Why I Became A Real Estate Agent At 19 In The Middle Of A Pandemic
Have you ever considered becoming an agent? You might have thought, “Wow! I can get paid to show people houses! That sounds like a lot of fun, and how hard could it really be?” Or you might have even thought, “I get to be in charge of my own schedule, work when I want to, go on tons of vacay’s, and still make bank.”
I know a thought like that has come up once or twice.
When the idea of becoming a real estate agent came to my mind. I was like, absolutely not! Why? Because I had a bad image of what a real estate agent was. I thought they were like the typical car salesmen.
I thought that they were only interested in making that commission check and looking out for their wallet.
“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.” — Erich Fromm
This couldn’t be further from the truth! There are some really great and professional real estate agents out there.
I discovered this when my parents were looking to buy a different house.
The agent we were working with completely changed the way I viewed agents. This man worked really hard, he was very knowledgeable and cared about us.
We didn’t even end up buying anything. In fact, for our situation, he recommended that we didn’t buy anything at the time, which was a surprise to me.
The changed in my viewpoint wasn’t a reason why I decided to become a real estate agent, but I would say it sealed the deal after all my other decision were decided.
Before we begin, I want to point out really quickly that being a real estate agent is not, by any means, easy. The failure rate alone of 87% proves that.
That’s is because most people who become an agent, expect to make big bank for easy work. But when they realize that it’s actually a lot of work or when something doesn’t go in their favor. They quit.
“Failure is not the opposite of success; It’s apart of success.” — Arianna Huffington
To be clear, yes… The amount of money you can make is only capped by you. While it can be challenging (especially at first) it can most certainly rewarding. Let me explain why I became a real estate agent at 19 in 2021.
Investing
This is probably my biggest reason as to why I became a real estate agent. It’s because I want to invest in real estate. Buy houses. Renovate them. Rent them. Repeat. (Lol, that sounds familiar)
I realized that investing in real estate can be a bit more complex than investing in something like stocks, for example.
My plan was to learn how to invest in real estate so that when the time comes — when I’m financially able to invest, I’ll be ready.
I then realized that by becoming a real estate agent, I would be exposed to the market. I would learn so much more working as an agent rather than just reading books, watching videos, or shadowing someone.
I’ll be right there. Helping investors get a great investment property as though it were mine.
“Don’t wait to buy real estate, buy real estate, and wait.”
Business Owner
I wrote an article about why I think working for hours dumb. In there, I talk about the fact that you are capped by the amount of time you have in a week.
So you can work twice as fast. Twice as efficient. Twice as hard. And yet, the paycheck is still the same.
I go into a few other points, but that right there is a big reason why I dislike working for hours.
As a business owner, the only thing that is capping you is you.
You can hire people for all the other things that are capping you (like time, expertise, knowledge, or the unwillingness to do something.) Can’t really do that in a 9–5 job. Why? Because you were hired to do that very thing.
Learning Opportunity
I kinda touch on this already, but there is a lot more to learn than just investing.
Remember, this is a business. There is a lot to know when it comes to running a business successfully. Gotta learn how to market properly. Need to learn how to manage finances.
Of course, you can eventually hire more people that can do that for you. When you’re first getting started though that won’t be a luxury you have. Plus these are all things I want to learn and enjoy doing.
Though, some will say, “Why not just start a YouTube channel or blog about investing in real estate? You can still learn all the marketing, finance, and business skills.”
While there is some logic in that question. There is so much more to learn being in the middle of it all. Going through the process many times, with each time being unique and different in its own way.
My response to that question is a question. Why not both?
Being an agent is also a great way to build a charter. Not only having a charter but also having the confidence to allow it to come out freely.
Don’t Need to Go to College (Necessarily)
The best part is you don’t need to go to college to sell houses! You can get right into it — learning as you go. Plus, you’ll get paid to learn.
I had mixed feelings about college as a kid. I heard some people say it was the only way to make it in this world. I also heard college is a complete waste of time.
I think the idea that “college is the only way to make it” is a bit absurd. The internet has definitely helped us in that regard.
A degree in business can certainly help when starting a business though it’s not necessary.
“Selling door to door for 2-years is the equivalent of a 4-year college communications degree.” — Jamie Foxx
The End
I don’t plan on being an agent for 60 plus years — always searching for the next commission check. Rather, I’m becoming a real estate agent as my starting point. This is where I learn the basics of running a successful business.
I really don’t know what I would be doing if there was no such thing as a real estate agent. I probably would have been working for someone as an electrician or something like that. I guess we’ll never know:)
To sum it all up investing, owning a business, learning, and the fact that I can get started right now are the main reasons why I became to be a real estate agent at 19.
— Thanks for Readin’
