Belt Auction

I want to become a Real Estate Agent?

I graduated high school in 2006 and I want to become a Real Estate agent. I did a job shadow with the owner of Century 21 and she said the best way to get into the business is to work as a Secretary in a Real Estate office. In the paper there is a position for a Secretary for $8/hr, 30 hrs a wk, which there is no way I could afford getting paid that an hour and only 30 hrs a wk. And you will train to get your license in 6-12 months. Is there any other way to get into the Business and/or make a little more when starting out? I live in Montana and I know other states pay more, but that seems awefully low. Anyone been in my position or have any advice? Please answer only if you actually know! Please help! Thanks! :)

Public Comments

1. Unfortunately its tough to make $$$ when starting out unless you can get an assistant gig with a heavy hitter. I would find out who those poeple are contact them direct to see if they need help. They will either pay you a flat hourly rate or a % of each deal...like 5%. Another method is to chase lease prospects. I dont know if they advertise leases in your local mls but you can advertise availabilities in certan online places and get a ton of calls. We are super busy doing this. We even created a website for homes for lease www.luxurypropertylease.com.
2. If you do not think you can survive on $8 an hour, you should consider the reasons you want to be a real estate agent. Most brokerage companies will split the commission you bring in. If you do not make the sale, you do not get paid. When you make the transactions happen, you reap the rewards.
3. Being a real estate agent is tough business when starting out at first. My suggestion would be to get your state license first. You will be most likely be required to do certain hours before you are eligible to take the state exam. Once you have the license (or prior to), contact real estate "Teams" to see if they need a Buyer's Agent. The Team consists of a Listing Agent, few Buyer's Agent, administrative assistants, marketing person, etc. They each work exclusively on one thing that they are assigned in the Team. You can find some good local Teams in the Homes magazines that most supermarkets carry, in the yellow pages, or on yard signs as you drive around. Once you become a member of a Team, you will be given leads, and on-going training. The pay will be less than if you would be on your own, but a lot better than $8/hr!
4. Its not the right time to get into this career,,,,sorry, real estate sales are going down and will continue to go down for another few years. The west coast is leading the down fall Nationwide. There are to many Realtors to start with, you don't have a clientele in place, a large percentage of Realtors are seeking other careers. I suggest you consider the purchasing of a small house that is selling below market value or go to a bank and see what their holding, fix it up a little and place it back on the market, If you can get a partner with capital your able to rent these homes. Think about it. Good Luck