<p>Bo: I’m puzzled why you posted this to begin with.</p>
<p>1) were you sincerely looking for people to talk you OUT of this path? Because you’re unsure?</p>
<p>2) given your immediate and almost argumentative tone and your purposefully confrontational thread title, it think not #1 but perhaps you’re looking for affirmation. Yes?</p>
<p>3) why do you even the single opinion of an internet stranger if all you’ll do is counter what’s being said? well: Go for it. Report back in a few years if things don’t work out and you need college advice. But why are you even here?</p>
<p>OP, it’s a possibility that could or could not work.</p>
<p>What due diligence have you conducted?</p>
<p>Things I would look at:</p>
<p>What is involved in getting a license?</p>
<p>What brokerage would you like to work with? Would they take you? Would they train you or would a successful, established agent be willing to take you under his or her wing? There is a lot to learn if you want to be successful…you need to work smart as well as hard. </p>
<p>Could you possibly spend a month or two shadowing a successful agent? Also, you should talk to agents who were not successful, and hear their stories as well. It’s good to be aware of all possible pitfalls that could confront you.</p>
<p>What are house prices like in your locale? It’s obviously easier to make more money in a higher priced environment.</p>
<p>What additional expertise could you offer your clients, that would set you apart from other realtors?</p>
<p>I honestly wanted to gage what people think. I am playing devils advocate. There is a certain percentage or me that wants to try real estate and a certain percentage that feels like staying in school is the right decision. So I am confused.</p>
<p>The best real estate agent I know could sell me a toad. He often calls me in (architect) to help his clients visualize what sort of improvements could be made with the houses they are looking at. He knows everyone in the neighborhood and gets many of the listings around here.</p>
<p>Regarding the schools. You are going about it from the wrong angle. You sound like a “wheeler dealer” no one should trust. First of all- you have to live your life doing whatever you decide to do. Pick the major based on what you would most enjoy (tolerate). Poli Sci is not a career for most- it is opportunity to study something they like that also gives the prerequisite for many jobs- a BS or BA. Marketing is business- is that what you would enjoy more?</p>
<p>Think long term. Unless they inherited their money most rich people spent a long time moving up the ranks to get into the top earning brackets. Get rich quick schemes are likely to cost you at the expense of the person promoting them. How much of your life are you willing to spend attempting to get rich instead of enjoying doing things you enjoy? What do you intend to do with your riches? Will you have the time to enjoy them? Owning objects- clothes, jewelry, cars, houses- but having no time to use/enjoy them is useless. Perhaps you have the need to be someone- a flashy/wealthy show won’t do it. Think internal, not external worth.</p>
<p>Perhaps you enjoy the process of making money- then go for the marketing. Perhaps your legal studies mean you are intrigued by the political process- then go for that. In either one you will need to study how people operate.</p>
<p>Bo- you have half of what it takes to be a successful real estate agent- you are quick on your feet and have an answer for everything. The second piece- strong listening skills- well, those are not in evidence from your posts.</p>
<p>I know several successful agents-- all of whom are college educated, all of whom read voraciously, and are well rounded intellectually. They understand architecture, modern art, classical composition, zoning and urban planning, with a smattering of engineering thrown in for good measure. No, you don’t need to go to college for these things, but it’s easier than trying to teach yourself. All of them work 16 hour type days, and live in expensive cities where high net worth people buy and sell and rent property. (London, NY, Palo Alto).</p>
<p>I know dozens of real estate agents who probably earn 20-50K per year. Sometimes it’s because they are not full time. Usually it’s because they have chosen to live in places where housing prices are modest (It will be tough to make 100K per year starting out in Dayton Ohio even if you take off like a silver bullet). Frequently it’s because they have not invested in their businesses-- they use old technology, they don’t attend seminars and classes (on their own nickel), they don’t travel enough to gain perspective on housing trends apart from those in the development or cul de sac down the street. So they don’t get to compete for the big listings- their skills are below the bar.</p>
<p>Agree with the suggestion to shadow a successful agent. It is easy to look at the lifestyle and think they spend all their time hanging out at a country club pool trolling for rich people who are smart enough to have made a lot of money but too dumb to use a competitive bidding process when selling a piece of real estate… reality, not so much.</p>
<p>Another twist. What happens if you forego the college education and become a successful real estate agent, ie you make your millions. What then? Will the buyers and sellers of the houses you market treat you as one of them? Or will you be the outsider they had to deal with before getting on with their lives? Having money does not mean getting access to the circles you may wish to be in. Will you associate with others showing off an ostentatious lifestyle? Will you enjoy being with others whose only aim is to be rich? Is there more to you? Consider the circle of those involved in the legal arena. The lowest paid member of the team has a common interest with the highest ranked member.</p>
<p>Step son has a two-year degree in criminology–wanted to be a cop-and has been a highly successful RE agent from the getgo about 10 years ago. Top 1% at major firm etc. Decided to move from Seattle to Austin and has not missed a beat in entriely new market. So some people are just good at it. Very client focused and communicates al the time. I think it’s a natural talent but you can learn too. But 90% dont really make it.</p>
