Want to Be a Real Estate Agent? Do Your Research

Real Estate Agent or Affiliate Broker, 2 titles, 1 definition. You will be an Affiliate for 3 years before you can study to be a Broker. This is the beginning. Where you start or stop, it's all up to you. Do you have grandeur's of pockets full of money, freedom to be your own boss or perhaps it's the lure of the appearance you seek. Whatever the reason you have chosen to research before you make that decision and that is very very good.

The first thing you need to know is that all buyers are liars and sellers are too, rich folks are rich cause they got it from you. Be prepared to spend tons of money on expenses such as gas and clothing, yearly association fees, insurance both auto and errors and omissions, which by the way does not cover you on personal transactions. Then there are the monthly Multiple Listing System (MLS) fees, continuing education classes, cell phone, business cards, web sites, advertising, camera, computer, printer, fax machine, the list goes on and on and you won't find out about it until after you pass the test which is another charge. All this comes after Real Estate School, and passing the test. If you get past this then you must get leads or buyers and sellers. Once you have a buyer or seller to work for prepare to be abused. With the economy and tons of foreclosures it is truly a buyers market, but wait. Buyers want even more and will want to see every home on the market out of their price range and low ball each one of them just to see what the bank will say. There's tons of them right? And you would think if there are so many there would be plenty of listings of foreclosures to go around ring? Think again. Contracts in TN. consist of 28 pages or more depending upon whether the sale is a short sale, bank foreclosure or straight out sale. How many of those do you want to write? You have to keep each one for 3 years. And then there are buyers who have "friends" in the business and find out this information as soon as they have chosen a home you found for them and tell you to write it up! Then you never hear from them again. They stop emailing you and answering their phone. Still want to be an agent? Read on.....

If you were not born and raised in the town or city you want to sell in then you are a fish out of water. This is where the brunt of your "leads" will come. Friends and family now, inevitable relationship rifts later. Some you will know about and some you will not. There will just be a noticeable change in the climate when you enter the room. Only 1% of your clients will be truly happy with your job performance and they never get invited to the parties you should be getting invited to. You will never truly know a person until you try to stick your hand in their pockets. You will get used and abused, stolen from and talked about and you will pay good money for it. Do yourself a favor, pick another profession. Buy savings bonds, you'll get a better return.

Oh and don't expect anything from your Broker. You are an independent agent, emphasis on independent. If a problem arises they will cover themselves first and the company second. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out where that leaves you.

So there you have it. What not to expect from becoming a Real Estate Agent*. And with that said, there are great deals out there. If you have cash or great credit and income. If not stay where you are. You will never get a loan. The banks are sitting on their/your money and they're not moving. No matter what you hear on the news which by the way is your enemy not your friend.

*If you do happen to know and are blessed to work for one of the top producers in the world this article is not for you. This article is for the other 99% of us.