Real estate is a highly lucrative industry, with an earning potential upwards of $100,000 annually. That said, a career in real estate is what you make of it. Put in the time and put forth the necessary efforts and you will see a return. However, if you expect to just skate by and hope that someone calls you to list their home, you may not cut it in the field. If you’re interested in obtaining your real estate license and are interested in learning more about reputable online real estate programs, first consider whether or not the career is really right for you. Here are some points to think about:
Real Estate Requires an Entrepreneurial Spirit
A career in real estate affords you the ability to make your own hours and work from a home office because you are, in essence, your own boss. That said, as your own boss, you need to be able to do what a normal boss would do. You must be able to devise a selling strategy and put it into action. You must be disciplined enough to work eight hours (and possibly more) each day. You must be able to see a challenge and embrace it, to push through your leads and to develop a strong network of potentials. If you don’t have the entrepreneurial spirit, you may find that real estate is not for you.
Real Estate Requires a Marketing Mindset
As your own boss, you are also your own marketing department. Real estate is all about advertising—whether you’re trying to sell a home or trying to find a home to sell. You have to sell yourself, and you have to sell your properties, and you need to know the best tricks and platforms for doing so. These are things that most online real estate programs will teach you, but an innate sense of creativity is always helpful.
Real Estate Requires Tenacity
…and flexibility, and an almost dogmatic persistence. If you’re not someone who feels comfortable pushing a sale, or if you cannot fathom hounding someone who you believe with all of your heart would be perfect for a home in your listings, then you may not be comfortable with a career in real estate. While you never want to pressure someone into buying a home, if you have a client’s best interests at heart, you need to have the gumption to let them know that.
If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, a marketing mindset and the ability to sell ice to an Eskimo, you may be cut out for a career in real estate. If so, check out the online real estate programs near you to learn more about what you need to do to get started.