You see the posts from your friends on social media, hear the stories of small fortunes being made by daring souls who make the jump, and now you have to ask the question: how do I go about becoming a real estate agent? You can Google the question and see the step by step advice from from Indeed, but if you want real life advice, you need to talk to a real life real estate agent.
My career as a real estate agent has given me a great second income, but it can take time at the beginning. Have your financial ducks in a row.
Kohl Smith, G Stiles Realty
Kohl Smith at G Stiles Realty in Roseburg, Oregon knows what it really takes. Kohl is a full-time firefighter who started selling real estate in Douglas County, Oregon on the side in 2018. He is the perfect person to ask because he has successfully pivoted into real estate and can still remember what it was like to get started.
The first thing is that the initial learning and testing process requires a big commitment. It was 6 months from the time I earned my license to the closing of my first sale. You have to be prepared for that and get your finances in line in case it takes a while for your first sale. There is an upfront cost in both money and time when you are preparing for the real estate exam.
Have an idea of who you are going to work for once you pass the test. Before I even started the course work for my license I went in and talked to principal brokers to get a feeling for what they would be like. I was concerned about having a place to work and how I would be treated. Greg at G Stiles Realty fit my style. The office was a lot like a family and I knew I was going to have a lot of help available when I needed it.
Commit to integrity. Right now there are a lot of places trying to recruit new agents. They are flashy and exciting, but there is a thing about integrity. I have been in real estate for a little while now and I have seen things I haven’t liked because the agents were under pressure to hit their number for the month. That’s not my style, I need to enjoy the people I am working with and for. I appreciate the family atmosphere and sense of teamwork I have found at G Stiles Realty. Greg Johnson will sometimes say “This is how it should be done. It is more work, but you need to do it this way.” If I need more help or ideas or direction or advice, I can find it with Greg or others on the team at G Stiles Realty. I think that’s the biggest difference with an independent agency. More integrity. Less pressure. A better environment, at least as far as I am concerned.
Understand what you are actually getting into. There is a big difference between what agents do and what people think a real estate agent does. People think agents sit back and cash huge commission checks when a house sells. They only see the sales price and you can see them doing the math in their head. They don’t see the hustle it takes to get a couple to a new listing so they can get an offer in, the extra time it takes to write that offer, or the counteroffer, or the sweat pouring off of an agent when their clients him and haw over the color of the carpet in the dining room. Being a real estate agent is rewarding and has a lot of perks, but it is also a lot of hard work.
Want to be like Kohl Smith? G Stiles Realty is a smaller, independent office that uses a straight percentage on sales and doesn’t charge agents for office support or desk space. G Stiles offers its real estate agents their own office, desk, and phone along with office support including a receptionist, conference room, and printing of promotional content, marketing, and flyers. G Stiles also covers all office expenses and E&O insurance. Ask G Stiles about starting your real estate career.
See Kohl Smith’s bio: here
See how G Stiles Realty can help you become a real estate agent: here