It goes without saying that Hondros College has got you covered. If you know you want to shift your career in the direction of real estate, we have the education, student services and career connections to ensure that you stay on the path to success. Click if you’re interested in any of the following: real estate sales, real estate broker, real estate degree, real estate continuing education.
However, if you’re merely curious about what to expect along the way toward a new career in real estate, here are some of the finer points (thanks go out to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for their thorough research):
- Job Outlook - Employment of real estate brokers and sales agents is expected to grow 14% during the 2008-18 decade, faster than average for all occupations. Moreover, a large number of job openings will arise from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force. [More on the real estate job outlook...]
- Nature of the Work - One of the most complex and significant financial events in peoples’ lives is the purchase or sale of a home or investment property. Because of the complexity and importance of this transaction, people typically seek the help of real estate brokers and real estate sales agents when buying or selling real estate. [More on the nature of real estate work...]
- Work Environment - Real estate agents and brokers often work more than a standard 40-hour week, including evenings and weekends (for the convenience of clients). Although the hours are long and frequently irregular, most agents and brokers have the freedom to determine their own schedule. [More on real estate work environment...]
- Education & Training - Prospective agents must be high school graduates, be at least 18 years old, and pass a written test administered by the state. In fact, as real estate transactions have become more legally complex, many firms have turned to college graduates to fill positions. [More on real estate education and training...]
- Licensure - In every state (and the District of Columbia), real estate brokers and sales agents must be licensed. Prospective brokers and agents must pass a written examination. The examination—more comprehensive for brokers than for agents—includes questions on basic real estate transactions and the laws affecting the sale of property. [More on real estate licensure...]
- Advancement - In many large firms, experienced agents can advance to sales manager or general manager. People who earn their broker’s license may open their own offices. Others with experience and training in estimating property values may become real estate appraisers, and people familiar with operating and maintaining rental properties may become property managers. [More on real estate advancement...]
- Employment - Many real estate brokers and sales agents work part-time, but full-time opportunities. About 59 percent of real estate brokers and sales agents are self-employed. [More on real estate employment...]
- Earnings - The median annual wages, including commissions, of salaried real estate sales agents were $40,150 in May 2008. Median annual wages, including commissions, of salaried real estate brokers were $57,500 in May 2008. [More on real estate salaries and earnings...]
- Related Occupations - Other occupations requiring knowledge of real estate include: appraisers and assessors of real estate; property, real estate, and community association managers. Other sales workers who need these character traits include: insurance sales agents; securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents. [More on occupations related to real estate...]
- Additional Information - We encourage you to visit the Hondros College website and browse our real estate education and career information. Further information can be found on the National Association of Realtors’ website.
Be on the lookout for a couple of occupational spotlight posts in the coming weeks. These follow-ups will dive deeper into what it means to be a Real Estate Sales Agent and Real Estate Broker.
Accordingly, as this post is the kickoff to a series, future posts will showcase what you should expect from careers within industries like appraisal, home inspection, insurance and mortgage (to name a few).
So what do you think? Is a career in real estate the right fit for you?
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Tags: Appraisal, career, career in real estate, college, community, Hondros College, Real Estate
Becoming a real estate agent has been one of the best decisions of my life (next to marrying my wife). I truly like people and love real estate and each day brings something new.
It can get kind of tedious at times and stressful at other times, but overall it is very rewarding.
If anyone reading this is considering a real estate career, I say jump on it.
Chris,
Thank you for the comment. I truly couldn’t have put it any better myself. Hope you continue to enjoy success in your real estate career!
Best,
Chris
Nice article.Very insightful post.
Being a real-estate agent can be good but a lot of it is about drive, networking, and of course your location. The real-estate market is going down pretty quick at this point and even though it should rebounds within the next few years I doubt it will ever be booming like it was from 2002-2007 but that is why we had a bubble that burst. I think there is a huge opportunity for those Realtors who can use technology such as mobile apps, etc to market their properties and get leads.
Thanks for the comment, Buzz. It’s very insightful.
As you’ve alluded to, I think we can agree that most markets are cyclical - alternating between booms and busts. Real estate will recover, at which point agents and brokers will be in high demand. Our goal is to prepare individuals to gain their real estate licenses and succeed in the industry. Likewise, we also encourage them to embrace the constant change that is technology so as not to be left behind. Thanks again!
The career of a real estate agent will depend mostly on connections. If you are well connected and outgoing, you will do very well.
wow.. the earnings..I think it’s a good choice for the career
Real Estate is definitely all about networking and making sure you connect with the right people. I have dabbled on the side and it always comes down to who you know more than what you know.
I agree with Chis R though, it can be a truly rewarding and satisfying job, and if you don’t try something, then you’ll never know.
Do you have an opinion on which brokerage firm to join? Currently my title hangs with KW and I’ve been a big fan of their work ethic/style.
Hondros College has several broker partners. How could we pick just one? See them all here: http://www.hondros.edu/RealEst.....Night.aspx
comprehensive articles… thanks for sharing
For anyone who cares about people, has good problem solving skills, loves to network and have a unique experience every day of their lives, real estate is wonderful. Yes, you will find that you have to make yourself available for clients day and night, but it’s worth it because you will meet a lot of wonderful people over the years and make more friends than you can count.
Thank you for the comment, Susan! We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves.
Skill to do comes of doing.
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You created some very good factors there. I managed a search to the subject and identified most men and women will concur along with your weblog.
Great read about why one should enter the real estate industry. I agree, as even with the market indicators still looking rather bleak, it would be a great time to obtain an education during such a historical real estate market. Thanks.