Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Being a Realtor is more than just unlocking doors and collecting commission checks....I made a 6 figure salary & was in the top 5% before I retired....
Congratulations!!! Quite an accomplishment!! Never mind that every realtor I ever met was in the top 5%.
Just once I would like to hear from those other 95%. Hi I am Realtor Rachel and I suck....
I think that is great. I briefly considered doing that myself. However, I realize that, although I have a job history of being a great schmoozer, and keeping my clients happy, I do not have the constitution, or desire, to deal with the volatile emotions of people making the most expensive decisions of their lives. I don't want to be in touch 24/7 either.
I have a brother in law who used to be an electrical engineer (so he's smart) and managed to get blackballed by every employer in New England for many reasons, including a patent infringement suit. He became a real estate agent and, although he spends every waking moment working at it, he is still barely making it. As someone I know once said about her boyfriend, it's as though he works at being a failure.
My point is, success at real estate is more about the steady strokers, and those who have the emotional intelligence and integrity to build a client base and knowledge of the area they cover. This does not happen overnight, but everyone who is successful started as fresh and new, and so can the OP.
I have a brother in law who used to be an electrical engineer (so he's smart) and managed to get blackballed by every employer in New England for many reasons, including a patent infringement suit. He became a real estate agent and, although he spends every waking moment working at it, he is still barely making it. As someone I know once said about her boyfriend, it's as though he works at being a failure.
My point is, success at real estate is more about the steady strokers, and those who have the emotional intelligence and integrity to build a client base and knowledge of the area they cover. This does not happen overnight, but everyone who is successful started as fresh and new, and so can the OP.
Damn that's some bad luck.
But I'll bet Einstein would have had a 99% chance of failure as a real estate agent.
It takes different kind of smarts in real estate.
Location: Mokelumne Hill, CA & El Pescadero, BCS MX.
6,957 posts, read 22,307,357 times
Reputation: 6471
Consistency is the key in this business. My office rarely goes unstaffed even though it's pretty much me and a part time guy. It's long hours, but over the past 9.5 years, we've managed to be the top agency in the 110 square miles we service.
We know the territory better than just about anyone. (Sidebar) I had a lender call me today asking if I was "familiar with" the area. Looking to have a Broker's Price Opinion done. I asked the address. She gave it to me and I told her the history of the property over the past 5 years within about 30 seconds without having to reference anything.
It's a really small pond and we are the biggest fish in it. We don't blow smoke up the posterior, we don't have to exaggerate or use a sales technique to make the sale because we live here. I'd hate to work in a cutthroat area where an anonymous agent can jump in and make a deal on shear luck. Smart is nice, but a good listener will do far better in this field than a "smart" person.
I can't say I was always like this in my earlier career, but I've learned.
I have a brother in Residential Sales and he does very well...
Part of his secret is being very active in the community... for 25 years he has coached summer leagues and sponsors his team... everyone knows him through this and think about it... 25 years of coaching 150 kids from age 5 to 18 and you build a huge circle of people that know you... parents, grandparents, etc.
He has brokered 4 generations from the same family... like when the grandparents need to downsize or the kid he coached as a teen get married and looking to buy and even the kids of kids that were teens 20 years ago...
It was not always like this... starting out young was a real hurdle and the first years were lean... had to be very creative and was even known to front money for paint and clean up back in the day.
Starting at age 21 and building a following of thousands. Each year he and his wife send out about 1200 Christmas letters... everyone that has ever bought or sold gets one and it's the only advertising done other than word of mouth... no pens, park benches and online ads...
I have a brother in Residential Sales and he does very well...
Part of his secret is being very active in the community... for 25 years he has coached summer leagues and sponsors his team... everyone knows him through this and think about it... 25 years of coaching 150 kids from age 5 to 18 and you build a huge circle of people that know you... parents, grandparents, etc.
He has brokered 4 generations from the same family... like when the grandparents need to downsize or the kid he coached as a teen get married and looking to buy and even the kids of kids that were teens 20 years ago...
It was not always like this... starting out young was a real hurdle and the first years were lean... had to be very creative and was even known to front money for paint and clean up back in the day.
Starting at age 21 and building a following of thousands. Each year he and his wife send out about 1200 Christmas letters... everyone that has ever bought or sold gets one and it's the only advertising done other than word of mouth... no pens, park benches and online ads...
Yes, this is why he's successful. We have a good friend who got into being a RE agent in middle age when his former business got slow. He is a guy who was fully immersed in the community. He gave large parties, was elected to school board and other political offices, and really gave back. He was able to transition because he had a huge network of friends in the community, and people knew he was an honorable man.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
