Here’s Why You Should Consider a Career in Real Estate

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Are you in need of a career change? Real estate might be the right move for you. Not only is it a rewarding career, it also has plenty of growth potential and the option to make your own hours. Need proof? We spoke with three Coldwell Banker Preferred affiliated agents about what makes real estate sales a gratifying career. Here are the top five reasons why they love their profession:

You diversify your skillset.

Just because you don’t have a background in real estate, doesn’t mean you should skip pursuing it as a career. Coldwell Banker Preferred affiliated agent, Kimberly Morehart worked in human resources for a pharmaceutical company, then opened her own interior design firm before starting a career in real estate. By working in real estate, she’s able to utilize the knowledge she acquired at her previous jobs while continuing to enhance her skillset. “I love design,” says Morehart. “So, in addition to showing clients homes, I offer suggestions on design and picturing how a place could look.” Coldwell Banker Preferred is a great resource to help you get started. They even offer incentives to members of the military or their family members who are interested in real estate sales. Through the Veteran’s Success Program, they’ll help cover some of the cost of any required education and marketing materials that affiliated agents need to succeed such as signs and marketing materials that are not covered in the GI Bill benefits.

You meet new people all the time.

“Working with different types of different buyers and sellers on a daily basis is one of the things I love most about my job,” insists Coldwell Banker Preferred affiliated agent, Mark Mehler. For real estate agents, every day is different depending on who the client is and where they want to move. “Every client has a story,” continues Morehart. “It’s so fun getting to know them, their families, their extended families and being a part of the happy ending.”

You can set your own schedule.

As a real estate agent, you’re in charge of making your own schedule, which overall is a huge benefit as long as you learn to balance your workload. “The industry is constantly moving and it’s certainly not a typical 9-5,” says Mehler. “But if I feel that if I need a few hours off to head to my kid’s baseball game or track meet, I can take the time.” Some agents even take extended periods of time off. “I was able to spend the first ten months of my son’s life at home, which was so amazing,” says Coldwell Banker Preferred affiliated agent, Dee Hill.

You control your earning potential.

Most real estate jobs are commission based—meaning the more sales you make, the more money in your pocket. “Being an agent is one of the best careers to have control over how much you make and how much time you put into the job,” says Hill. It’s entirely up to you how much effort you put into setting and meeting specific quotas for the month. “Before entering a career in real estate, you need to realize that you need to have sales in order to get a paycheck.” advises Morehart. “But, if you concentrate on forging relationships and helping your clients meet their home ownership goals, the sales and commissions will follow.”

You feel rewarded.

“Buying a home is oftentimes the largest purchase most people will make,” says Mehler. “It gives me purpose every day to wake up and know that I am helping people make their best and most educated decisions with such a large investment.” Most agents agree that helping families find their forever homes is a feeling that cannot be topped. “Nothing is more rewarding than speaking to a client months after the closing and they can’t stop raving about how much they love their home and neighborhood,” says Mehler. “It’s an amazing feeling.”

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