Why a Career Change to Real Estate Is the Right Move

Agents Control Their Own Schedules

The ability for an employee to set their own hours is quickly becoming one of the more sought-after benefits a career can offer. However, not many careers have this type of flexible scheduling, but a career as a real estate agent does. Because most real estate agents earn the totality of their income through commissions on the homes they sell, they can focus on the days and times convenient for their clients and not just the standard 9–5.

This doesn't mean real estate agents can take off work for days on end, though — agents still need to meet their clients' needs and accommodate their own schedules. Nevertheless, working as a real estate agent is certainly a career that offers a high degree of flexibility in their work schedule. Anyone working as a real estate agent is sure to say controlling their own schedule is one of their favorite parts of the job.

Agents Directly Influence How Much Money They Make

As previously mentioned, most real estate agents earn their entire income through commissions on the homes they sell. When a real estate agent successfully sells a home, they are paid a percentage of its closing price. This percentage will vary from brokerage to brokerage, but the key takeaway is that real estate agents can directly influence how much money they earn. If an agent works hard and excels at the job, they can earn much more money. The same can't be said of most careers, where exceptional performance can enable an employee to climb the ladder and pursue promotions but doesn't tend to impact their earnings in any immediate way.

Real estate agents can directly impact their earnings based on their performance, making it a little difficult to predict how much money an agent can expect to make. However, in the United States, real estate agents earn an average salary of $51,220 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is an impressive income for a career that doesn't require an advanced degree, and it is a figure that agents have the opportunity to increase through great performance substantially.

Real Estate Courses Can be Done on Your Own Time

One of the biggest barriers to changing careers is finding the time to complete all the tasks switching to a new career requires. When becoming a real estate agent, the primary task that to complete is the pre-licensing education course. Most pre-licensing education courses are conducted entirely online and can be completed at any pace and schedule. This allows prospective agents to complete the course at night, over the weekend, or during any other free time.

In addition to completing the course at any time they choose, prospective agents can also complete their pre-licensing education at their own pace. Some students choose to put their nose to the grindstone and power through the course as quickly as possible, while others choose to take their time and spread the course out over several months. For students who prefer a classroom environment, in-person classes are also available. Students will meet up at a designated location with an established schedule when taking in-person classes, making it easy to fit into a set routine. Ultimately, any of these options are fine, and students should choose the one that best fits their needs.

Becoming an Agent Doesn't Require a Degree

Finding an interesting and well-paying career that doesn't require an advanced degree is becoming more and more challenging. Many people don't realize working as a real estate agent doesn't require a college degree. To find work as a real estate agent, all that is required is a real estate license. Earning this license requires prospective agents to pass a real estate licensing exam and complete a pre-licensing education course. However, a degree is not a pre-requisite for the pre-licensing course or the licensing exam.

The pre-licensing course meant to prepare prospective agents for their licensing exam takes anywhere from a few weeks to few months to complete. Courses can typically be completed entirely online, making acquiring a real estate license much faster than earning a college degree. While a degree isn't required to become a real estate agent, many degrees are beneficial to an agent's career. This includes degrees such as business administration, accounting, and marketing. While any of these degrees can be helpful, none of them are required to become a real estate agent.

Agents Aren't Stuck in an Office All Day

There's nothing wrong with working a desk job. However, working in an office day in and day out can quickly become a little mundane. While much of a real estate agent's daily tasks take place in an office, there are also plenty of opportunities for agents to get away from the desk and out into the field. Preparing homes for sale, showing homes to prospective clients, and attending workshops/meetings are just a few of the tasks that bring variety to a real estate agent's job and provide opportunities for agents to get away from the office.

Some jobs require an employee to be on the go at all times, while others require an employee to spend their entire career in an office. However, a career as a real estate agent offers the best of both worlds, allowing agents to add valuable variety to their daily routine. This variety of tasks that make up a real estate agent's regular responsibilities make working as a real estate agent one of the more entertaining careers that a person can pursue.

An Agent's Work is Meaningful

It's always nice to work in a career that creates a positive impact on people's lives. While real estate may not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of careers that make the world a better place, real estate agents regularly bring joy to people's lives. Real estate agents have the opportunity to meet lots of fascinating people and help those people find the home of their dreams. Helping people find a place to call home is certainly a noble pursuit and is just one of the many attributes of the job that make working as a real estate agent so rewarding.

Whether someone is buying a home for the first time or finally purchasing their forever home, buying a home is a huge milestone in a person's life. Real estate agents get to be there every time someone reaches this milestone, helping them along the way and celebrating alongside them when the process is complete. This means working as a real estate agent is a career that creates many joyful moments and allows an agent to feel good about their work.

Real Estate Students Can Take Classes for Free

Another big obstacle associated with changing careers is the expense that acquiring a new education entails. Real estate courses can cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on the specific course and state they're taken in. However, the good news is that there is a simple way to avoid this expense and attend a real estate course completely free of charge. Today, estate scholarships are available that allow students to attend pre-licensing courses for little to no charge.

Kris Lindahl Real Estate believes everyone who wants to become a real estate agent should be able to follow their passions. With a Kris Lindahl Real Estate Scholarship, students don't have to pay a cent out of pocket for their classes, materials, exams, or applications, making it easier than ever to start down the path of becoming a real estate agent. However, scholarships are limited, so it's important to act fast and apply today.

Conclusion

Working as a real estate agent is a career that offers a wide range of benefits. From flexible scheduling to the fact that real estate agents can improve their income through exceptional performance to how easy it is to get a real estate license, there are certainly plenty of great reasons to choose a career in real estate.