grandma lived in your area and she just died; they need help selling her home. While commission checks in the thousands are obviously a good thing, nothing quite compares to the feeling you enjoy when a client says, “I NEVER could have done this without you!”
One of the best resources to help new real estate agents plan for real estate career success is the new book, “Zero to Hero: Winning strategies for new real estate agents to become SuperStars in their first year.” At an introductory price of only $25, it is the best road map you could ever invest in. You can order it here: https://gsreacademy.com/book-zero-to-hero-the-one-book-you-have-to-have-to-jump-start-your-real-estate-career/
If you are thinking of getting your real estate license, Garden State Real Estate Academy is the state’s top-rated real estate school. If you need a New Jersey real estate license, you can choose from daytime or evening classes: click here: https://gsreacademy.com/pre-licensing-courses/
If you need to earn a real estate license in a state other than New Jersey, Garden State Real Estate Academy also offers online self-study real estate licensing classes in 21 states through our partnership with The CE Shop. And while New Jersey does NOT allow self-study pre-licensing classes, we do offer self-study pre-licensing classes in 25 other states by clicking here: https://gsreacademy.theceshop.com/pre-licensing.
David C. Forward is a licensed real estate broker and instructor and was first licensed as a Realtor® 34 years ago. During his career, David and his business partner sold more than 500 homes in South Jersey. He is now School Director of Garden Real Estate Academy, has won numerous awards for real estate sales, is a much-requested public speaker who has addressed audiences on six continents. His 20th book Zero to Hero: Winning strategies for new real estate agents to become SuperStars in their first year was released this month.
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