<p>wis75… Not sure if I’m following you… Are you saying that due to the fact that I don’t have a piece of paper signifying all the stuff I “learned” in college… still hinders me from having common interest/bond with those of “higher educated” folk?.</p>
<p>Ummm . . . so you don’t need to become a real estate agent? </p>
<p>Seriously. I know some real estate agents who love their work and are quite good and successful at it. I also know some people who tried it and bombed. Most of the people I know (myself and immediate family included) have never tried it and will never try it because the nature of the work doesn’t appeal to us, and in many cases because we sense we wouldn’t be particularly good at it. It takes a certain personality type to be in sales of any kind. That’s just not me. Nor, I think, is it either of my daughters, both of whom are now in college. Who knows what they’ll ultimately end up doing, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be real estate.</p>
<p>That’s not to put down the profession. If it’s something that appeals to you and you think you’d be good at it, give it a try. It can be a perfectly respectable way to make a living. It’s just not for everyone.</p>
<p>Here’s a q for you: how many RE agent courses are in your area? In the last 18mos? Have they been sold out? How many people have been licensed? Why are so many people entering the field? How many stay in the field? Barrons said 90% of people don’t stay long term. Maybe worth investigating</p>
<p>Your posts are all about making money. No real passion exhibited for any field. It isn’t the piece of paper but your focus. Most rich people will have made money secondary to doing their profession. As a physician I enjoy talking about things medical- this can be a discussion with a nursing home aid about their work experiences. Some people will disdain you for only being concerned about money. I would have fun discussing real estate with you, not at all interested in how much you earn.</p>
<p>The piece of paper is your entry ticket to many jobs, and most of the ones affording a good lifestyle. It is not about being an interesting person. But your posts are not about being an interesting person. </p>
<p>It won’t hurt you to have a bachelors degree and may hinder you decades later to not have one. A college degree can offer you future flexibility. A college degree does not hinder you in becoming a real estate agent in the not so distant future. Foregoing the degree to become a house seller now may prevent you from ever getting the degree. To become a true real estate professional will require at least as much work as a bachelor’s degree.</p>
<p>You have the acceptance to college- make use of it. This is the time of your life it is easiest to be a college student. Later life will have more obligations. You may change your mind about the real estate field- what then? No brainer- go to college.</p>
<p>I think we need to just encourage this kid to pursue his Real Estate sales career and save a spot in college for someone who both understands and values the entire purpose of an education.</p>
<p>Because you can become a real estate agent at 40, or even at 70. But, you cant go to college, cant have fun at 70. There is time to education and there is rest of life to do whatever you want.</p>
<p>You are asking a question about a career that does not require a college degree and you are asking the question on a forum that is primarily about getting into college and getting degrees. What do you want to hear? Real Estate is a legitimate career. There are people in real estate that do other things other than representing buyers and sellers. Not everyone makes $100,000 right out of the box with new certification in hand, but then neither do newly minted college graduates with diplomas clutched in your hands. I think it’s a fine choice if that what someone wants to do.</p>
<p>I need to add (because many have not included) the costs I will incur in going to college. George Washington U will cost me about 90 grand and I will graduate when I’m 30. (will be 27 this November.) Plus I have a 2 year degree and consider myself to be intelligent and pretty well rounded.</p>
<p>So with 90 grand in debt and student loans due… Real Estate actually won’t be a viable option because I will have in-debted myself to where I wont have the flexibility to struggle for a few years off the bat. See where I am going with this?</p>
<p>According the the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2012 in Pennsylvania the median annual income for real estate sales agents was $50,220. The 90th percentile in annual income was $86,780 (that means that you’d have to be earning more than 90% of all real estate sales agents in PA to be earning more than $86,780). Also as of May 2012 there were 6,710 real estate sales agents in Pennsylvania. So you’d have to be earning more than 6,000 of them to be at the $87K income level.</p>
<p>It is certainly possible to earn good money as a real estate agent. But it usually takes a fairly long time to build up a track record, clientele and knowledge of the local market. I know several folks who went into real estate sales, worked really hard at it, and made only modest amounts of money after expenses.</p>
<p>if you are going to be 27 soon, you have been out of high school for 8-10 years and must have some significant work experience under your belt. Is there something about real estate itself that is attractive to you, or is it just that it seems to be a career with decent earnings potential with a low entry threshold that does not require a college degree? I can imagine that being your age and living in your parents’ home, you want to get out.</p>
<p>How did you choose the universities to which you applied? Because you are not an 18 year old, I assume that there was some academic/educational aspect that was attractive to you, because it is unlikely you are seeking the “traditional college experience.”</p>
<p>I’m sure you have done a cost/benefit analysis. As I said earlier in this thread, do your due diligence so you can make an informed decision,</p>
<p>Also realize you can do both of these things at once–could you go to college part time towards earning your degree, while pursuing a real estate career?</p>
<p>Realize, too, that choosing one or the other alternative now is not at all limiting to you. College will always be there–you just might be going still later. Or, choose college now, and a real estate career is not going to go away either.</p>